Pathogenesis of fever in delayed hypersensitivity: role of monocytes.

The present studies were designed to investigate the role of monocytes in the pathogenesis of fever in delayed hypersensitivity. Adherent rabbit blood monocytes (from both normal and sensitized donors) were separated on Ficoll-Hypaque gradients and incubated with antigen (Ag; ovalbumin) and sensitized draining-lymph-node lymphocytes (or their supernatants) from rabbits with delayed hypersensitivity, and release of endogenous pyrogen was assayed. Results indicated that monocytes are activated to produce endogenous pyrogen by Ag and suspensions of draining-lymph-node cells or by an agent (lymphokine) in the supernatants of sensitized lymphocytes preincubated with Ag. The release of lymphokine was Ag specific and was correlated with the skin test reactivity of the donor rabbits to the sensitizing Ag. No evidence was found that Ag-antibody complexes or (in the case of sensitized monocytes) cytophilic antibodies play a role in the activity of this lymphokine which appears to act selectively on monocytes rather than on granulocytes.