H-2 I region restriction phenomenon in T cell-dependent granuloma formation to Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

We examined the involvement of the T cell recognition system in hepatic granuloma formation in nude mice infected with Mycobacterium bovis BCG and subsequently injected with spleen cells. After syngeneic spleen cell transfer, granuloma was seen in nude mouse strains of several different genetic backgrounds. When allogeneic spleen cells were transferred, only those from mice that were H-2 I-region compatible with the recipients induced granuloma formation. Adoptive transfer of BCG-immunized spleen cells to splenectomized BCG-infected nude mice also showed H-2 K-end restriction. The effect of graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction on the generation of immune T cells was examined by time course observations after transfer of H-2-compatible and -incompatible allogeneic spleen cells and by cotransferring allogeneic and syngeneic spleen cells. Under these conditions, H-2-compatible sensitized T cells were generated. The fate of completely allogeneic T cells in nude mice was examined by double transfer experiments. Allogeneic spleen cells were recovered 3, but not 8 or more, days after the transfer.