title: B cell mitogenic activity of house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, antigens.
abstract: The effect of mite antigens on murine and human lymphocytes was studied in vitro. Antigens prepared from Dermatophagoides farinae feces and bodies stimulated normal murine spleen cells to proliferate in a dose-dependent manner. The responder cells are B cells, because the response was reduced by the treatment of spleen cells with anti-immunoglobulin antibody and complement, but not with anti-Thy 1 antibody and complement. Furthermore, nylon column-purified T cells did not respond. The stimulation of B cells with mite antigens was not due to the contamination of lipopolysaccharide, a representative B cell mitogen, because C3H/HeJ spleen cells which are low responders to lipopolysaccharide could respond to mite antigens. These antigens induced not only proliferative response of murine B cells, but also immunoglobulin production. By gel-filtration column chromatography, the active fractions were eluted around the molecular weight of 150-155 kDa. Furthermore, mite antigens also stimulated human B cells to proliferate and to produce immunoglobulin. All these results suggest that mite antigens are a potent B cell mitogen and this activity might concern the induction of allergic reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fermentation Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Hiroshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shigeta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jyo
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000941:Antigens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008934:Mitogens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008934:Mitogens