T cell mediated and humoral immunity in a mouse Chlamydia psittaci systemic infection

Immunity against Chlamydia psittaci, an obligate intracellular parasite, was studied in a mouse model of systemic infection. Sera (0.1 ml) and splenic cells (2 X 10(8)) from immunised mice were given intravenously to susceptible mice 16 hours before intravenous challenge with 1 X 10(5) plaque forming units (pfu) of virulent strain AB7. Transfer of immune cells primed with virulent strain AB7 or vaccinal strain 1B, lowered splenic and hepatic colonisation by approximately 5.5 log pfu. Treatment of immune cells with antithymocyte serum plus complement, before transfer, abrogated the protection. Transfer of sera raised against the virulent strain AB7, or the attenuated vaccinal strain 1B, lowered hepatic colonisation by approximately 1.5 log pfu. Sera containing antigenus antibodies, raised against heat-killed chlamydiae from strain AB7 or the non-virulent intestinal strain iB1, were not protective. Cellular immunity is mainly responsible for the observed protection, although humoral immunity may play some role.