The Journal of Immunology, Vol 159, Issue 10 4793-4798, Copyright © 1997 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Induction of parasite antigen-specific antibody responses in unsensitized human B cells is dependent on the presence of cytokines after T cell priming

O Garraud, FB Perler, JE Bradley and TB Nutman
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20850, USA.

Using two recombinant filarial protein Ags and keyhole limpet hemocyanin, we sensitized T cells from uninfected, nonatopic individuals in such a manner that they were able to provide help for the selective induction of an Ag-specific Ab response. IL-2 and IL-4 were shown to be critical for sensitizing the T cells; once sensitized, these T cells could provide the necessary signals for B cells to produce Ag-specific Abs, provided that IL-4 (or IL-2) was supplied exogenously. Primary exposure of T cells to IFN-gamma, but not to IL- 12, prevented the Ag-sensitized T cells from helping B cells to produce specific Abs, apart from the IgG2 isotype. These data suggest that Ab- producing B cells of a defined Ag specificity and isotype can be generated differentially after in vitro priming of human T cells by Ag, providing regulatory cytokines are also present.

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