Functional deficiency of splenic adherent cells in New Zealand black mice.

New Zealand Black (NZB) mice hyporespond after in vitro immunization to sheep erythrocytes but not after in vivo immunization. The difference between in vitro and in vivo immunization was found to involve a non-antigen-specific change in the spleen which occurs in vivo soon after priming. Adherent spleen cells from young NZB or control strain mice were compared in their ability to cooperate with nonadherent cells in the induction of a primary immune response to sheep erythrocytes in vitro. The results support the hypothesis that there is a functional deficiency of adherent cells in the spleens of unprimed NZB mice.