Macrophage Requirements of PPD-induced Blastogenic Factor Production by T and B Lymphocytes in the Guinea-Pig

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Abstract
An attempt was made to characterize the cell type which releases blastogenic factor(s) (BF) on purified protein derivative (PPD) stimulation in complete Freund''s adjuvant (CFA)-sensitized guinea pig system and to examine whether macrophages (M.phi.) are required for antigen activation of T [thymus-derived] or B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocytes to produce this lymphokine. T and B lymphocyte populations from guinea pigs 2-3 wk after CFA sensitization (early-stage T and B cells) failed to produce significant amounts of BF in response to PPD. Both the populations from 10-14 wk after sensitization (late-stage T and B cells) acquired the ability to produce BF by themselves. Readded autologous M.phi. not only functioned well to augment BF production by the late-stage T and B cells but also completely made up for the inability of the early-stage T and B cells to produce BF. In the guinea pig sensitized T and B cells can release BF on exposure to PPD, and M.phi. reconstitute or augment the BF synthetic response of T and B cells.