Local factors, rather than systemic immunodeficiency, mediated the smaller skin lesions in athymic nude mice.

<p>(A) There was no difference in lesion size between C57Bl/6j (wild type) and TCR βδ (-/-) mice after infection with <i>S. aureus</i> (n=5-10 mice/group). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. (B) T cell deficiency did not explain the smaller lesions observed in athymic nude mice, as adoptive transfer of T cells into naïve Balb/c athymic nude mice prior to infection with <i>S. aureus</i> did not result in altered lesion size (n=8 mice/group). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. * indicates <i>p</i><0.01 compared with wild type mice. (C) Photographs of representative lesions from wild type mice and from nude mice that received PBS or adoptive transfer of T cells prior to infection with <i>S. aureus</i>. The black bars indicate 10 mm. (D) There was no difference in the mortality rate of athymic nude or wild type Balb/c mice in a mouse model of <i>S. aureus</i> necrotizing pneumonia (n=8 mice/group).