Lymphoid cell blastogenesis as an in vitro indicator of cellular immunity to Legionella pneumophila antigens.

The lymphocyte blastogenic transformation assay was adapted to study responsiveness of lymphoid cells from animals and humans to Legionella pneumophila antigens in vitro. Spleen cells from guinea pigs after active immunization with Legionella vaccine, but not from normal animals, responded by blast cell transformation when stimulated in vitro with killed Legionella whole-cell vaccine, sonic extracts thereof, or a purified somatic antigen. The response was dose dependent. Similar lymphocyte blastogenesis occurred with spleen cells from mice sensitized to Legionella by sublethal infection with the bacteria. In addition, blastogenesis occurred with peripheral blood leukocytes from human volunteers tested in vitro with whole-cell vaccine, sonic extracts, or purified somatic antigen. Maximum responsiveness generally occurred 4 to 5 days after stimulation of human peripheral blood leukocytes, but a day or two earlier with spleen cells from normal or sensitized mice. Guinea pig spleen cells generally showed peak responses at the same time as human peripheral blood leukocytes after stimulation in vitro. Blastogenic responses with purified antigen were comparable to those with the whole-cell vaccine or sonic extract. Such antigens from Legionella provide a useful material for inducing responses in vitro as a correlate of cellular immunity to these bacteria.