Suppressive activity of splenic adherent cells from Plasmodium chabaudi-infected mice.

The immune response of splenic cells to SRBC and LPS or Con A mitogens is suppressed in P. chabaudi-infected mice. When mixed with cells from normal donors, spleen cells from infected mice also suppressed anti-SRBC and mitogenic responses. Suppression was not detected in lymph node cells, bone marrow, or thymocytes from infected mice. Removal of infected red cells had no effect on suppression. The cell population responsible for the suppressive activity was adherent to plastic, resistant to irradiation and anti-Thy-1 plus complement treatment.