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. 1974 Apr;9(4):654–657. doi: 10.1128/iai.9.4.654-657.1974

In Vitro Lymphocyte Response to Treponema refringens in Human Syphilis

Daniel M Musher 1, Ronald F Schell 2, John M Knox 3
PMCID: PMC414860  PMID: 4822867

Abstract

The response of lymphocytes from patients with syphilis and normal subjects was studied in vitro by using phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), streptolysin O (SLO), and a preparation of Treponema refringens. Normal lymphocytes exhibited a dose-response curve to treponemes. Although lymphocytes from patients with primary and secondary syphilis responded normally to PHA and PWM, their response to SLO was suppressed and they failed to show significant stimulation by treponemes. Serum from syphilitic patients did not affect normal lymphocytes, and culturing lymphocytes from patients with syphilis in normal serum did not restore their responsiveness. Six to 10 weeks after syphilitic patients had been treated, the degree of stimulation by treponemes was the same as for normal subjects. These data give indirect support to the hypothesis that immunological suppression occurs during active infection with T. pallidum.

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Selected References

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

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