Deficient interleukin-10 production by neonatal T cells does not explain their ineffectiveness at promoting neonatal B cell differentiation.
Neonatal T cells are poor promoters of Ig secretion by neonatal B cells. Since IL-10 has been shown to play a role in B cell differentiation, we investigated the relationship of IL-10 production by neonatal T cells and their ability to provide B cell help. Neonatal CD4+(CD8-) T cells and adult naive CD4+ (CD8-/CD45RO-) T cells activated with immobilized anti-CD3 produced consistently less IL-10 than adult memory CD4+(CD8-/CD45RA-) T cells. Production of IL-10 by adult and neonatal T cells was dependent on IL-2, but was unaffected by supplemental IL-4. Despite diminished IL-10 production, supplemental IL-10 increased neonatal T cell-dependent Ig secretion only modestly, but did not increase Ig heavy chain isotype switching. This contrasted with the ability of IL-10 to enhance the secretion of all Ig isotypes by adult B cells stimulated in the presence of either IL-2 or IL-4. These results suggest that IL-10 can promote T cell-dependent Ig secretion but not Ig heavy chain isotype switching by neonatal B cells. However, deficient IL-10 production alone does not account for the poor ability of neonatal T cells to support neonatal B cell Ig production.
Splawski
J B
JB
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-8884, USA.
Yamamoto
K
K
Lipsky
P E
PE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation
D016753:Interleukin-10