Anergy-like immunosuppression in mice bearing pulmonary foreign-body granulomatous inflammation

Pulmonary granulomas were induced in BALB/c mice by the intratracheal injection of insoluble polymerized dextran and latex microparticles. Very large granulomas developed around dextran beads, which reached peak intensity within 2-3 days and rapidly declined in size thereafter. Latex beads generated small stable lesions. The involvement of cell-mediated immunity could not be demonstrated in the inflammatory responses induced by either type of bead. Antigen-induced delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and mitogen-induced DTH-like footpad reactions were markedly suppressed in immunized mice bearing early dextran granulomas. Mitogen-induced DTH-like footpad reactions were suppressed in unimmunized animals bearing early dextran foreign-body granulomas. Antigen- and mitogen-induced footpad swelling recovered to normal levels as dextran granulomas diminished in size. No suppression of these footpad reactions was observed in mice bearing small latex foreign-body granulomas. The intraperitoneal injection of aqueous extracts prepared from the lungs of unimmunized donor animals bearing early dextran foreign-body granulomas could partially transfer suppression of mitogen DTH-like footpad responses to normal mice. These results suggest that cells within large, nonimmunologic lung granulomas produce a soluble factor which participates in the expression of anergy-like immunosuppression.