Skip to main content
PMC home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1977 Oct;33(4):561–571.

Radiometric ear index test as a measure of delayed-type-hypersensitivity in the rat.

A A Kostiala
PMCID: PMC1445392  PMID: 924521

Abstract

Intradermal skin tests performed in the pinna of the rat ear appeared to be 100 times more sensitive than classical flank skin tests in measuring Arthus and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions. One of these tests was antigen-induced thickening of the pinna of the ear. It was found to be a sensitive measure of Arthus reactivity at 4 h after irritation with antigen in both actively immunized rats and recipients of precipitating immune serum. The other test, radiometric ear index determination, exploits the fact that monocytes and monocyte derived macrophages accumulate at DTH reaction sites. The test was performed by labelling the precursors of these cells with a pulse of [3H]-thymidine and by determining radioactivity in biopsy specimens taken from test sites in the pinna of the ear. At a certain antigen dose range this objective and highly sensitive method was shown to measure a purely cell mediated reaction which could be transferred to normal recipients with thoracic duct lymphocytes but not with immune serum. It also behaved as a typical DTH reacttion in response to desensitizing injections of the specific antigen. Testing with unnecessarily high antigen doses, however, should be avoided since the strong early inflammation induced by them may interfere with the determination of DTH while using this sensitive assay.

Full text

PDF
565

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Axelrad M. A. Suppression of delayed hypersensitivity by antigen and antibody. Is a common precursor cell responsible for both delayed hypersensitivity and antibody formation? Immunology. 1968 Aug;15(2):159–171. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Crum E. D., McGregor D. D. Induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity with BCG-associated proteins. Immunology. 1976 Apr;30(4):497–504. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. David J. R., David R. R. Cellular hypersensitivity and immunity. Inhibition of macrophage migration and the lymphocyte mediators. Prog Allergy. 1972;16:300–449. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FLAX M. H., WAKSMAN B. H. Delayed cutaneous reactions in the rat. J Immunol. 1962 Oct;89:496–504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. KOSUNEN T. U., WAKSMAN B. H., FLAX M. H., TIHEN W. S. Radioautographic study of cellular mechanisms in delayed hypersensitivity. I. Delayed reactions to tuberculin and purified proteins in the rat and guinea-pig. Immunology. 1963 May;6:276–290. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Koster F. T., McGregor D. D. The mediator of cellular immunity. 3. Lymphocyte traffic from the blood into the inflamed peritoneal cavity. J Exp Med. 1971 Apr 1;133(4):864–876. doi: 10.1084/jem.133.4.864. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kostiala A. A., Kosunen T. U. Delayed hypersensitivity, macrophage migration, and antibodies in guinea-pigs immunized with diphtheria toxoid. II. Macrophage cytophilic antibody to diphtheria toxoid in desensitized animals. Scand J Immunol. 1972;1(2):153–159. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1972.tb00594.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kostiala A. A., McGregor D. D., Logie P. S. Tularaemia in the rat. I. The cellular basis on host resistance to infection. Immunology. 1975 May;28(5):855–869. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kostiala A. A., McGregor D. D. The mediator of cellular immunity. IX. The relationship between cellular hypersensitivity and acquired cellular resistance in rats infected with Listeria monocytogenes. J Exp Med. 1975 Jun 1;141(6):1249–1260. doi: 10.1084/jem.141.6.1249. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lefford M. J. The measurement of tuberculin hypersensitivity in rats. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1974;47(4):570–585. doi: 10.1159/000231251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lubaroff D. M., Waksman B. H. Delayed hypersensitivity: bone marrow as the source of cells in delayed skin reactions. Science. 1967 Jul 21;157(3786):322–323. doi: 10.1126/science.157.3786.322. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MCCLUSKEY R. T., BENACERRAF B., MCCLUSKEY J. W. STUDIES ON THE SPECIFICITY OF THE CELLULAR INFILTRATE IN DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS. J Immunol. 1963 Mar;90:466–477. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Miller J. F., Vadas M. A., Whitelaw A., Gamble J. A radioisotopic method to measure delayed type hypersensitivity in the mouse. II. Cell transfer studies. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1975;49(5):693–708. doi: 10.1159/000231450. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Poulter L. W., Turk J. L. Changes in macrophages in vivo induced by desensitization. Cell Immunol. 1976 Apr;23(1):171–176. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(76)90180-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sabolovic D., Beugnot M. C., Dumont F., Bujadoux M. A new method to measure the specific cellular component of a delayed hypersensitivity response in the ear of the mouse. Eur J Immunol. 1972 Dec;2(6):604–606. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830020625. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. UHR J. W., PAPPENHEIMER A. M., Jr Delayed hypersensitivity. III. Specific desensitization of guinea pigs sensitized to protein antigens. J Exp Med. 1958 Dec 1;108(6):891–904. doi: 10.1084/jem.108.6.891. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. VOLKMAN A., GOWANS J. L. THE PRODUCTION OF MACROPHAGES IN THE RAT. Br J Exp Pathol. 1965 Feb;46:50–61. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Vadas M. A., Miller J. F., Gamble J., Whitelaw A. A radioisotopic method to measure delayed type hypersensitivity in the mouse. I. Studies in sensitized and normal mice. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1975;49(5):670–692. doi: 10.1159/000231449. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES