OBLIGATORY ROLE OF MACROPHAGES IN DENGUE VIRUS-ANTIGEN PRESENTATION TO LYMPHOCYTES-B

  • 1 May 1989
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 67  (1) , 38-43
Abstract
The study was undertaken to investigate the role of dengue type 2 virus (DV)-infected mouse peritoneal macrophages (M.vphi.) in presentation of the DV antigen to B lymphocytes as shown by counting virus-specific IgM antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC). It was observed that heat-killed or glutaraldehyde-fixed M.vphi. did not present the antigen. Pretreatment of M.vphi. with the lysosomotropic compounds ammonium chloride and chloroquine inhibited the antigen presentation. Depletion of M.vphi. from the spleen cell cultures abrogated the immune response to DV. The tryptic-digested DV antigen could stimulate immune responses in B-lymphocyte enriched (depleted of M.vphi. and T cells) spleen cell cultures, and the digested antigen could be presented by glutaraldehyde-fixed M.vphi.. Pretreatment of M.vphi. with a trypsin inhibitor abrogated antigen presentation. The findings thus show that even for presentation to B cells the DV antigen must be processed by M.vphi. by a trypsin-like protease.