International Immunology, Vol. 11, No. 3, 445-451,
March 1999
© 1999 Japanese Society for Immunology
Development of T–B cell collaboration in neonatal mice
1 Institute for Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
2 Swiss Institute for Cancer Research ISREC, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
3 Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
Correspondence to: H. Acha-Orbea
The neonatal immune response is impaired during the first weeks after birth. To obtain a better understanding of this immaturity, we investigated the development of T cell interactions with B cells in mice. For this purpose, we analyzed the immune response to three T-dependent antigens in vivo: (i) the polyclonal antibody response induced by vaccinia virus; (ii) the production of polyclonal and specific antibodies following immunization with hapten–carrier conjugates; (iii) the mouse mammary tumor virus superantigen (sAg) response involving an increase in sAg-reactive T cells and induction of polyclonal antibody production. After vaccinia virus injection into neonates, the polyclonal antibody response was similar to that observed in adult mice. The antibody response to hapten–carrier conjugates, however, was delayed and reduced. Injection with sAg-expressing B cells from neonatal or adult mice allowed us to determine whether B cells, T cells or both were implicated in the reduced immune response. In these sAg responses, neonatal T cells were stimulated by both neonatal and adult sAg-presenting B cells but only B cells from adult mice differentiated into IgM- and IgG-secreting plasma cells in the neonatal environment in vivo. Injecting neonatal B cells into adult mice did not induce antibody production. These results demonstrate that the environment of the neonatal lymph node is able to support a T and B cell response, and that immaturity of B cells plays a key role in the reduced immune response observed in the neonate.
Keywords: antibody, mammary tumor virus, neonatal, superantigen
The first two authors contributed equally to this work
Transmitting editor: I. C. M. MacLennan
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