Plasma-dependent chemotaxis of macrophages toward BCG cell walls and the mycobacterial glycolipid P3.

BCG cell walls, associated with oil droplets in the form of emulsions in saline, generate macrophage chemotactic activity from fresh guinea pig plasma. Serum and heat-inactivated plasma were inactive, suggesting involvement of complement or fibrinogen-derived chemotactic factors. Suspensions of cell walls and oil droplets each generated chemotactic activity from plasma, and the activity of the cell wall vaccine was due to the additive effects of these two components. A mycobacterial glycolipid (P3), which is a constituent of BCG cell walls, also had plasma-dependent chemotactic activity. The results suggest that macrophage chemotaxis may be an important part of the immunopotentiating activity of these mycobacterial products.