title: Cutaneous leishmaniasis in anti-IgM-treated mice: enhanced resistance due to functional depletion of a B cell-dependent T cell involved in the suppressor pathway.
abstract: The contribution of B cells and antibodies to either the resistance or susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis has been investigated in mouse strains rendered B cell-deficient by treatment with anti-mouse IgM antisera from birth (mu-suppressed). These studies confirm that immunity to cutaneous disease in a normally resistant mouse strain (C3H/HeJ) is independent of antibody, but that B cells and/or antibodies are required for the evolution of suppressed DTH and the consequent disease susceptibility of BALB/c mice. Anti-IgM-treated BALB/c mice, which lacked detectable anti-leishmanial antibodies during the course of infection, displayed a sustained DTH response to leishmanial antigen and were able to control their cutaneous lesions. The enhanced resistance of mu-suppressed mice could be completely abrogated by transfer of suppressor T cells from infected control animals into mu-suppressed mice before their infection. Thus the suppressor T cells, which are generated during leishmanial infection in BALB/c mice, can effect suppression in the absence of antibody. Evidence that B cells or antibodies are required for the generation of suppressor T cells was demonstrated by using BALB/c mice in which suppressor T cells fail to be generated during infection as a result of prior sublethal irradiation. Splenic T cells from normal mice could overcome the resistance conferred by sublethal irradiation, whereas splenic T cells from mu-suppressed mice could not. Thus the enhanced resistance of mu-suppressed BALB/c mice appears to be a consequence of their lack of functional expression of a B cell-dependent T cell critical to the suppressor pathway.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M