Evidence for the existence of self-reactive human B lymphocytes.
Supernatants from human tonsil cells cultured in the presence of the PBAs, LPS and F (ab)2 monomers of rabbit anti-human beta2-microglobulin were found to have a complement-dependent cytotoxic activity to tonsil cells of the same donors. A direct toxic effect of the PBAs on the target cells was excluded by controls. Therefore the most likely explanation for this finding is that human lymphocytes contain a subpopulation of self-reactive B cells which can be triggered by PBAs to release antibodies to self-antigens. The implications of this finding for the understanding of infections accompanied by auto-immune phenomena are discussed.
D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001324:Autoantigens; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial