The superantigen Staphylococcus enterotoxin B induces a strong and accelerated secondary T-cell response rather than anergy.
The primary and secondary immune response of V beta 8+ T cells to the bacterial superantigen Staphylococcus enterotoxin B was compared in BALB/c mice. Secondary responder T cells were found to up-regulate the expression of the adhesion molecule LFA-1 faster, and to enter the cell cycle earlier than primary responder T cells. Both, primary and secondary responder T cells upregulate the expression of CD2 and CD25 and turn into blast cells with superimposable time kinetics. Secondary responder T cells terminate DNA synthesis, blast formation and the upregulation of CD25 and CD2 expression earlier than primary responder T cells and become more rapidly deleted. Two days after superantigen challenge, when primary responder T cells reach peak activity in terms of DNA synthesis and blast formation, secondary responder T cells have returned to the size of microblasts and ceased to replicate their DNA. Whereas our results are consistent with the observations leading to the concept of superantigen-induced T-cell anergy, they demonstrate, by revealing the accelerated vigorous secondary T-cell response to the superantigen, that this concept requires reconsideration.
Schultz
H
H
Department of Hematology/Oncology, Children's University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
Geiselhart
A
A
Sappler
G
G
Niethammer
D
D
Hoffmann
M K
MK
Dannecker
G E
GE
D000818:Animals; D018801:CD2 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D017635:Clonal Anergy; D017637:Clonal Deletion; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D018801:CD2 Antigens; D004768:Enterotoxins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018089:Superantigens; C075784:T cell receptor Vbeta8; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal