Immunosuppression in deer mice with experimentally induced trypanosomiasis.

Light and electron microscopic examinations of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) chronically infected with Trypanosoma equiperdum revealed hyperplasia of germinal center lymphocytes (germanocytes) in the lymph follicles of spleen and lymph nodes and infiltration of the splenic red pulp cords and nodal medullary cords with plasma cells. Proliferation and infiltration of plasma cells caused disruption of the B- and T-lymphocyte areas in these organs. Stimulation of splenic lymphocytes in vitro by phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A revealed marked depression in T-lymphocyte response; stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and pokeweed mitogens showed depression of B-cell response. Deer mice infected with virulent trypanosomes had decreased immunologic response to injection of sheep red blood cells, whereas deer mice given radioattenuated trypanosomes had normal to enhanced immunologic response to injection of sheep red blood cells.