Prolonged in vivo IL-4 treatment inhibits antigen-specific IgG1 and IgE formation.
IL-4 is obligatory for primary IgE responses, whereas primary IgG1 and secondary IgE responses are partially IL-4 independent. To investigate the effect of IL-4 on the antigen-specific memory formation for these isotypes, BALB/c mice were treated after primary TNP-KLH immunization with recombinant IL-4 for a period fo 4 months. This prolonged presence of a high IL-4 level resulted in increased serum levels of total IgG1 and IgE, whereas total IgG2a did not change. The expression of CD23, but not I-Ad, increased on the splenic B cells. IL-4 treatment did not affect the IL-4 production by Con A stimulated spleen cells, whereas it did decrease the IFN-gamma production. In the same mice the TNP-specific IgG1 and IgE serum levels, however, were decreased. Similar results were found when the antigen was continuously present during the IL-4 treatment. Furthermore, it was shown that IL-4 decreased the formation of IgG1 and IgE memory cells. These results point to different effects of IL-4 in regulating antigen-specific and bystander responses.
Department of Immunology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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R
van Ommen
A E
AE
Vredendaal
H F
HF
Savelkoul
D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006241:Haptens; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
D006241:Haptens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C054401:trinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006433:Hemocyanins