Adoptive transfer of delayed type hypersensitivity reactions specific for Leishmania major antigens to normal mice using murine T cell populations and clones generated in vitro.

Leishmania major specific murine T cell blasts and clones maintained in vitro were tested for their ability to adoptively transfer delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to normal mice. These effector cells exhibited a Lyt 1+2- cell surface phenotype. They induced specific DTH reactions in syngeneic DBA/2 mice after local transfer in the footpad, (together with parasite antigens) or intravenous injection followed by challenge with parasite antigens in the footpad. The DTH reactions were specific for L. major antigens and required H-2 identity between the injected T cells (clones) and the adoptively transferred host. Using radioactively labelled T cell blasts for intravenous transfer, it was demonstrated that a large fraction of these functionally active cells localized in the spleen and footpad which had been challenged with parasite antigens.