Generalized immunological decline during long-term experimental infection with Mycobacterium avium.

Terminal loss of immune responsiveness in C57BL/10 mice intranasally infected with Mycobacterium avium was observed in both spleen and lung. It was nonspecific and related to the duration of infection, not the age of the mice. While there was loss of total T cells, the remaining cells were less efficient at gamma interferon production.