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Infection and Immunity, November 1999, p. 6002-6007, Vol. 67, No. 11
Laboratory of Mycobacteria, Division of
Bacterial Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,
Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland 20852
Received 3 June 1999/Returned for modification 28 July
1999/Accepted 11 August 1999
Although there appears to be little if any role for specific
antibodies in protection against intracellular bacteria, such as the
model pathogen F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), the
role of B cells themselves in primary and secondary infection with such
bacteria has not been examined directly. We show here that mice
deficient in mature B cells and antibodies (B-cell knockout mice) are
marginally compromised in controlling primary sublethal infection but
are 100-fold less well protected against secondary lethal challenge
than are their normal counterparts. This defect in optimal specific
protective immunity was readily reconstituted by the transfer of
primed, and to a lesser degree, unprimed B cells, but not by the
transfer of specific antibodies. The results indicate a previously
unappreciated role for B cells in secondary immunity to intracellular
pathogens through a function other than antibody production.
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Importance of B cells, but Not Specific Antibodies, in Primary
and Secondary Protective Immunity to the Intracellular Bacterium
Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: DBP/CBER/FDA,
1401 Rockville Pike, HFM 431, Bethesda, MD 20852. Phone: (301)
496-0544. Fax: (301) 402-2776. E-mail:
elkins{at}cber.fda.gov.
This work is dedicated to the memory of Roberta D. Shahin, our
friend and colleague, whose insight, encouragement, and companionship were instrumental throughout the progression of these and many other studies.
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