Immunoregulatory circuits which modulate responsiveness to suppressor cell signals: contrasuppressor cells can convert an in vivo tolerogenic signal into an immunogenic one.
The intravenous injection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-labeled peritoneal exudate cells (TNP-PEC) into CBA mice fails to produce a state of hypersensitivity; rather, it renders recipient mice incapable of mounting a contact hypersensitivity response when they are subsequently immunized with a reactive form of the specific hapten. However, if precultured neonatal spleen cells are injected along with the cells that induce tolerance (TNP-PEC), not only is the development of tolerance inhibited but sensitization to TNP develops. The neonatal spleen cell responsible for turning the tolerogenic signal into an immunogenic one is I-J+ and adheres to the Vicia villosa lectin. Thus, it expresses markers that distinguish contrasuppressor effector cells from helper cells (D. R. Green et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1981. 11:973), indicating that activated contrasuppressor cells can act as potent, helpful regulatory cells in vivo.
D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000175:diagnosis; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010081:Oxazolone / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D010081:Oxazolone