Elevated adjuvanticity of non-acid-fast mycobacteria.

Administration to guinea pigs of non-acid-fast (NAF) Mycobacterium avium resulted in a sevenfold greater circulating antibody response than that for the animals receiving ovalbumin in Freund incomplete adjuvant alone. The ability of NAF M. avium on induction of delayed hypersensitivity was comparable or somewhat stronger than that of normal M. avium. The in vivo enhancement of circulating antibody response by NAF M. avium associated with a marked stimulating effect of it on proliferation of B cells in regional sites. Induction of local granuloma at the injection site of NAF M. avium was less than that induced by injection of normal M. avium. Phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system in mice was also greatly increased by administration of NAF M. avium.