Interaction between peritoneal macrophages and T-Iymphocytes in mice immunized with fimbrial and killed whole cell antigens of Salmonella typhimurium

The role of peritoneal macrophages in the induction of immune response against fimbrial antigens was determined in different groups of mice immunized with either timbrial antigens of S. typhimurium 585 or killed whole cell antigens (KWC) of S. typhimurium 585 or 625 (non-fimbriate) or control preparation by lymphocyte stimulation test using adherent peritoneal cells as antigen presenting cell and autologous splenic nonadherent cells as responder cell. Our experiment revealed that peritoneal macrophages from timbriae and KWC of S. typhimurium 585 immunized mice acted as antigen presenting cells as observed by significantly higher incorporations of ³H- thymidine in fimbriae stimulated cultures having peritoneal macrophages as well as responding T cll compared to control and KWC of non timbriate organism (S. typhimurium 625). The macrophages enriched cultures or splenic T lymphocyte culture alone from the fimbrial protein immunized mice failed to respond to funbrial protein. The results suggested that the primed peritoneal macrophages had potential for processing and presentation of the timbrial antigens.