Failure of Peritoneal Exudate Macrophages to Reverse Immunologic Impairment by Friend Leukemia Virus 1

Abstract

Summary

Transfer experiments with peritoneal exudate macrophages from normal donor mice were performed to determine if a defect of normal macrophage function or activity was a major or contributing factor to the immunosuppression characterizing leukemia virus infection of mice. Challenge immunization of Friend leukemia virus-infected mice with sheep erythrocytes resulted in markedly depressed hemolytic antibody responses, as compared to responses of normal noninfected mice. When PE cell suspensions rich in macrophages were transferred from normal donor mice to leukemia virus infected recipients there was no affect on the FLV induced impairment of the immune response. Similar transfer of PE cells to normal uninfected mice generally resulted in a moderate depression of the expected immune response. In no case did the PE cells enhance the immune responses in normal or virus-infected mice.

The capable technical assistance of Mr. Howard Gratizer and Ms. Kathy Katush is acknowledged.