T cell priming in situ by intratracheally instilled antigen-pulsed dendritic cells.

In the present study, splenic dendritic cells (DC) and alveolar macrophages (AM) were pulsed with antigen in vitro and subsequently intratracheally instilled to test whether these cells have the capacity to sensitize T cells in the draining lymph nodes of the lung. The data demonstrate that antigen-pulsed DC, instilled in the bronchoalveolar lumen, induce antigen-specific T cell priming in vivo in the draining lymph nodes. T cell priming is only seen with viable but not with killed antigen-pulsed DC. Amounts as low as 5 x 10(3) to 10 x 10(3) cells can still induce some responsiveness. In addition, it was found that instillation of viable as well as killed pulsed Ia-negative AM also leads to T cell priming, although about 10 times higher numbers of cells had to be used in comparison with DC. The results suggest that DC instilled in the bronchoalveolar lumen present antigen directly to naive T cells, whereas for AM other mechanisms are involved.