The in vivo transfer of antigen-induced airway reactions by bronchial lumen cells.

Rhesus monkeys with airway responses to aerosol challenge with Ascaris antigen constitute a primate model of inhalant asthma. Previous studies have shown that bronchial lavage cells from airway-reactive animals will release histamine or a slow-reactive substance of anaphylaxis after challenge with antigen. Because these bronchial lumen cells are the first cells in contact with inhaled antigen, they may play a role in induction of antigen-induced airway responses. To evaluate this possibility, bronchial lumen lavage cells from animals with airway reactivity were transferred to the bronchial lumens of animals with negative airway responses to antigen challenge. The transfer of the bronchial lumen cells resulted in transient airway reactivity of the recipients to aerosol antigen challenge. It is suggested that the mast cells which constitute a component of the bronchial lumen cells may be the active cell alone, or in combination with other cells, which results in this primate immunoglobulin E-mediated airway response and its transfer to nonreactivie recipients.