Local transfer of delayed-type hypersensitivity after Salmonella infection in mice.

An adoptive local transfer system has been used to study the mediators of delayed-type hypersensitivity induced in mice by infection with Salmonella enteritidis 11RX. The cells which transfer this state of hypersensitivity to untreated recipients are nonadherent T lymphocytes with the surface phenotype Lyt 1+2-, and successful transfer requires compatibility at the I-A subregion of the H-2 complex. In these and other respects these cells are indistinguishable from those previously found to be responsible for in vitro lymphokine release upon culture with 11RX antigens.