Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 143456 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Inability of spleen cells from chancre-immune rabbits to confer immunity to challenge with Treponema pallidum.

Infection and immunity ·Vol. 17 ·No. 3 ·1977-09-00 ·Pages 535-40

Baughn RE, Musher DM, Simmons CB

Abstract

Although several lines of evidence suggest that cellular immune mechanisms play a role in controlling infection due to Treponema pallidum, recent studies have shown that induction of acquired cellular resistance by antigenically unrelated organisms fails to protect rabbits against syphilitic infection, thereby casting doubt on this hypothesis. In the present paper we describe attempts to transfer immunity to syphilis by using spleen cells from chancre-immune rabbits. Intravenous infusion of 2 X 10(8) spleen lymphocytes was capable of transferring acquired cellular resistance to Listeria and delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin. However, in eight separate experiments using outbred or inbred rabbits, 2 X 10(8) spleen cells from syphilis-immune animals failed to confer resistance to T. pallidum whether by intravenous or intradermal challenge. Mixing immune lymphocytes with treponemes immediately before intradermal inoculation also failed to confer resistance. Despite the fact that syphilitic infection stimulates cellular immune mechanisms and induces acquired cellular resistance to antigenically unrelated organisms, cellular immunity may not play an important role in immunity to syphilis.

MeSH Terms
Animals Antibody Formation Chancre/immunology Immunity, Cellular Immunization, Passive Listeria/immunology Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed Lymphocytes/immunology Male Rabbits Spleen/immunology Syphilis/immunology Treponema pallidum/immunology
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Baughn R E
Musher D M
Simmons C B
References (36)
36 references, click to expand
  1. Lymphocyte transformation in syphilis: an in vitro correlate of immune suppression in vivo?
    Infect Immun. 1975 Jun;11(6):1261-4 PMID: 1095482
  2. Cell response in rabbits infected with T. pallidum as measured by the leucocyte migration inhibition test.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1975 Aug;51(4):240-5 PMID: 1156847
  3. [Study on intradermal reaction to formol Treponema suspensions in syphilitics and normal subjects].
    Ann Inst Pasteur (Paris). 1953 Jul;85(1):23-33 PMID: 13148717
  4. Cellular immunity.
    Bacteriol Rev. 1960 Mar;24(1):67-95 PMID: 13819863
  5. The effect of antibody on intracellular parasitism of Salmonella typhimurium in mononuclear phagocytes in vitro: prolonged survival of infected monocytes in presence of antibody.
    J Exp Med. 1959 Nov 1;110:715-30 PMID: 13827241
  6. THE BASIS FOR IMMUNITY TO MOUSE TYPHOID. I. THE CARRIER STATE.
    Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci. 1964 Apr;42:215-28 PMID: 14150756
  7. THE IMMUNOLOGICAL BASIS OF ACQUIRED CELLULAR RESISTANCE.
    J Exp Med. 1964 Jul 1;120:105-20 PMID: 14194388
  8. 'Luotest' a preliminary evaluation in the diagnosis of late syphilis.
    Med Illus. 1950 Aug;4(8):389-91 PMID: 15438480
  9. Specific immunity and nonspecific resistance to infection: listeria, protozoa, and viruses in mice and hamsters,.
    J Infect Dis. 1975 Mar;131(3):201-9 PMID: 165241
  10. Effect of pretreatment with Mycobacterium bovis (strain BCG) and immune syphilitic serum on rabbit resistance to Treponema pallidum.
    Infect Immun. 1975 Nov;12(5):1029-36 PMID: 172450
  11. Selective response of lymphocytes from Treponema pallidum-infected rabbits to mitogens and Treponema reiteri.
    Infect Immun. 1977 Feb;15(2):417-22 PMID: 300359
  12. Effect of sensitization with Propionibacterium acnes on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Treponema pallidum in rabbits.
    J Immunol. 1977 Jan;118(1):109-13 PMID: 401511
