Identification of cells producing anti-treponemal lymphotoxin (ATL)

Identification of cells producing ATL was carried out on suspensions of cells enriched with lymphocytes T, B and macrophages. The cells were isolated from the spleen of syphilitic rabbits and from their testes when the rabbits were infected intratesticularly. The isolation of lymphocytes and macrophages was performed on different days after infection. It has been found that all examined cells are able to produce ATL but most active are T lymphocytes. These cells isolated from the testes were able to produce ATL already 6 days after infection, whereas lymphocytes B and macrophages acquired this capability not before day 10-13. The ability of cells to produce ATL was followed by marked reduction of treponemes from testes. The isolated treponemes were also immobilized and destroyed. Dependence between capability of cells to produce ATL and disappearance of treponemes from infected organ indicated that ATL kills treponemes also in vivo.