FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PEYERS PATCH LYMPHOID-CELLS .4. EFFECT OF ANTIGEN FEEDING ON FREQUENCY OF ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC B CELLS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 118  (3) , 992-997
Abstract
The frequency of B [bone marrow-derived] cells in Peyer''s patches from normal BDF1 and sheep red blood cell (SRBC)-fed BDF1 mice that could respond to antigenic determinants on SRBC and trinitrophenyl (TNP) was determined using an in vitro system of limiting dilution analysis. In normal mice one B [bone marrow-derived] cell in 1.9 .times. 104 Peyer''s patch cells could be induced to an anti-SRBC response and one B cell in 3.6 .times. 104 Peyer''s patch cells could be induced to an anti-TNP response. The frequency of B cells capable of responding to SRBC in normal mice was similar in Peyer''s patches and spleen. After feeding mice SRBC for 3 wk, there was a 6-fold reduction in the frequency of B cells in Peyer''s patches capable of responding to SRBC but no change in the frequency of B cells capable of responding to TNP. The average clone size of Peyer''s patch B cells responding to SRBC was similar in normal and SRBC-fed mice. Although antigen-feeding does not stimulate Peyer''s patch B cells in situ to humoral antibody synthesis, antigen-feeding can markedly alter the reactivity of the antigen-sensitive cell population in Peyer''s patches. It was previously demonstrated that T [thymus-derived] cells in Peyer''s patches could be specifically carrier primed for helper function by SRBC feeding. The data presented here show that antigen-feeding reduced significantly the frequency of B cells in Peyer''s patches capable of responding to the fed antigen. Peyer''s patches appear to serve an important function as a sampling site for intestinal antigens.

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