PRESENT AND PAST OF TUBERCULOSIS RESEARCH

On Aspect of Basic Studies

Abstract

Experimental studies on mycobacterial infection using inbred, specific pathogen free, germ-free and athymic “nude” mice performed by us during the past three decades at Department of Microbio logy and Gnotobiology Research Laboratory of our Institute of Public Health, were outlined.
Brief discussions were made on the susceptibility of various inbred mouse strains to tuberculous infection, the restoration of the anti-microbial resistance and delayed-type hypersensitivity of germ-free mice by the association of intestinal flora, recovery of anti-tuberculous immunity and granuloma forma tion in nude mice infected with mycobacteria by the transplantation with T-cell-containing lymphoid cells, and effects of H-2 gene histocompatibility between macrophages and T-lymphocytes on cellular immunity by transfer experiment in nude mice.
It was emphasized that the immunogenetical studies of tuberculosis using congenic mouse strains for H-2 gen complex; inbred mouse strains carrying defined haplotypes of H-2 gene complex from divers origins, should further be promoted.