Delayed hypersensitivity to Staphylococcus aureus in mice: in vitro responses to isolated Staphylococcal antigens

Abstract

Isolated Staphylococcal cellular components were used to evaluate the in vitro reactivity of lymphocytes from mice with delayed hypersensitivity to Staphylococcus aureus. Macrophage migration inhibition studies showed that splenic lymphocytes from mice sensitized with three injections of S. aureus inhibited macrophage migration when stimulated with S. aureus sonicate antigen (SASA), cell membrane (CM), and purified membrane protein (PMP). Continued injections (seven) resulted in migration inhibition when the sensitized cells were reacted with SASA, CM, PMP, cell wall (CW), and protein A (PA). Lymphocyte stimulation studies following three injections further illustrated the role of membrane proteins in the early phase of mouse reactivity. Splenic lymphocytes were maximally stimulated by SASA, CM, and PMP. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), teichoic acid (TA), and CW also were stimulatory but to a much lesser degree. Mice receiving seven S. aureus injections had a high basal stimulatory response which overshadowed the responses to the isolated staphylococcal components. All of the staphylococcal components except LTA were mitogenic for splenic B lymphocytes. The mitogenicity was dependent upon the presence of macrophages. Only SASA, CM, and PMP were mitogenic for non-enriched splenic lymphocytes.