Pertussigen in vivo enhances antigen-specific production in vitro of lymphokine that stimulates macrophage procoagulant activity and plasminogen activator

Abstract

Pertussigen is a protein toxin of Bordetella pertussis that acts as a powerful stimulator of the intensity and duration of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in mice. This study describes the potent in vivo effect of pertussigen on the levels of antigen-specific macrophage-activating lymphokine(s); lymphokine(s) was measured by the stimulation of macrophage procoagulant activity (mPCA), or plasminogen activator (PA) activity. Lymphoid cells were removed from immunized animals and cultured with specific antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, ovalbumin, or human γ-globulin. The culture supernatants were then incubated with the monocyte-like cell line WEHI-265 to measure mPCA or with WEHI-265 or ..