Suppressor T cells in the specific control of the carrier response to schistosomula in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.
The carrier effect, using TNP-labelled schistosomula was used to measure the helper T-cell activity against the schistosomula surface in CBA mice exposed to 30 cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni. After infection the helper T-cell activity reached a peak in 8--10 days, but by 6 weeks it had declined to background levels. Five x 10(7) spleen cells from chronically (12-week) infected mice when injected into 9-day infected mice caused a specific suppression of the helper T-cell response to schistosomula. Subsequent fractionation of the spleen cell population using a nylon wool column and specific depletion of T cells from the spleen cell population with anti-Thy 1.2 antisera and complement, showed that the suppressive activity was due to T cells. We conclude that during infection of mice with S. mansoni a population of suppressor T cells is generated which partially regulates antibody production against schistosome surface antigens.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006241:Haptens; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006241:Haptens