Abstract
While there is good evidence that PWM activates helper T cells for Ig production, the effect of ConA is usually that of suppression. T and B cells were separated from tonsils by E-rosetting and cultured in the presence of ConA for 7 days in 1 ml RPMI containing 10 % FCS in round-bottomed culture tubes. ConA induced no IgM synthesis in cultures of purified B cells and only marginal IgM production (360 ng/ml) in unseparated tonsil cells. However, when increasing numbers of purified T cells were added to 0.5 × 106 purified B cells, IgM production (1500 ng/ml) was elicited only at low T/B cell ratios (1/5). When T cells were preirradiated with 2500 R increased IgM production was also observed but only at a T/B ratio of 1. In all these conditions ConA consistently induced IgM production only at an optimal mitogenetic dose (6/ug/ml). These findings show that ConA can stimulate helper T cells and that low T cell numbers or T cell irradiation facilitates helper function perhaps by preventing the emergence of suppressor effects.
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Lanzavecchia, A., Vitiello, A., Nespoli, L. et al. 37 ConA-INDUCED THYMUS-DEPENDENT Ig PRODUCTION BY HUMAN B LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO. Pediatr Res 13, 954 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197908000-00053
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197908000-00053
