T-CELLS REGULATE THE IGM ANTIBODY-RESPONSE OF BALB/C MICE TO DEXTRAN B1355

The IgM antibody response of BALB/c mice to bacterial (Leuconostoc) dextran B1355 is influenced in a positive and negative manner by regulatory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, respectively. Treatment with concanavalin A (ConA) at the time of immunization or 2 days later caused suppression and enhancement of the antibody response, respectively. Priming of mice with a sub-immunogenic dose of dextran resulted in profound suppression upon subsequent immunization 3 days later. None of these effects were demonstrable in athymic mice. Transfer of T cells from mice primed 18 h previously with a subimmunogenic dose of dextran suppressed the antibody response in immunized recipients; such suppression was abolished by the treatment of transferred cells with anti Thy 1.2 or anti Lyt2.2 (CD8) antibody in the presence of complement. By contrast, the transfer of T cells from mice, which had been given an immunogenic dose of dextran 4 days previously, increased the antibody response in immunized recipients; such enhancement was abolished by treating transferred cells with anti Thy 1.2 or anti L3T4 (CD4) antibody in the presence of complement. These findings indicate that the immune response to dextran B1355 is regulated by CD4+ T-amplifier cells (Ta cells) and by CD8+ T-suppressor cells (Ts cells) which are activated during the course of a normal antibody response.