ANTIGEN PRESENTATION BY MACROPHAGES FROM BACILLE CALMETTE-GUERIN (BCG)-RESISTANT AND (BCG)-SUSCEPTIBLE MICE

We have compared the antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages from c ongenic BALB/c.Bcg(r) and BALB/c.Bcg(s) mice that differentially expre ss MHC class II glycoproteins. Several different criteria were used to evaluate the presentation of a protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), incl uding limiting the concentration of antigen or the numbers of macropha ges, and using both native OVA and OVA peptide 323-339. No differences in the capacity of macrophages from Bcg(r) and Bcg(s) mice to present antigen to a OVA-specific T cell hybridoma were found. Splenic macrop hages from BCG-infected congenic mice also induced an equivalent amoun t of IL-2 production by the T cell hybridoma. The relationship of thes e findings to other differences that have been attributed to Bcg are d iscussed.