The Journal of Immunology, Vol 124, Issue 1 121-126, Copyright © 1980 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Polyclonal B lymphocyte activation during Trypanosoma cruzi infection

L Ortiz-Ortiz, DE Parks, M Rodriguez and WO Weigle

Infection of A/J mice with Trypanosoma cruzi results in the polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes in vivo as assessed by the spontaneous plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to trinitrophenyl and to goat, equine, and sheep erythrocytes. The peak response to these antigens is found at 5 to 6 days of infection. Additionally, a polyclonal response to syngeneic erythrocytes can be detected in infected mice by using aged but not fresh indicator cells. Polyclonally stimulated PFC to human gamma-PFC found late in infection during a period of marked splenomegaly and parasitemia. This trypanosoma-induced polyclonal B cell activation may well be responsible for the abnormalities in immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion that have been reported to occur during human infection with T. cruzi.

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