Antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferative responses in inbred mice after Trichinella spiralis infection.

The in vitro antigen-specific lymphoproliferative response of spleen, mesenteric lymph node (MLN), and coeliac lymph node (CLN) cells taken from various strains of inbred mice infected with Trichinella spiralis was assessed. In most experiments cell populations were stimulated with excretory/secretory antigens (ESA) derived from adult and larval worms. Lymphoid cells collected 5-7 days postinfection were usually the most responsive to ESA as measured by [3H]thymidine uptake. Spleen cells were more responsive than either MLN or CLN cells. There was a correlation between in vitro ESA stimulation and worm rejection in strong- and weak-responder strains of mice. Spleen and MLN cells of NFS mice showed higher antigen-specific responsiveness, whereas the same cells from B10.BR (H-2k) and B10.Q (H-2q) strains of mice were less responsive. Among intermediate responder strains 2 patterns were observed. Spleen and MLN cells of BuB and DBA/1 mice responded more strongly than those of C3H mice. Dose-response experiments demonstrated that increasing the infective dose of larvae to the host usually increased subsequent in vitro antigen-specific lymphoproliferation. Furthermore, non-MHC-linked genes appear to be the primary determinant of antigen-specific T-cell-proliferative responses in inbred mice infected with T. spiralis.