The antigen-induced selective recruitment of specific T lymphocytes to the lung.

The purpose of the present studies was to investigate the mechanisms by which specific T lymphocytes accumulate in the lung. After the intratracheal (IT) inoculation of influenza virus into guinea pigs, the detection of specific T lymphocytes in the lung coincided with the development of immunity in both hilar nodes and systemic lymphoid tissue. Animals immunized in the footpads with virus failed to develop immune responses in the lung unless rechallenged IT with immunogen. In adoptive transfer experiments, IT inoculation of influenza into nonimmune guinea pigs, followed immediately by the i.v. injection of a mixture of 3H-thymidine-labeled syngeneic T lymphocytes specific for influenza virus and 14C-thymidine-labeled syngeneic T lymphocytes specific for an irrelevant antigen resulted in the selective accumulation of the virus-specific T lymphocytes in the lung. Taken together, these studies indicate that the selective recruitment by antigen of circulating immune cells is one of the mechanisms by which specific T cells accumulate in the lung.