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The interaction of specific T-cell help and non-specific B-cell growth factors in the production of anti-tetanus antibody by human B cells grown in serum-free microcultures.
- Source :
- Immunology; Nov83, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p377-385, 9p
- Publication Year :
- 1983
-
Abstract
- Apart from a brief period after in-viva immunization, only a minority of human donors provide peripheral lymphocytes that synthesize specific antibody on stimulation with tetanus toxoid in vitro. A 20 μl hanging drop microculture technique using serum-free medium has been adapted to analyse the conditions under which B cells mature into antibody-secreting cells. Multiple permutations of antigen dose, cell concentration and T: B cell ratios have been examined. The results indicate that in-vitro failure of antigen response by the majority of donors is not due simply to an inappropriate choice of culture conditions. The addition to antigen-stimulated cultures of a lectin-free conditioned medium derived from pokeweed mitogen-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes, enables B cells from the majority of donors to produce high titres of specific antibody, in a T-dependent manner, for up to 24 months after immunization. The observed failure of prolonged antigen responsiveness in vitro thus appears to represent a failure to expand a population of antigen-specific B cells, rather than indicating an absence of such clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- GROWTH factors
T cells
B cells
TETANUS
IMMUNOGLOBULINS
IMMUNIZATION
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00192805
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Immunology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 13521984