  13. Serial ultrathin sectioning demonstrating the intracellularity of T. Pallidum. An electron microscopic study.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1972 Apr;48(2):87-96 PMID: 4113455
  14. Reduced lymphocyte transformation due to a plasma factor in patients with active syphilis.
    Lancet. 1969 Aug 2;2(7614):246-7 PMID: 4184113
  15. Detection of nonspecific resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum.
    Infect Immun. 1974 Apr;9(4):658-62 PMID: 4207188
  16. Effects of passive immunization on experimental syphilis in the rabbit.
    Johns Hopkins Med J. 1973 Nov;133(5):241-51 PMID: 4586309
  17. Treponema pallidum within cells of a primary chancre from a human female.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Feb;50(1):40-4 PMID: 4593836
  18. Leucocyte migration and cell-mediated immunity in syphilis.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1972 Dec;48(6):483-8 PMID: 4651180
  19. Infection, anergy and cell-mediated immunity.
    N Engl J Med. 1975 Mar 20;292(12):629-34 PMID: 46586
  20. In vitro lymphocyte response to Treponema refringens im human syphilis.
    Infect Immun. 1974 Apr;9(4):654-7 PMID: 4822867
  21. Macrophage activation by lymphocyte mediators.
    Fed Proc. 1975 Jul;34(8):1730-6 PMID: 48483
  22. Electron microscopy of Treponema pallidum occurring in a human primary lesion.
    J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):951-5 PMID: 4886301
  23. Intracellular location of Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain) in the rabbit testis.
    Infect Immun. 1971 Sep;4(3):307-14 PMID: 4949494
  24. The influence of immunologically committed lymphoid cells on macrophage activity in vivo.
    J Exp Med. 1969 May 1;129(5):973-92 PMID: 4976110
  25. Electron microscopy of phagocytosis in syphilis and yaws.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1972 Aug;48(4):227-48 PMID: 5083438
  26. One-way stimulation in mixed leukocyte cultures.
    Science. 1966 Jul 29;153(3735):545-7 PMID: 5938778
  27. Assessment of the "luotest" in late syphillis.
    Br J Vener Dis. 1966 Jun;42(2):119-21 PMID: 5947598
  28. Turnover of tritiated-thymidine-labeled mononuclear cells in tuberculous lesions of rabbits: a comparison of primary dermal BCG lesions and those of reinfection.
    Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1976 Mar;151(3):491-4 PMID: 768991
  29. Immunity to syphilis: passive transfer in rabbits using serial doses of immune serum.
    Infect Immun. 1976 May;13(5):1402-7 PMID: 773833
  30. Humoral immunity in experimental syphilis. I. The demonstration of resistance conferred by passive immunization.
    J Immunol. 1976 Jul;117(1):191-6 PMID: 778261
  31. Depression of lymphocyte response to concanavalin A in rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain).
    Infect Immun. 1976 Jul;14(1):320-2 PMID: 780277
  32. The immunology of syphilis.
    Int J Dermatol. 1976 Oct;15(8):566-76 PMID: 786912
  33. Induction of acquired cellular resistance following transfer of thymus-dependent lymphocytes from syphilitic rabbits.
    J Immunol. 1975 Feb;114(2 Pt 1):550-3 PMID: 804508
  34. Transfer of nonspecific resistance to Listeria monocytogenes using spleen cells from syphilitic rabbits (38574).
    Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1975 Feb;148(2):516-8 PMID: 804700
  35. Killing in vitro of Trypanosoma cruzi by macrophages from mice immunized with T. cruzi or BCG, and absence of cross-immunity on challege in vivo.
    J Exp Med. 1975 Aug 1;142(2):299-311 PMID: 806649
  36. Effect macrophage activation on infection with Treponema pallidum.
    Infect Immun. 1975 Sep;12(3):505-11 PMID: 809355
Article Info
Journal
Infection and immunity
Abbr.
Infect Immun
ISSN
0019-9567
DOI
10.1128/iai.17.3.535-540.1977
Published
1977-09-00
Pages
535-40
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0246127
PMCID
PMC421158
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1128/iai.17.3.535-540.1977 PMC Full Text View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2