Reactivity of lymphocytes from patients with syphilis towards T. pallidum antigen in the leucocyte migration and lymphocyte transformation tests.

Cell-mediated immunity during syphilis. A review

“…Only in those individuals with late active syphilis was there clear evidence of inhibition of migration which could be interpreted as a manifestation of CMI to Reiter protein. In a similar report (From et al, 1976), it was demonstrated that increased cellular reactivity evaluated by migration inhibition in response to a T. pallidum antigen became evident after syphilitic patients received drug treatment. Another study (Wicher and Wicher, 1975) investigated the cellular response of syphilitic rabbits by measuring leucocyte migration in agarose using a T. pallidum antigen, a commercial Reiter antigen, and cardiolipin reagent as stimulants.…”

“…At the same time plasma from patients with secondary syphilis was found to cause reduced levels of blastogenesis of normal lymphocytes. Other workers (Kantor, 1975;From et al, 1976) have shown that serum or plasma from diseased patients hampered the PHA or Con A induced response of normal lymphocytes. In two studies Musher et al (1974Musher et al ( , 1975 showed that primary and secondary syphilitics exhibited a suppressed in vitro lymphocyte response to treponemal antigens derived from Treponema refringens, Treponema phagedenis biotype Reiter, and T. pallidum, and to non-treponemal antigens such as Candida and trichophytins.…”

“…In vitro tests for CMI, notably lymphocyte trans-formation and cell migration inhibition, have been used to monitor the cellular immune capability of man and animals to various diseases (Kantor, 1975;Rocklin, 1976) including syphilis (Badanoiu et al, 1969;Levene et al, 1969;Janot et al, 1971;Fulford and Brostoff, 1972;Musher et al, 1974;Friedman and Turk, 1975;Musher et al, 1975;Wicher and Wicher, 1975;From et al, 1976;Pavia et al, 1976Pavia et al, , 1977a. In the lymphocyte transformation assay lymphoid cells usually derived from peripheral blood are cultured with a suitable stimulant, especially a mitogen-such as, phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), or concanavalin A (Con A), or a specific test antigen-in this case a treponemal preparation.…”

“…Moreover syphilitic serum possessed no in vitro inhibitory activity. Another in vitro correlate of CMI, the leucocyte migration inhibition test, has been used in several studies for examining the cellular response of syphilitic patients (Fulford and Brostoff, 1972;From et al, 1976) and of experimentally infected rabbits (Wicher and Wicher, 1975;Metzger et al, 1977). In this particular assay migration inhibition is measured directly using peripheral blood leucocytes or indirectly using sensitised lymphocytes and guinea-pig macrophages and placing them either in capillary tubes or in agar in the presence or absence of appropriate antigen.…”

Lack of proliferation of circulating white blood cells in patients with syphilis before and after a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction.

“…It has been suggested that the JHR is caused by the ieaction of treponemal breakdown substances with sensitised syphilitic tissue (Sheldon and Heyman, 1949) or by the release of leucocyte endogenous pyrogen or other plasma kinins by treponemal substances (Schofield et al, 1968). Although the release of histamine is not an important factor in the symptoms of JHR (Heyman et al, 1952;Zachariae and Nielsen, 1974), it has been suggested that cell-mediated immune mechanisms play a role, and many reports have documented the importance of cell-mediated immune reactions in syphilis (Festenstein, et al, 1967;Btad'anoiu et al, 1969;Levene et al, 1969Levene et al, , 1971Fulford and Brostoff, 1972;Wright and Grimble, 1974;Musher et al, 1974Musher et al, , 1975From et al, 1976). Small numbers of immature, proliferating white blood cells can be found in the peripheral blood of healthy subjects.…”