Altered response of CD4+ T cell subsets to Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi in B cell-deficient mice.
Mice depleted of B cells from birth by treatment with anti-mu antibodies can control but not clear an infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi (AS). Splenic CD4+ T cells from these mice were unable to mount a significant Th2 response to the parasite in vitro as shown by much lower precursor frequencies of Th cells for antibody production and of IL-4-producing cells compared with the response of control-treated mice. CD4+ T cells of the anti-mu-treated mice which respond to antigens of P. chabaudi chabaudi maintained a Th1 phenotype throughout primary infection, in contrast to control mice in which a sequential appearance of Th1 and Th2 responses was observed. These data show that Th1 responses in anti-mu-treated mice are sufficient to control parasitemia but not to eliminate an infection. The data further suggest that depletion of B cells by treatment with anti-mu antibodies reduces the generation of the Th2 subset during a primary response to P. chabaudi chabaudi.
von der Weid
T
T
Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg, Germany.
Langhorne
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008288:Malaria / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma