[Cellular immunity in the red fox vaccinated against rabies. Studies with the lymphocyte transformation test]

The best conditions for performing a lymphocyte transformation test have been studied in the red fox with three phytomitogens: phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and Pokeweed (phytolacca). These assays were carried out with varying different parameters of the reaction, among which concentration of mitogens, nature and duration of the lymphocyte cultures. Isolation of fox lymphocytes gave lower yields than human lymphocytes, but were similar in number to those from other domestic animal species. The best mitogenetic reactivity was observed with concanavalin A (optimal concentration being not very different from one mitogen to another) and the maximum transformation ratio was usually observed after four days of lymphocyte cultivation in round bottom plates. Mean value of stimulation ratio is about ten times less that in man, but not very different from dogs. These results allowed the use of this technique a second time to explore specific stimulations by rabies antigen. These last were observed only in 33% of foxes recently vaccinated against rabies, either with live or inactivated virus vaccine.