The isotype potential of B cells present in BALB/c mice chronically infected with Mesocestoides corti.
Infection of BALB/c mice with Mesocestoides corti results in a chronic infection with a pronounced splenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia. A prominent feature of this infection is that the vast majority of serum immunoglobulin produced is restricted to IgG1 and IgM. As much as 30-fold increases in serum IgG1 levels have been noted. To ascertain whether, as a result of infection, the resident B cell pool is committed to IgG1, B cells from infected animals were tested for their ability to produce various isotypes after stimulation. In one series of experiments, B cells from normal and infected animals were used as donor cells in the splenic fragment assay. The results show that the frequency of 2,4-dinitrophenyl-specific and phosphorylcholine-specific B cells remains unaltered in infected animals compared to controls. Importantly, the hapten-specific B cell clones induced were found to express multiple isotypes. These results demonstrate that the nonactivated B cell pool in spleens of infected mice is not committed to IgG1 and IgM production.
Desai
B B
BB
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7758.
Abraham
K M
KM
Teale
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008645:Mesocestoides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology
D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D008222:Lymphokines; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D015847:Interleukin-4