A method for eliciting indurated DTH reactions to soluble protein antigens in the flank skin of mice: correlation of visual measurements with 125I-UdR uptake indices.

A new technique for eliciting specific indurated delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to soluble protein antigens in the flank skin of mice is reported here. We show that immunization with soluble antigens emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant emulsion allows elicitation of indurated reactions upon intracutaneous test of sensitized mice with antigen on alum precipitates. With this method it is possible to measure simultaneously the gross induration of the cutaneous DTH reactions and correlate it with the degree of mononuclear cell infiltration as quantitated by the cPM of 125I-UdR uptake in mononuclear cells at biopsied reaction sites and confirmed by histological examination.