The Journal of Immunology, Vol 147, Issue 2 439-446, Copyright © 1991 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

In vivo kinetics and characterization of IFN-gamma-producing cells during a thymus-independent immune response

AJ van den Eertwegh, MJ Fasbender, MM Schellekens, A van Oudenaren, WJ Boersma and E Claassen
Department of Immunology and Medical Microbiology, TNO Medical Biological Laboratory, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.

Using immunohistochemical techniques, we studied IFN-gamma-producing cells (IFN-gamma-PC) in vivo during immune responses to thymus- independent type-2 (TI-2) Ag. Detection of IFN-gamma-PC in cryostat sections of spleen-tissue was performed with an enzyme labeled mAb directed against IFN-gamma. After TNP-Ficoll immunization, IFN-gamma-PC and TNP-specific antibody-forming cells (TNP-AFC) displayed similar kinetics reaching a maximum number at day 5 to 7. The IFN-gamma-PC were localized in the same compartment as TNP-AFC and a part of them in juxtaposition to TNP-AFC. Immunization with other TI-2 Ag resulted also in a significant increase of the number of IFN-gamma-PC. In a parallel experiment we found both in vivo and in an ELISA-spot assay a significant increase of the number of IFN-gamma-PC and IFN-gamma-spot- forming-cells, respectively, in spleens of mice 6 to 7 days after TNP- Ficoll immunization. Double staining of spleen sections for IFN-gamma and surface Ag revealed that 5 to 7 days after TNP-Ficoll immunization, +/- 40% of the IFN-gamma-PC expressed the MT4 Ag (CD4), +/- 50% the Lyt- 2+ Ag (CD8) and +/- 10% the asialo-GM1 Ag (NK cell). This study represents the first description of the in vivo activity and characterization of IFN-gamma-PC during a TI-2 immune response. Moreover, the presented data confirm suggestions from in vitro investigations that IFN-gamma and T cells may play a direct role in the in vivo regulation of a primary immune response against a TI-2 Ag.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Boudewijns, A. Jeurissen, M. Wuyts, L. Moens, L. Boon, J. J. Van Neerven, A. Kasran, L. Overbergh, C. Lenaerts, M. Waer, et al. Blockade of CTLA-4 (CD152) enhances the murine antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides J. Leukoc. Biol., November 1, 2005; 78(5): 1060 - 1069. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Chaudhri, V. Panchanathan, R. M. L. Buller, A. J. M. van den Eertwegh, E. Claassen, J. Zhou, R. de Chazal, J. D. Laman, and G. Karupiah Polarized type 1 cytokine response and cell-mediated immunity determine genetic resistance to mousepox PNAS, June 15, 2004; 101(24): 9057 - 9062. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. E. Leiva, B. Butler, J. Hempe, A. P. Ortigas, and R. U. Sorensen Up-Regulation of CD40 Ligand and Induction of a Th2 Response in Children Immunized with Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccines Clin. Vaccine Immunol., March 1, 2001; 8(2): 233 - 240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Itoh, K. Ishihara, T. Hiroi, B. Ok Lee, H. Maeda, H. Iijima, M. Yanagita, H. Kiyono, and T. Hirano Deletion of Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Antigen-1 (CD157) Gene Impaired Systemic Thymus Independent-2 Antigen-Induced IgG3 and Mucosal TD Antigen-Elicited IgA Responses J. Immunol., October 15, 1998; 161(8): 3974 - 3983. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]