Association between late allergic bronchoconstriction in the rat and allergen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation in vitro.

T lymphocytes are potentially of importance in determining the inflammatory response in the airways after allergen challenge. We hypothesized that the proliferative response of lymphocytes on exposure to allergen in vitro would be associated with the magnitude of the airway response in vivo after inhalational challenge. We studied Brown Norway rats that were actively sensitized with ovalbumin (OA) in aluminum hydroxide gel using Bordetella …