Anti-I-A antibody modulation of lymphocyte traffic in hapten-stimulated inbred mice.

Injection of the hapten azobenzenearsonate (ABA) under mouse ear skin results in increased weight and accumulation of injected radiolabelled syngeneic lymphocytes in the draining auricular lymph node relative to the contralateral node. Intravenous injection of ABA hapten-coupled spleen cells results in a similar accumulation of labelled cells in recipient spleens. The kinetics, antigen-dose effects and enhancement by priming indicate an active host-initiated lymphocyte trapping response. ABA-induced splenic and nodal trapping and increased lymph node weight were prevented by in vivo administration of anti-I-A monoclonal antibody prior to and coincident with antigen injection. Anti-I-A antibody did not significantly alter traffic of labelled T-enriched lymphocytes in non-antigen draining tissues.