HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harris, S. Articles by Farber, M. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Harris, S. Articles by Farber, M. B.

Studies on the Transfer of Lymph Node Cells

I. Appearance of Antibody in Recipients of Cells from Donor Rabbits Injected with Antigen^*

From The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania), and the Division of Immunology, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Gradute School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Following the injection of dysentery bacilli, and other antigens, into the hind foot pad of rabbits, the popliteal (regional) lymph nodes were excised. The lymph node cells were teased free, washed and sedimented by centrifugation. These cells were then injected intravenously into normal rabbits. Antibody to the antigen injected into the donor animals appeared in the sera of the recipients on the first day after transfer, rose in titer on the second and third day and began to decline on the fifth or seventh day, being no longer measurable by the twenty-third to fortieth day.

When the cells were frozen and thawed three times in a dry-ice-alcohol bath, lysed with distilled water, heated at 52°C for 20 minutes, or incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, they were no longer capable of giving rise to the appearance of antibody when transferred to recipients. Following these treatments the cells were found to take up trypan blue dye in vitro, indicating they were injured or no longer viable. Similar treatments were found not to affect the antibody titer of a hyperimmune anti-Shigella serum nor the antigenicity of dysentery bacilli.

Storage of teased lymph node cells at 4°C for 24 hours, or repeated washing of such cells, did not inactivate the transfer effect, but was found to reduce it in proportion to the number of the cells lost or injured by such treatment, injury being judged by the uptake of trypan blue dye.

Possible explanations for the transfer effect are discussed above. It was considered unlikely that either transfer of pre-formed antibody contained within the cells or transfer of antigen which would cause active immunization could account for all the antibody found in the recipients' sera. Among other possible explanations the hypothesis was offered that the transferred cells might contain a mechanism of antibody formation.

Footnotes

^* This study was supported by a grant from the Commonwealth Fund.