ANTIGEN-INDUCED LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION IN VITRO DURING PRIMARY IMMUNIZATION IN MAN: 1. Development and Course

The development of cellular and humoral hypersensitivity was followed in 15 adult patients during primary immunization with brucella bacteria. Both types of hypersensitivity were detected by in vitro techniques, a leucocyte migration test and an agglutination reaction, respectively, and compared to the results of simultaneous studies of antigen-induced lymphocyte transformation in vitro. The development of the response in the three test systems followed qualitatively different patterns. Between transformation and migration inhibition, no quantitative correlation was found. Patients with poor transformation tended to produce little or no antibodies, but otherwise no correlation was found. The hypothesis is offered that antigen-induced lymphocyte transformation reflects the expanded clones of antigen sensitive cells raised after immunization whether the final immune response is antibody formation, cell mediated hypersensitivity, or both.