Cell-mediated immune responses in Staphylococcus aureus infections in mice.

Delayed hypersensitivity to staphylococcal antigens was shown in mice repeatedly infected with Staphylococcus aureus. It was characterized by footpad swelling at 48 hours with a mononuclear cell infiltrate and could be transferred to non-infected recipients by T lymphocytes from infected animals, but not by serum. Recipients of immune T cells produced very severe necrotic lesions when challenged with staphylococci. This was in contrast to the protection against necrosis in recipients afforded by serum from infected donors. When both serum and cells were transferred into the same mouse the humoral effects overshadowed or perhaps inhibited those mediated by cells with resultant protection against staphylococcal dermonecrosis.