title: In vitro anti-HBs antibody synthesis from anti-hepatitis B vaccine recipients.
abstract: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 'responders' recently boosted with hepatitis B vaccine, were studied for synthesis in vitro of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs Ab) when stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or HBsAg. HBsAg alone can induce an antigen-specific anti-HBs Ab response in vitro; this antibody synthesis is T cell-dependent. In some responders both allogeneic T4+ cells (in absence of PWM or HBsAg) and mixed leucocyte culture supernatants (MLC/SN) (without T cells and antigen) can help responder B cells to produce anti-HBs Ab. Thus, in some immunized subjects, B lymphocytes involved in anti-HBs Ab synthesis are in an advanced phase of differentiation and require only non-antigen specific T cell signals (B cell growth factor or B cell differentiation factor or interleukin 2, etc) to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells. Moreover, the concentration of the antigen necessary to suppress anti-HBs Ab production induced by HBsAg was five times lower than that necessary to suppress antibody production induced by PWM. T cell help for antigen induced anti-HBs Ab could be different from T cell help for the PWM-induced anti-HBs Ab response. Moreover, the finding that the low HBsAg doses inhibiting specific response did not affect the PWM-driven anti-HBs response suggests that antigen-specific T suppressor cells could play a role in this context.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines