PASSIVE TRANSFER OF TUBERCULIN HYPERSENSITIVITY IN NEWBORN GUINEA PIGS

Abstract

The capacity of newborn guinea pigs to develop the delayed type hypersensitivity was investigated by active sensitization with 10 mg of heat-killed BCG, and also by the local or systemic passive transfer with granulomatous spleen cells from adult guinea pigs sensitized to tuberculin. Local passive transfer of the sensitivity using the sensitive cell-PPD mixture was successful in one-third of the recipients. In contrast, almost all newborn recipients in the systemic (intravenous) passive transfer with sensitive cells responded to intracutaneous injection of 40μg of PPD with a substantially intensive skin reaction. In response to the active sensitization at birth, all the guinea pigs turned tuberculin positive to 40 g PPD within 7 days of age, and produced circulating antibody measurable by means of Middlebrook-Dubos's method. These observations indicate the immunological maturity of the guinea pig at birth.