Antigen-specific plaque-forming cell response of human cord blood lymphocytes afterin vitro stimulation by T cell-dependent antigens
- 1 January 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in European Journal of Immunology
- Vol. 13 (5) , 390-397
- https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.1830130508
Abstract
Mononuclear cells isolated from human cord blood (CBL) of full‐term neonates were stimulated in vitro with a dose range of T cell‐dependent antigens, i.e. ovalbumin or sheep erythrocytes, and tested for the capacity to mount an antigen‐specific plaque‐forming cell (PFC) response. Both of the antigens used induced in CBL a PFC response with the same kinetics of PFC formation and of the same magnitude as found in cultures of adult peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). However, optimal PFC responses in CBL were obtained at a hundredfold lower concentration of the antigens compared with the optimal antigen doses for the induction of a PFC response in adult PBL. This phenomenon was further investigated with respect to the antigen dose dependency of the activation of neonatal B cells and neonatal regulatory T cells. The induction of a PFC response in CBL at antigen concentrations that were suboptimal for adult PBL showed a correlation with the particular antigen dose requirements for the activation of B cells and T helper cells in neonates. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the decrease of the PFC response in CBL stimulated with supraoptimal doses of antigen was not caused by the induction of unresponsiveness at the B cell level or by interference of pregnancy‐associated substances with the PFC response, but was rather the result of the activation of antigen‐specific T suppressor cells. Neonatal T suppressor cells were activated at antigen concentrations that generated T helper activity in the adult. Thus, although neonatal B cells possess the intrinsic capacity to mature into antigen‐specific PFC, the conditions for effective activation of neonatal T cells regulating the B cell response differ from those for the activation of adult regulatory T cells.Keywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Characterization of human T suppressor‐inducer, ‐precursor and ‐effector lymphocytes in the antigen‐specific plaque‐forming cell responseEuropean Journal of Immunology, 1982
- Characterization of the suppressor cell activity in human cord blood lymphocytes.Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1981
- Ontogeny of the immune response as a basis of childhood diseaseThe Journal of Pediatrics, 1980
- B Cell Differentiation and Immunoregulatory T Cell Function in Human Cord Blood LymphocytesJournal of Clinical Investigation, 1980
- Regulation of the specific plaque‐forming cell responsein man: Restraint of B cell responsivenessEuropean Journal of Immunology, 1979
- Ontogeny of cells involved in the suppressor circuit of the immune responseEuropean Journal of Immunology, 1979
- Localization of human antigen-specific helper and suppressor function in distinct T-cell subpopulationsCellular Immunology, 1979
- Induction and separation of antigen-dependent T helper and T suppressor cells in manNature, 1978
- Functional analysis of two human T-cell subpopulations: help and suppression of B-cell responses by T cells bearing receptors for IgM or IgG.The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1977
- Binding of IgM by Human T LymphocytesScandinavian Journal of Immunology, 1976