title: Oral tolerance correlates with high levels of lymphocyte activity.
abstract: Oral tolerance is defined as an inhibition of specific immune responsiveness to a previously ingested antigen. Paradoxically, we found an increased lymphocyte activity in tolerant mice alongside the specific inhibition. Orally-tolerant mice presented higher number of immunoglobulin secreting cells (ISC) in spleen and bone marrow; showed a greater variety of Ig classes being produced: IgM and IgA in the spleen and IgG and IgM in the bone marrow. ISC from immunized mice produced mainly IgG. Despite having the same number of regulatory and activated T cells in the spleen after immunization, these cells appeared earlier in tolerant mice, right after the primary immunization. Also, tolerant mice showed a prompt expression of regulatory cytokines (TGF-β and IL-10) and a transient expression of effector cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ). Thus, in addition to an inhibited specific responsiveness, orally-tolerant mice displayed an early and widespread mobilization of activated and regulatory lymphocytes.
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. archimedesjunior@yahoo.com.br
authors: Archimedes Barbosa
authors: AB
authors: Castro-Junior
authors: Bernardo Coelho
authors: BC
authors: Horta
authors: Ana Cristina
authors: AC
authors: Gomes-Santos
authors: Andre Pires
authors: AP
authors: Cunha
authors: Raphael
authors: R
authors: Silva Steinberg
authors: Danielle Santiago
authors: DS
authors: Nascimento
authors: Ana Maria Caetano
authors: AM
authors: Faria
authors: Nelson Monteiro
authors: NM
authors: Vaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007114:Immunization; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010047:Ovalbumin