[Mitogenic action of Mycoplasma arthritidis on the lymphoid cells of rats]

Proliferation of rat splenocytes was studied under the conditions of Mycoplasma infection in vitro. M. arthritidis in doses less than 10(7) CFU/ml exhibited a mitogenic action which seemed likely to be associated with Mycoplasma-produced factor. In higher doses M. arthritidis suppressed blast transformation caused by non-specific mitogens.