PROTECTION AGAINST PULMONARY BLASTOMYCOSIS - ADOPTIVE TRANSFER WITH LYMPHOCYTES-T BUT NOT SERUM, FROM RESISTANT MICE

A murine model of pulmonary blastomycosis, in which the portal of entry is the same as in natural human infection, was used to study resistance to infection subsequent to pulmonary challenge. Lymphoid cells or serum from mice rendered resistant to fatal pulmonary challenge by resolution of a s.c. nonlethal infection were tested for ability to adoptively or passively transfer resistance to the pulmonary compartment of naive recipients. Spleen cells (88 .times. 106), lymph node cells (17 .times. 106) and peritoneal cells (2 .times. 106) from resistant mice, but not normal mice, given i.v. transferred significant resistance to a 100% lethal dose pulmonary challenge of naive recipients. Serum from resistant mice (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titer 1:80) did not transfer protection. T lymphocytes (18 .times. 106) were as effective as unfractionated spleen cells (75 .times. 106) in the adoptive transfer of resistance. Spleen cells from resistant mice, when treated with anti-mouse T cell serum plus complement (20 .times. 106 viable cells), failed to transfer resistance. The transfer of resistance with T lymphocytes from resistant to naive mice was T cell dose dependent.