Passive Cellular Transfer of the Tuberculin Type of Hypersensitivity.

Abstract

The failure to confer tuberculin sensitivity passively by injn. of serum from tuberculin-sensitive animals generally has been adduced as a basic distinction between the tuberculin type and the anaphylactic or Arthus type of hypersensitivity. However, Chase recently has reported the passive transfer of tuberculin sensitivity to normal guinea pigs by injn. of cells of peritoneal exudate, lymph nodes or spleen of guinea pigs sensitized to tuberculin by injn. of heat-killed human tubercule bacilli. Repetition of Chase''s studies was, therefore, undertaken. The present studies confirmed those of Chase in that tuberculin sensitivity was transferred passively to normal guinea pigs by injn. of cells of peritoneal exudate, lymph nodes and spleen of guinea pigs sensitized to tuberculin by injn. of heat-killed human tubercle bacilli in paraffin oil. The passively conferred sensitivity lasted 4-5 days. In addition, sensitivity was transferred by injns. of whole blood. This and other observations suggest that white cells of circulating blood may participate more widely than previously supposed in immunological phenomena. Passive transfer was also successful with suspensions containing 95% lymphocytes, suggesting that this cell may be of great importance in the transfer of sensitivity. Thus far, efforts to transfer sensitivity by means of various crude cell extracts have been negative. Cell transfer of the delayed type of pneumococcus sensitivity in rabbits also has proved unsuccessful.