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The Journal of Immunology, 1972, 109: 255-261.
Copyright © 1972 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
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Macrophage-Bound Antigens

II. Comparison of the Immunogenicity of Antigens Bound to Macrophages, Lymphocytes, Thymocytes and Hepatoma Cells1

Robert C. Seeger2 and Joost J. Oppenheim3

From the Cell Biology Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and the Immunology Section, Laboratory of Microbiology, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Abstract

Macrophage-antigen is quite effective in activating T cells which are involved in mediating delayed hypersensitivity (DH) and in helping B cells produce antibodies. In this study we determined if this property was unique to macrophages by immunizing guinea pigs with antigen bound to macrophages, lymphocytes, thymocytes or hepatoma cells. Cells from unimmunized guinea pigs were incubated in vitro for 60 to 90 min with 125I tetanus toxoid or guinea pig albumin conjugated with orthanilic acid (GPA.OA), washed, and then injected into syngeneic unimmunized guinea pigs.

Macrophages took up 10 to 18 times more antigen than the other cells. To compensate for this difference in uptake, we injected equal doses of antigen rather than cells. Even with injection of fewer macrophages, macrophage-antigen was more effective than lymphocyte-antigen and soluble antigen in inducing DH and in priming for production of antibodies. Thymocyte-antigen and hepatoma antigen were ineffective in inducing immunity. Only macrophage-antigen was capable of activating T cells when guinea pigs were immunized by the intracardiac route or when weakly immunogenic GPA.OA was used.

These observations, with those of the previous paper, suggest that an initial interaction of antigen with macrophages but not with immunocompetent lymphocytes, immature thymocytes or hepatoma cells leads to activation of T cells involved in mediating DH and in helping B cells to form antibodies.

Footnotes

1 A preliminary report of this work was presented at the meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Chicago, Illinois, on April 17, 1971 (19).

2 Current address: Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Zoology, University College London, London WCIE 6BI, England.

3 Send reprint requests to Dr. Joost J. Oppenheim, Room 322/30 NIDR, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.






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