Studies on the Transfer of Lymph Node Cells

Abstract

Summary 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.