Enteric Bacteria as a Possible Cause of Hemolytic Antibody-Forming Cells in Normal Mouse Spleens. ∗

Abstract

Summary

1. The Jerne hemolytic plaque assay method readily detects antigenic cross-reactivity between sheep, goat, and calf erythrocytes. 2. Naturally occurring plaque-forming cells against sheep erythrocytes are more frequent in spleens of conventional colony mice than of specific-pathogen-free mice of the same genotype. 3. Vaccines prepared from each of 5 isolates of E. coli and A. aerogenes from the gastrointestinal tracts of conventional colony mice significantly increased the number of sheep erythrocyte hemolytic plaque-forming cells in the spleens of SPF mice. 4. It is postulated that the naturally occurring hemolytic antibody-forming cells found in the lymphoid tissues are probably caused by cross-reactivity between erythrocyte and bacterial antigens.