In Vitro Demonstration of Cellular Sensitivity in Allergic Encephalomyelitis

Abstract

Peritoneal cells obtained from animals exhibiting delayed hypersensitivity are inhibited from migrating in vitro by specific sensitizing antigen. This test for the detection of delayed hypersensitivity was applied to the problem of cellular sensitivity in allergic encephalomyelitis (AE). The migration of peritoneal cells obtained from guinea pigs with AE was inhibited specifically by nervous tissue antigens. The specificity of this reaction was further studied. Neonatal rat nervous tissue, which was shown to lack the encephalitogenic antigen, i.e. did not produce AE when injected with complete adjuvant into guinea pigs and rats, did not inhibit the migration of cells from animals with AE. Adult rat nervous tissue, which readily produces AE, and thus contains the encephalitogenic antigen did inhibit the migration of such cells. The finding that cells from animals with AE display hypersensitivity which appears to be directed specifically to the encephalitogenic antigen strongly supports the view that such cells could play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Experimental Allergic Encephalitis

“…The studies in the animals immunized with the EP confirm and extend previous studies which have shown that animals immunized with brain antigens show delayed sensitivity in vivo and in vitro to the brain antigens (36)(37)(38). The lack of response of these animals to the encephalitogenic peptides in vivo and in vitro is in accord with expected results based on the principles of cellular immunity, since these peptides have amino acid sequences different from these in the immunizing protein.…”

Transformation of Rodent Lymphoid Cells by an Encephalitogen of Human Origin

“…A purified cncephalitogen of human origin has also recently been shown to elicit positive skin tests in sensitized guinea pigs [2], D avid and Paterson [7] have shown cellular immunity in the guinea pig to a crude encephalitogcnic prep aration of guinea pig origin using the capillary migration inhibition assay. In order to work out an assay system in which it would be possible to study cellular immune responses to encephalitogens in human inflammatory, demyelinating disease, we have studied the transformation response in rodent lymphoid cells with a purified cncephalitogen of human origin.…”

Experimental allergic neuritis: a new experimental approach

“…The technique therefore lends itself to the detection of delayed hypersensitivity in EAE and EAN, two experimental diseases considered to be mediated by this mechanism. Previous experiments using this method have shown positive inhibition of macrophage migration by lympho-cytes from guinea-pig and rats with EAE, using either crude brain or encephalitogenic protein as test antigen (David and Paterson, 1965;Brockman, Stiffey, and Tessar, 1968;Hughes and Field, 1968;Behan, Sheremata, Lamarche, Lisak, and Kies, 1970).…”