title: Functional analysis of influenza-specific helper T cell clones in vivo. T cells specific for internal viral proteins provide cognate help for B cell responses to hemagglutinin.
abstract: We compared the effects of adoptively transferred Th cell clones specific for the influenza hemagglutinin (HA), matrix (M), or nucleoprotein (NP) on the antibody response of nude mice infected with A/PR/8/34 influenza virus. We show that the production of antibodies to the HA absolutely requires the presence of virus-specific Th cells. Further, transfer of a Th clone specific for the internal proteins, M or NP, was as effective as was transfer of an HA-specific clone in supporting an antibody response to the HA. With each of the clones, the kinetics of the response were accelerated by approximately 3 d compared with the antibody response of normal BALB/c mice. The HA- and M-specific clones supported an isotype switch from IgM to IgG and IgA similar to that which occurs during a normal antibody response. Finally, as shown by coinfection experiments, the response required a cognate T-B interaction whether the determinants recognized by the Th and B cell are located on the same viral protein or on different viral proteins within the same virus particle. The implications of these findings for understanding the T-B interactions that occur during an effective antiviral antibody response are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; C031540:M-protein, influenza virus; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins