Induction of delayed type hypersensitivity against ultrasonicated Mycobacterium lepraemurium bacilli without simultaneous local reactivity against live bacilli or protective immunity.

Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) was induced in C3H mice by subcutaneous immunization with Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM) antigens in Freund's complete (FCA) or Freund's incomplete (FIA) adjuvant. The total ultrasonicate (MLMSon-P) of MLM bacilli as well as the water soluble fraction (MLMSon-S) of this ultrasonicate was found effective. MLMSon-S was used as the test antigen. Specific DTH also developed after immunization with heat-killed MLM bacilli in FIA, but not with heat-killed bacilli in saline. Some mice were pre-treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) or splenectomized to augment the effect of immunization. In no instance was DTH to MLMSon-S accompanied by detectable local reactivity to live MLM bacilli measured as swelling of the infected footpad or by reduced multiplication or dissemination of the bacilli during the first 11 weeks after inoculation. As determined by testing in the infected footpad 8 weeks after inoculation, MLM infection did not induce DTH to MLMSon-S in non-immunized mice, and MLM infection was found to neither augment nor suppress established DTH to MLMSon-S. The experiments thus demonstrated a clear dissociation between DTH to MLMSon-S and local reactivity to live MLM bacilli, as well as between DTH to MLMSon-S and protective immunity to MLM infection.