title: Evidence for an immunoglobulin-dependent antigen-specific helper T cell.
abstract: Evidence from various systems suggests that thymus-derived lymphocytes can affect the quality of antibody responses by recognizing various portions of the immunoglobulin receptor of bone-marrow-derived thymus-independent lymphocytes. A model for this process is proposed involving two antigen-specific mature T helper cells, one of which also is specific for immunoglobulin determinants. These two cells act synergistically. Evidence from adoptive secondary antibody responses demonstrates that both cells are antigen-specific T cells and that the immunoglobulin-recognizing T helper cell is absent from experimentally agammaglobulinemic mice. This cell is termed an "immunoglobulin-dependent T cell" because its activation requires the presence of immunoglobulin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000939:Epitopes; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000939:Epitopes; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins