そらい感染マウスにおける免疫能の系統差について

抄録

One of the most susceptible strains, C3H mice and the most resistant strain, C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with 5×10⁹ bacilli of ^{Mycobacterium epraemurium} subcutaneously and lymphocyte transformation test of spleen cells to the specific antigen and polyclonal mitogens was performed and DTH to PPD and unrelated intigen, SRBC and HGG was also tested at various stages during the course of infection.
In LTT to the specific antigen, MLM, C3H mice showed almost low response until 24 weeks after infection, though C57BL/6 mice showed high response at 7th, 8th and 13 week significantly. In contrast, in LTT to T-cell mitogens, PHA and ConA, C3H mice developed the blastogenic response as high as seen in C57BL/6 mice even at 24th week after infection, though C3H mice were heavily loaded with bacilli at this stage.
Response to B-cell mitogen, LPS was rather high in C3H mice than in C57BL/6 mice.
Delayed type hypersensitivity response to MLM and PPD measured on footpad was high in C57BL/6 mice at 7th week after MLM infection. C3H mice also developed response to PPD in spite of low responsiveness to the specific antigen, MLM.
DTH response to unrelated antigen, SRBC and HGG were tested in MLM infected C3H mice. DTH to SRBC at 13th and 17th week was not different between MLM infected and uninfected control mice. DTH to HGG at 17th week was also the same as that of control mice.
These results showed that MLM infected C3H mice were not able to respond to the specific antigen, MLM, but general depression of cell mediated immunity was not observed in these mice until 24th week after infection.
As the facts above mentioned are similar to our early observations on human leprosy, the suppression of specific immune response is discussed in relation to antileprous immunity in human and experimental murine leprosy.