<総説>細胞性免疫をめぐって

Abstract

Studies in our laboratory on cellular immunity have been derived from Amano's two-systemic immune hypothesis, serotrope and histiotrope, in which tuberculin type delayed hypersensitivity is considered to be mediated by irnmune macrophages. Passive transfer by immune peritoneal cells of tuberculin hypersensitivity was reported by Chase (1945) and this led us to analysis of immune competent cells in tuberculin reaction. Careful observations on the passive transfer, we found that the immunizing antigens, native or processed, could be transfered from the donors to recipients. This was confirmed by cultivating tubercle bacilli contaminating the transferring materials (1961). Transplantation immunity is one of cellular immunity and acts important roles in tansplantation of tumors. Whether the immunity plays a role in carcinogenesis or not were examined. In conclusion, neonatal thymectomy did not affect the incidence of skin papillomas due to croton oil painting after urethan initiation. However, progression from papillomas to skin carcinomas seemed to be stimulated by the thymectomy (1969). Production in rabbits of epithelioid cell granulomas was studied on the basis of cellular immunity.