The passive transfer of delayed hypersensitivity in guinea pigs by the transfusion of isotopically-labelled lymphoid cells.

Delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin and contact sensitivity to picryl chloride were transferred passively to normal guinea pigs by the intravenous injection of spleen, lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells labelled with Cr or with P or H-thymidine. No significant difference was found between the number of injected cells arriving at the passive lesions and actively induced lesions in controls, after 24 hours. The proportion of labelled cells in the exudate was the same as that in the peripheral blood and they showed a random distribution throughout the lesion. The fate of labelled cells in the body was followed, especially their role of elimination from the lungs and peripheral blood. It was concluded that no special affinity of the transferred cells for antigen could be demonstrated after 24 hours.