Leucocyte migration test in agarose. The use of puromycin in disclosure of non-immunological inhibition.

Abstract

The response of peripheral human leucocytes to PPD and tubercle bacilli was studied in the leucocyte migration test in agarose medium. At PPD 50 μg/ml migration of leucocytes from tuberculin positive persons was inhibited in all cases tested, while no migration inhibition of cells from tuberculin negative persons was found. There was no overlapping between the MI of the two groups. Blocking of protein synthesis by means of puromycin prevented the migration inhibition of cells from tuberculin positive persons at PPD 50 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml. In some cases the migration of cells from tuberculin negative persons was inhibited in the presence of PPD 100 μg/ml. This inhibition could not be prevented by puromycin and was probably due to a toxic effect of PPD. It is suggested that puromycin may be useful in dislocating false, probably toxic, inhibition.