Antigen presentation by macrophages from bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-resistant and -susceptible mice

We have compared the antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages from congenic BALB/c.Bcgr and BALB/c.Bcgs mice that differentially express MHC class II glycoproteins. Several different criteria were used to evaluate the presentation of a protein antigen, ovalbumin (OVA), including limiting the concentration of antigen or the numbers of macrophages, and using both native OVA and OVA peptide 323-339. No differences in the capacity of macrophages from Bcgr and Bcgs mice to present antigen to a OVA-specific T cell hybridoma were found. Splenic macrophages from BCG-infected congenic mice also induced an equivalent amount of IL-2 production by the T cell hybridoma. The relationship of these findings to other differences that have been attributed to Bcg are discussed.