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Infection and Immunity, February 1999, p. 789-793, Vol. 67, No. 2
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Regulatory T Cells in the Antibody Response to Haemophilus influenzae Type b Polysaccharide

Mijke A. Breukels, Ger T. Rijkers,* Marleen M. Voorhorst-Ogink, and Ben J. M. Zegers

Department of Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Received 12 August 1998/Returned for modification 8 October 1998/Accepted 16 November 1998

An in vitro culture system for the induction of an antipolysaccharide response was used to study the cellular interactions which determine the magnitude and nature of this B-lymphocyte response. Healthy adult volunteers were vaccinated with the Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide (PRP)-tetanus toxoid (TT) conjugate vaccine. Optimal in vitro anti-PRP and anti-TT antibody responses were obtained when B cells were cultured with equal amounts of T cells. The in vitro response is antigen dependent and antigen specific. Culturing with PRP mixed with TT in the presence of T cells induces the highest number of anti-PRP antibody-secreting cells (ASC) (128.4 ×/div 15.9 [geometric mean ×/div standard deviation] immunoglobulin M [IgM] anti-PRP ASC/106 cells; 9.3 ×/div 7.6 IgG anti-PRP ASC/106 cells). Culturing without T cells induced no anti-PRP ASC; culturing with only PRP, in the presence of T cells, yielded low numbers of anti-PRP ASC (3.7 ×/div 5.2 IgM anti-PRP ASC/106 cells and 1.2 ×/div 2.2 IgG anti-PRP ASC/106 cells). Transwell studies showed that the requirements for the antibody response against the polysaccharide are different from those of an antiprotein response. Cytokines formed as a consequence of contact between protein-specific B and T cells were on their own not sufficient to activate TT-specific B cells (8.4 ×/div 1.4 anti-TT ASC/106 cells); direct contact between T and B cells appeared to be an absolute requirement. However, physical contact between B and T cells in one compartment of the Transwell system resulted in the release of soluble factors able to stimulate B cells in the other compartment to secrete antipolysaccharide antibodies (164 ×/div 1.6 anti-PRP ASC/106 cells).

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dept. of Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Nieuwe Gracht 137, 3512 LK Utrecht, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-30-2320911. Fax: 31-30-2320712. E-mail: grijkers{at}wkz.azu.nl.

Infection and Immunity, February 1999, p. 789-793, Vol. 67, No. 2
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

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  • Breukels, M. A., Zandvoort, A., van den Dobbelsteen, G. P. J. M., van den Muijsenberg, A., Lodewijk, M. E., Beurret, M., Klok, P. A., Timens, W., Rijkers, G. T. (2001). Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Overcome Splenic Dependency of Antibody Response to Pneumococcal Polysaccharides. Infect. Immun. 69: 7583-7587 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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