title: Generation of high-rate ovalbumin-specific antibody-secreting cells in cultures of human peripheral blood B cells obtained from non-immunized blood donors.
abstract: When human peripheral blood B cells are cultured for 6 days with the T cell-dependent peptide antigen ovalbumin (OA) in the presence of antigen-presenting cells and helper T cells, plaque-forming cells (PFC) are generated. These OA-induced PFC differ from the conventional high-rate antibody-secreting PFC formed after stimulation of B cells with recall antigens (e.g. tetanus toxoid) in that they secrete antibody at a very low level. Previous studies have shown that OA-induced PFC are B lymphocytes in an early activation state rather than cells that have differentiated into plasmablasts. The apparent arrest in the maturation of OA-induced PFC in an early activation phase can be overcome by simultaneous stimulation with interleukin 2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma). The isotype of the OA-specific antibodies secreted, however, are only of the IgM class, demonstrating that an isotype switch does not occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Immunology, University Hospital for Children and Youth 'Het Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis', Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zijlstra
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Heijnen
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ballieux
mesh_terms: D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin