Lymphocytosis and histamine sensitization of mice by fractions from Bordetella pertussis.

Administration of Bordetella pertussis cell extracts induced in mice hypersensitivity to histamine, as well as pronounced leukocytosis and hypoglycemia. The leukocytosis was mainly caused by an increase in the small lymphocytes in the circulating blood, and it was most pronounced 3 to 4 days after injection of B. pertussis extracts. Rabbit antimouse lymphocyte serum produced a decrease in the lymphocyte count in normal mice, as well as in mice treated with B. pertussis extracts. This depression in lymphocytes was observed whether the antilymphocyte serum was given 1 day or 2 days after the administration of B. pertussis extracts. The increased histamine sensitivity and hypoglycemia of mice treated with B. pertussis extract were not affected by treatment with antilymphocyte serum, although a marked lymphopenia was present. These observations indicate that the three phenomena observed in pertussis-treated mice are independent of each other.