Pathogenesis of Post-irradiation Infections. I. Yersinia Enterocolitica Administered to Normal and Irradiated Rats

Summary

Infections after irradiation can be due to a great variety of microorganisms many of which are normally non-pathogenic or conditionally pathogenic for the host. The strain of Y. enterocolitica used was not pathogenic to a variety of unirradiated rats nor to athymic or B lymphocyte deprived, macrophage depleted rats, nor to normal rats irradiated by 5·7 Gy 24 hours before. However similarly irradiated rats receiving Y. enterocolitica 5 or 10 days later showed a substantial mortality. It is concluded that the radiosensitive mechanism for protection against Y. enterocolitica is not humoral nor cellular immunity as mediated by T and B lymphocytes or macrophages.