Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to aspermatogenic antigen in experimental allergic orchitis in the guinea-pig

Guinea-pigs were immunized with a defined and highly potent aspermatogenic antigen, G75m, and the occurrence of orchitis was correlated with (1) cell-mediated immune response to G75m, determined by lymph node cell proliferation and by secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) by peritoneal exudate cells, and (2) humoral antibodies to G75m and to cell surface antigens of guinea-pig testicular cells, by radioimmunometric assays. A consistent temporal relationship between cell-mediated immune responses and disease was found: lymph node cell proliferation was positive by Day 4, followed 3 days later by maximum secretion of MIF, and orchitis lesions were manifest on Day 10. In contrast, maximal IgG antibodies to G75m or to the surface antigens of spermatozoa/testicular cells were detected at a time when cell-mediated immune responses and active testicular lesions had subsided. In individual animals, lymph node cell proliferation increased with severity of orchitis, while MIF secretion by peritoneal cells increased with orchitis only late in the disease. Early in disease, MIF response showed a negative correlation with orchitis. Moreover, peritoneal injection of oil reduced the incidence of early lymph node cell proliferative responses, and delayed the onset of testicular disease. These findings are consistent with competition between different inflammatory sites for recently antigen-activated T lymphocytes. We conclude that (1) the development of orchitis correlates with cell-mediated immune responses to purified aspermatogenic antigens but not with IgG antibody responses, and (2) when the same animal is used to assess different aspects of cellular immunity and autoimmune disease, one study may significantly influence the other.