Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1976 Apr;13(4):1170–1175. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.4.1170-1175.1976

Ontogeny of human cell-mediated immunity: age-related variation of in vitro infantile lymphocyte transformation.

R H Alford, B B Cartwright, S H Sell
PMCID: PMC420734  PMID: 1279003

Abstract

Thymidine uptake of unstimulated and of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-, streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD)- and candida extract (candida)-stimulated lymphocytes of normal infants less than 20 months old was evaluated. Thymidine uptake of unstimulated and PHA-stimulated young infants' lymphocytes was avid, resembling that of newborn cells. Over periods of weeks to months, infantile lymphocytes demonstrated transition in unstimulated and PHA-induced thymidine uptake from response patterns like cord blood cells to ones more characteristic of adult lymphocytes. Candida- and SK-SD-induced thymidine uptake of lymphocytes from very young infants was likewise apparently quite avid, resembling cord blood cells. However, factoring out high unstimulated thymidine uptake by conversion of data to stimulation indexes clarified differing paces of acquisition of transformation responsiveness of the two naturally acquired infectious antigens. Specific lymphocytes reactivity to SK-SD was quite low in all groups of infants compared with candida-induced transformation, which in some infants acquired adult proportions.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

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

  1. Alford R. H., Des Prez R. M. Tranformation of lymphocytes of normal and hospitalized adults by Candida albicans extract. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1973 Dec;144(3):826–829. doi: 10.3181/00379727-144-37691. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alford R. H. Metal cation requirements for phytohemagglutinin-induced transformation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. J Immunol. 1970 Mar;104(3):698–703. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alpert J. J., Pickering M. R., Warren R. J. Failure to isolate streptococci from children under the age of 3 years with exudative tonsillitis. Pediatrics. 1966 Oct;38(4):663–666. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ayoub J., Kasakura S. In vitro response of foetal lymphocytes to PHA, and a factor plasma which suppresses the PHA response of adult lymphocytes. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Mar;8(3):427–434. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Campbell A. C., Waller C., Wood J., Aynsley-Green A., Yu V. Lymphocyte subpopulations in the blood of newborn infants. Clin Exp Immunol. 1974 Dec;18(4):469–482. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carr M. C., Stites D. P., Fudenberg H. H. Cellular immune aspects of the human fetal-maternal relationship. I. In vitro response of cord blood lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin. Cell Immunol. 1972 Sep;5(1):21–29. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(72)90080-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Eife R. F., Eife G., August C. S., Kuhre W. L., Staehr-Johansen K. Lymphotoxin production and blast cell transformation by cord blood lymphocytes: dissociated lymphocyte function in newborn infants. Cell Immunol. 1974 Dec;14(3):435–442. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(74)90194-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Janossy G., Greaves M. F. Lymphocyte activation. I. Response of T and B lymphocytes to phytomitogens. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Oct;9(4):483–498. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jones W. R. In vitro transformation of fetal lymphocytes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1969 Jun 15;104(4):586–592. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)34251-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LINDAHL-KIESSLING K., BOOK J. A. EFFECTS OF PHYTOHAEMAGGLUTININ ON LEUCOCYTES. Lancet. 1964 Sep 12;2(7359):591–591. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)90663-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Leikin S., Mochir-Fatemi F., Park K. Blast transformation of lymphocytes from newborn human infants. J Pediatr. 1968 Apr;72(4):510–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(68)80342-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Leikin S., Oppenheim J. J. Differences in transformation of adult and newborn lymphocytes stimulated by antigen, antibody, and antigen-antibody complexes. Cell Immunol. 1970 Nov;1(5):468–475. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(70)90035-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pulvertaft R. J., Pulvertaft I. Spontaneous "transformation" of lymphocytes from the umbilical-cord vein. Lancet. 1966 Oct 22;2(7469):892–893. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(66)91986-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. ROSEN F. S., JANEWAY C. A. IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE OF THE NEWBORN INFANT. Pediatrics. 1964 Feb;33:159–160. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SMITH R. T., EITZMAN D. V. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN INFANT AND ADULT TO IMMUNIZATION WITH SALMONELLA VACCINES. Pediatrics. 1964 Feb;33:163–183. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. SMITH R. T. Immunity in infancy. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1960 May;7:269–293. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)30938-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Shannon D. C., Johnson G., Rosen F. S., Austen K. F. Cellular reactivity to Candida albicans antigen. N Engl J Med. 1966 Sep 29;275(13):690–693. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196609292751302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stites D. P., Caldwell J., Carr M. C., Fudenberg H. H. Ontogeny of immunity in humans. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1975 Nov;4(4):519–527. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(75)90093-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Stites D. P., Carr M. C., Fudenberg H. H. Development of cellular immunity in the human fetus: dichotomy of proliferative and cytotoxic responses of lymphoid cells to phytohemagglutinin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Jun;69(6):1440–1444. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.6.1440. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sutherland R. M., Inch W. R., McCredie J. A. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced transformation of lymphocytes from patients with cancer. Cancer. 1971 Mar;27(3):574–578. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197103)27:3<574::aid-cncr2820270310>3.0.co;2-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Taranta A., Cuppari G., Quagliata F. High lymphocyte transformation with non-haemolytic streptococcal product. Nature. 1968 Aug 17;219(5155):757–758. doi: 10.1038/219757a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES