STUDIES ON THE IMMUNOPOTENTIATING EFFECTS OF A STREPTOCOCCAL PREPARATION, OK-432 .1. ENHANCEMENT OF T-CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE-RESPONSES OF MICE

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  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (1) , 98-105
Abstract
The effects of the anti-tumor agent OK-432 on the immune response to hamster erythrocytes (HRBC) and nucleated chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) were studied in inbred SL mice. Mice were treated repeatedly with OK-432 before immunization with erythrocytes in saline. The cytotoxicity of CRBC-primed spleen cells, as demonstrated by 51Cr release from labeled CRBC, was markedly increased by treatment with OK-432. The delayed footpad reaction to CRBC was significantly augmented by treatment with OK-432. OK-432 can apparently enhance the cellular immune responses which require the contribution of T [thymus-derived] cells. Such an activation of T cells by OK-432 was observed in the humoral immune response to a trinitrophenyl group. Augmentation of anti-hapten antibody production, suggesting the enhancement of helper T cell activity by OK-432, was noticed after immunization with trinitrophenyl conjugated to erythcotyres. This enhancement of helper T cell activity by OK-432 was confirmed by utilizing an adoptive transfer system. The possibility that T cell activation may be one of the important effects of OK-432 as an immunopotentiator was supported.