Gerber M A, Rapacz P, Kalter S S, Ballow M
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1986 Nov;78(5 Pt 1):887-90. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(86)90235-6.
The importance of cell-mediated immunity in cat-scratch disease (CSD) is suggested by the positive skin test reactions and granulomatous histopathology noted in patients with this disease. However, an earlier investigation found that lymphocytes from patients with CSD and control subjects were equally unresponsive in vitro to cat-scratch antigen. In contrast, we found that 16 patients with CSD had significantly increased lymphocyte transformation responses to cat-scratch antigen when patients were compared to control subjects. This cell-mediated immune response may be directed against nonviable bacteria in the involved lymph nodes and may be the major mechanism responsible for the granulomatous reaction and clinical features of CSD.
皮肤试验阳性反应以及患有该疾病的患者出现肉芽肿性组织病理学特征，提示了细胞介导免疫在猫抓病（CSD）中的重要性。然而，一项较早的调查发现，CSD患者和对照受试者的淋巴细胞在体外对猫抓抗原的反应同样不敏感。相比之下，我们发现，与对照受试者相比，16例CSD患者对猫抓抗原的淋巴细胞转化反应显著增强。这种细胞介导的免疫反应可能针对受累淋巴结中的非存活细菌，并且可能是导致CSD肉芽肿反应和临床特征的主要机制。
