Route-related variation in immunogenicity of mycobacteria.

The route of immunization was observed to play a significant role in deciding the T-cell response to immunization with killed mycobacterial vaccines. Slow-growing mycobacteria were found to be immunogenic by both the intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intradermal (i.d.) routes; rapid-growing mycobacteria were immunogenic by the i.d. route only. The nonresponder state following i.p. immunization with Mycobacterium vaccae could be corrected by treatment of the mice with poly I:poly C or indomethacin prior to immunization. Both poly I:poly C, an interferon inducer, and indomethacin, a prostaglandin inhibitor, are known to enhance the expression of major histocompatibility complex glycoproteins. Since they are so important in antigen preparation, it was concluded that the inability of mice to respond to M. vaccae by the i.p. route is likely due to defective presentation of the bacterial antigens by the antigen-presenting cells at the site, namely, the peritoneal macrophages. These findings are significant because M. leprae has been reported to be antigenically similar to M. vaccae, and the response of mice to i.p. immunization with both of these mycobacteria is very similar.