Protective immunity to Listeria monocytogenes in neonatally thymectomized (NTx) mice: involvement of T cells distinct from those in sham-thymectomized mice

Immunology. 1988 Apr;63(4):649-55.

Abstract

Neonatally thymectomized (NTx) mice, whose ability to mount antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity is reported to be generally defective, were found to be capable of mounting a normal level of acquired cellular resistance (ACR) and delayed footpad reaction (DFR) to Listeria monocytogenes. The present study was done in order to determine the functional differences of T cells contributing to the protection against L. monocytogenes between NTx and sham-operated mice. In mice immunized with viable L. monocytogenes, the absolute number of splenic T cells was significantly lower in NTx mice compared with sham-operated mice. When the ability of immune T cells to transfer ACR and DFR was examined by passive transfer, lymphocytes from immune NTx mice conferred a higher level of ACR and DFR on naive recipient mice, despite the marked difference in total number of T cells compared with immune Sham mice. Antigen-specific proliferation and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by splenic T cells from immune NTx mice were significantly lower than in those from immune Sham mice. The proliferative response of T cells to exogenous IL-2 was also lower in NTx group. These results suggest that the requirement for the IL-2-driven T-cell proliferation system is basically low in the generation of effector T cells specific for L. monocytogenes.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Interleukin-2 / biosynthesis
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Listeriosis / immunology*
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Spleen / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymus Gland / immunology*

Substances

  • Interleukin-2