title: Background immunoglobulin-secreting cells specific for intestinal peptidoglycan-polysaccharides in mice.
abstract: Natural antibodies to soluble peptidoglycan-polysaccharide complexes (PPC) from the human intestinal flora have been found in mammalian sera. In this study the occurrence and frequency of PPC-specific immunoglobulin-secreting cells (anti-PPC Ig-SC) were determined in lymphoid organs of normal (C57BL x CBA)F1 mice. One out of 100 IgM-SC in the spleen and Peyer's patches was found to be specific for PPC. In the small intestine a small number of anti-PPC IgA-SC were present probably responsible for IgA secretion in the gut lumen since very low serum concentrations anti-PPC IgA were found. Anti-PPC IgG-SC were not detected, although some anti-PPC IgG was found in the serum. It is concluded that the spleen is the major lymphoid organ responsible for the production of natural antibodies to PPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: van Helden-Meeuwsen
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hazenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000032:analysis; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011509:Proteoglycans