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This paper examines helper T-cell responses and antibody titres and isotypes following immunization with a peptide antigen in association with three different adjuvants. B10.A mice were primed with pigeon cytochrome c fragment 81-104 in association with the adjuvants complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) and alum. Strong antibody responses, dominated by IgG1, were observed upon priming with CFA and IFA. In contrast, priming with alum induced a weak antibody response with little or no detectable antigen-specific IgG1. These differences did not correlate with differences in T-cell priming, as immunization with peptide in association with all three adjuvants induced comparable T-cell proliferative responses and frequencies of antigen-specific cells. In addition, no significant differences in iiiterleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-4 production could be found, suggesting that the adjuvants did not differentially affect Th1 and Th2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lectins can be used to detect changes in cell-surface glycosylation. In this paper we examine the lectin-binding characteristics of murine T cells as measured by flow cytometry. A large panel of labelled lectins was used to stain naive, activated and resting murine T cells. Some lectins did not detectably bind any T cells, some bound to all T cells and some bound to only a subset of splenic T cells. Three lectins which preferentially bind to previously activated T cells were identified: Bandeiraea simplicifolia BS-I, Bauhinia purpurea and Lycopersicon esculentum. In addition, two lectins were found to bind preferentially to activated T cells; Glycine max and Triticum vulgaris. Finally, no differences were found in the ability of a large panel of lectins to bind to Th1 and Th2 clones. Lectin binding may be a powerful tool for distinguishing naive, activated and memory T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]