Studies On The Chemotaxis Of Leukocytes Induced By Allogeneic And Xenogeneic Tissue Antigens

Studies were undertaken to determine whether leukocytes from xenogeneically or allogeneically immunized animals were capable of migrating in response to tissue extracts from the donors and, if so, to further characterize the responding cells. In vitro chemotaxis assays were used to examine the migratory response of guinea pig PMNs and lymphocytes. In the xenogeneic system, where the animals were immunized with human buffy coat cells, any human lymphocyte extract was chemotactic, but only for cells from immunized animals. For the allogeneic experiments strain 2 and strain 13 guinea pigs were skin grafted or cross-immunized by the intracutaneous injection of spleen cells. Significant chemotaxis was only observed with cells from immunized animals and only with extracts prepared from the immunizing or donor lymphocytes. Syngeneic and xenogeneic extracts were inactive.The migratory lymphocytes were analysed by centrifugal cytology and Wright\u27s-giemsa staining, DNA histogram analysis, E-rosetting and staining for SIg. Cells from immunized animals migrating in response to antigen were found to contain an increased percentage of S-phase cells in comparison to the cells initially loaded into the chamber and those remaining in the upper compartment after the conclusion of the assay. There was a concomitant decrease in the percentage of G(,0) + G(,1) cells, and no apparent change in the G(,2) + M cells. Lymphocytes migrating in response to activated serum or PEF did not exhibit an increased percentage of S-phase cells. Likewise, cells from immunized and non-immunized animals incubated with the immunizing antigen did not display a shift into S-phase. Cells from immunized animals migrating in response to antigen were also found to contain an increased percentage of T cells, and a decrease in the percentage of B cells.PEF was found to induce the migration of lymphocytes in vitro. Studies on the nature of the lymphocyte response and the active component of PEF determined that the response was chemotactic and that the activity of PEF was associated with or due to albumin.The possible significance of these results is discussed