Induction of contact photosensitivity to TCSA using photohapten-modified syngeneic spleen cells

We investigated the induction and transfer of contact photosensitivity (CPS) to the photohapten 3,3',4',5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCSA) using photo-TCSA-coupled syngeneic cells in mice. PhotoTCSA-modified spleen cells (photoTCSA-SC) with efficient immunogenicity were prepared with ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation of spleen cells suspended in TCSA solution. Subcutaneous inoculation of photoTCSA-SC into syngeneic mice induced a highly specific CPS response detected by ear swelling upon epicutaneous challenge with TCSA painting plus UVA irradiation. The sensitivity was determined to be a cell-mediated, delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction from the time course of the reactivity, the characteristic histology, and the successful transfer of the sensitivity into syngeneic naive recipients by immune lymph node T cells with the phenotype of L3T4+, Lyt-2-. In contrast to the conventional TCSA painting plus UVA irradiation method, this immunization procedure did not evoke an ordinary contact sensitivity reaction to TCSA. The present procedure represented a new way to induce CPS.