title: The role of B cells in the development of CD4 effector T cells during a polarized Th2 immune response.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that B cells promote Th2 cell development by inhibiting Th1 cell differentiation. To examine whether B cells are directly required for the development of IL-4-producing T cells in the lymph node during a highly polarized Th2 response, B cell-deficient and wild-type mice were inoculated with the nematode parasite, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. On day 7, in the absence of increased IFN-gamma, IL-4 protein and gene expression from CD4 T cells in the draining lymph nodes were markedly reduced in B cell-deficient mice and could not be restored by multiple immunizations. Using a DO11.10 T cell adoptive transfer system, OVA-specific T cell IL-4 production and cell cycle progression, but not cell surface expression of early activation markers, were impaired in B cell-deficient recipient mice following immunization with N. brasiliensis plus OVA. Laser capture microdissection and immunofluorescent staining showed that pronounced IL-4 mRNA and protein secretion by donor DO11.10 T cells first occurred in the T cell:B cell zone of the lymph node shortly after inoculation of IL-4-/- recipients, suggesting that this microenvironment is critical for initial Th2 cell development. Reconstitution of B cell-deficient mice with wild-type naive B cells, or IL-4-/- B cells, substantially restored Ag-specific T cell IL-4 production. However, reconstitution with B7-1/B7-2-deficient B cells failed to rescue the IL-4-producing DO11.10 T cells. These results suggest that B cells, expressing B7 costimulatory molecules, are required in the absence of an underlying IFN-gamma-mediated response for the development of a polarized primary Ag-specific Th2 response in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhugong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cristina T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Rozo
authors.forename: Hossein A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Farhang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alem
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Gause
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000637:transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009559:Nippostrongylus / Q000276:immunology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology