Effect of Immunosuppression on the Development of the Adjuvant-Induced Granuloma in Mice

Abstract

Mice of strains C₃H, BALB/c, C57B1, and Swiss were sensitized with CFA and immunosuppressed with thymectomy, antilymphocyte serum, or azathioprine. Investigation by light microscopy included the primary injection site, the secondary injection site, the draining lymph nodes, and the tuberculin skin test site. Immunosuppression therapy led to a marked decrease in small lymphocytes of the primary granuloma and to negative tuberculin skin tests. Draining lymph nodes showed reduced numbers of small lymphocytes. While thymectomy and antilymphocyte serum affected most markedly the cellular immune response and its morphologic expression in the lymph nodes, azathioprine was less specific acting on all cells from a certain state of differention onwards. The dissemination of the primary granuloma to other organs was not significantly influenced by immunosuppression.