Effects of cigarette smoke on the immune response. II. Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke inhibits surface immunoglobulin-mediated responses in B cells.
We have previously reported that chronic exposure of rats to cigarette smoke inhibits the antibody-forming cell (AFC) response to both T-dependent and T-independent antigens and may reflect B cell dysfunction. In this communication we extend these studies to show that T cell functions are normal in chronically smoke-exposed rats (SM) as judged by their responses to mitogens and "nominal" or alloantigens. While B cells from SM respond significantly to the B cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS), they fail to proliferate in response to anti-IgM (anti-mu) or to produce significant AFC response to sheep red blood cells. On the basis of the number of rosettes formed with trinitrophenylated (TNP) horse red blood cells; the frequency of TNP-binding cells (TNP-ABC) in the spleens of SM is comparable to sham control rats. However, the proliferation of TNP-ABC to TNP-Brucella abortus is significantly decreased in SM. These differences in SM B cell responses, i.e., between LPS and anti-mu/antigen, may to be related to the ability of LPS to bypass a portion of the membrane signal transduction cascade. These results suggest that cigarette smoke affects an early step(s) in the antigen-dependent B cell signal transduction pathway.
Savage
S M
SM
Immunotoxicology Section, Lovelace Medical Foundation, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108.
Donaldson
L A
LA
Cherian
S
S
Chilukuri
R
R
White
V A
VA
Sopori
M L
ML
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008934:Mitogens