IgE-secreting cells in the thymus: correlation with induction of tolerance to IgE.
We have shown previously that normal mice become tolerant to endogenous IgE when they are approximately 2 weeks old and that this corresponds closely with the initial appearance of IgE in serum. Tolerance evidently is restricted to T cells, since B cells responsive to IgE are present in neonatal and adult mice. The present report shows that IgE-secreting cells can be detected in the thymus between days 7 and 11 after birth and that the onset of tolerance to IgE occurs at the age of 11 days. Similar results were obtained in A/J and (BALB/c x A/J)F1 mice. This suggests that tolerance is induced in the thymus, probably by cells bearing peptide fragments of IgE. The order of appearance of IgE-secreting cells is thymus, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes.
Haba
S
S
Rosenstiel Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254.
Nisonoff
A
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007073:Immunoglobulin E