Cell-mediated immunity in experimental murine dermatophytosis. II. Adoptive transfer of immunity to dermatophyte infection by lymphoid cells from donors with acute or chronic infections.

An in vivo adoptive cell transfer system was used to investigate protective immunity during experimental murine dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton quinckeanum. Using sublethally (550R) irradiated BALB/c mice which are particularly susceptible to infection, it was found that regional lymph node cells from syngeneic acutely-infected donors conferred protection to irradiated recipients. By contrast, serum from the same donors did not prevent infection of normal BALB/c mice. The capacity of lymphoid cells to transfer adoptive immunity was lost after treatment with monoclonal anti-Thy-1.2 antibody and complement, but not after treatment with monoclonal anti-Ly 2.2 antibody and complement, indicating that cellular immunity is mediated by Ly 2-T cells. The cellular activity of chronically infected mice was also studied. Paradoxically, lymphoid cells from these animals which appeared to be immunologically compromised did, however, confer immunity. Adoptive immunity was abrogated by serum from chronically infected donors or by specific dermatophyte antigen, but not by homologous or heterologous anti-dermatophyte antiserum. These findings indicate that competition between cell-mediated immunity and humoral factors may be the causative mechanism for persistence of dermatophyte infection in this system.