Altered circulation of lymphocytes mediating delayed-type hypersensitivity when primed in Wf/Wf mice.

When mice were homozygous for the Wf allele at W locus, the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction observed in mice primed i.v. or s.c. with optimal doses of sheep red blood cells was greatly decreased. The number of sensitized splenic cells able to transfer a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was identical in +/+ and Wf/Wf primed mice. At site of local transfer of +/+ sensitized cells and antigen, the recruitment of monocytes was identical in +/+ and Wf/Wf mice. In contrast, the number of blood cells able to transfer a DTH reaction was decreased by a factor 40 in Wf/Wf primed mice compared to +/+ ones. This decreased number of sensitized cells in blood of Wf/Wf mice revealed a specific defective circulation of Wf/Wf DTH mediating cells whatever the genotypes (+/+ or Wf/Wf) of recipients used to measure this property of circulation.