Role of B lymphocytes in cell-mediated immunity: I. requirement for T cells or T-cell products for antigen-induced B-cell activation

S. M. Wahl, D. L. Rosenstreich

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although B lymphocytes can be triggered by B-cell mitogens and by certain other molecules to produce tymphokines, they do not produce lymphokines when stimulated with specific soluble protein antigens. We have investigated whether T-cell help would enable B cells to produce lymphokines when activated by antigens. Addition of small numbers of T cells to B-cell cultures resulted in significant production of a monocyte chemotactic factor. T cells could be replaced by supernates of antigen-stimulated T cells, demonstrating both that the chemotactic factor was B-cell-derived and that T-cell help was mediated by a soluble factor. Although the T-cell factor was nonantigen specific, B-cell activation required the presence of both antigen and T-cell factor. Thus, it appears that although dependent upon T cells, B lymphocytes may play an important role in amplification of cell-mediated immune responses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1175-1187
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume144
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2 1976
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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