Polyclonal and antigen-specific B-cell responses in patients with common variable immunodeficiency

J Clin Immunol. 1982 Jul;2(3):205-13. doi: 10.1007/BF00915223.

Abstract

Antigen-specific antibody responses were investigated in 32 hypogammaglobulinemic patients with common variable immunodeficiency following in vitro sensitization of their peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures with sheep red blood-cell determinants. Anti-sheep red blood-cell antibody-secreting cells were quantitated in a hemolytic plaque assay. Amplification of T-cell help was achieved with the use of the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A or allogeneic irradiated T cells. Four patients groups, A through D, were identified. Group A was comprised of 10 patients whose cultured lymphocyte readily developed into antibody secreting cells. Cultures of 9 patients (Group B) responded suboptimally, but were enhanced following mitogen activation of autologous or exogenous T cells, and those of 7 patients (Group C) responded only when help was amplified. In 7 patients (Group D), no responses were elicited. On the simultaneous assessment of pokeweed mitogen-driven polyclonal generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells, only 10 responders, all from groups A and B, were identified. Our observations indicate that the majority of patients with common variable immunodeficiency possesses B cells capable of producing antibody in vitro. The ability of some patients' B cells to respond only in the antigen-specific assay while failing to do so in pokeweed mitogen-stimulated cultures suggests that these two reactions are not identical in their activation pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Agammaglobulinemia / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Antibody-Producing Cells / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Concanavalin A / pharmacology
  • Epitopes*
  • Erythrocytes / immunology
  • Female
  • Hemolytic Plaque Technique
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pokeweed Mitogens / pharmacology
  • Sheep
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology

Substances

  • Epitopes
  • Pokeweed Mitogens
  • Concanavalin A