Mechanism of immune suppression by murine neonatal fluids.
Pretreatment of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) for 24 to 48 hr with mouse amniotic fluid (MAF) results in a marked reduction in their ability to present antigen in a macrophage-T cell dependent antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferative assay. Since we showed that MAF did not inhibit the uptake of antigen by the antigen-presenting cells, presumably the site of action is either on "processing," T-macrophage interactions and/or on the secretion of soluble factors by macrophages. Whether suppression is the result of a direct effect on MAF on the antigen-presenting cell or indirectly via another cell type present in the PEC preparations was not established by this study. However, our data suggest that a major (although perhaps not sole) site of action of the suppressive factor(s) in MAF is at the level of the antigen-presenting cell. The biologic relevance of these in vitro observations is discussed in regard to the defects of immune function in fetal and neonatal animals.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000941:Antigens; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D010047:Ovalbumin