title: Functional characterization of a naturally occurring antibody cytotoxic for a subpopulation of splenic T cells.
abstract: Sera from old (greater than 6 months) New Zealand Black (NZB) mice were shown to contain an IgM antibody which was cytotoxic for thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes in the presence of rabbit complement. This antibody in the presence of complement markedly decreased the response of normal spleen cells to the T cell mitogen concanvalin A (Con A) but not to another T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P). Responses of these treated cells to the polyclonal B cell mitogens, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly[I]-poly[C]) were unimpaired. This naturally occurring NZB antibody was different from conventional anti-theta serum which abolished the response to both PHA-P and Con A. Moreover, the NZB serum affected spleen cells from both theta-C3H and theta-AKR mice. The ability of such serum to influence, differentially, Con A reactive cells as opposed to PHA-P-reactive cells, suggest that the NZB antiserum recognizes a subpopulation of T lymphocytes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D007518:Isoantibodies; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D011070:Poly I-C; D013045:Species Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007518:Isoantibodies; D011070:Poly I-C