Skip to main content
Log in

Regulation of antibody isotype secretion by subsets of antigen-specific helper T cells

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

The regulation of the subclass of immunoglobulin secreted by B cells has been studied in vitro in polyclonal systems using mitogens, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to bypass the requirement for cognate interaction between antigen-specific T and B cells. In these systems, interleukin-(IL)-4 induces the secretion of IgG1, (ref. 1) and IgE (ref. 2); IL-5 enhances the secretion of IgA3,4, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) enhances the secretion of IgG2a (ref. 5). Clones of murine TH cells can be divided into two subsets, TH1 and TH2 (ref. 6). Both subsets synthesize IL-3 and granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), but only TH1 clones produce IL-2, IFN-γ, and lymphotoxin (LT) and TH2 clones produce IL-4 and IL-5 (ref. 7). We have examined the role of clones of antigen-specific TH1 and TH2 cells in the regulation of the subclasses of IgG antibody secreted by antigen-specific B cells. Our results show that both types of TH cells induce the secretion of IgM and IgG3, whereas clones of TH1 and TH2 cells specifically induce antigen-specific B cells to secrete IgG2a and IgG1, respectively. We also demonstrate that regulation of commitment to the secretion of a particular IgG isotype occurs in two distinct stages: cognate interaction between T and B cells and interaction between T-cell-derived lymphokines and B cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Isakson, P., Pure, E., Vitetta, E. S. & Krammer, P. H. J. exp. Med. 155, 734–748 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Coffman, R., Ohara, J., Bond, M., Carty, J., Zlotnik, A. & Paul, W. E. J. Immun. 136, 4538–4541 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Coffman, R. L., Shrader, B., Carty, J., Mosmann, T. R. & Bond, M. W. J. Immun. 139, 3685–3689 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bond, M. W., Shrader, B., Mosmann, T. & Coffman, R. L. J. Immun. 139, 3691–3696 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Snapper, C. M. & Paul, E. S. Science 236, 944–947 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mosmann, T. R., Cherwinski, H., Bond, M. W., Giedlin, M. A. & Coffman, R. L. J. Immun. 136, 2348–2357 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cherwinski, H. M., Schumacher, J. H., Brown, K. D. & Mosmann, T. R. J. exp. Med. 166, 1229–1233 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vitetta, E. S. et al. Immun. Rev. 99, 193–239 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Myers, C. D., Sanders, V. M. & Vitetta, E. S. J. immun. Meth. 92, 45–57 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Layton, J. E., Uhr, J. W., Vitetta, E. S. & Krammer, P. H. J. exp. Med 160, 1850–1863 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yefenof, E. et al. J. Immun. 135, 3777–3784 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fernandez-Botran, R. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 9689–9693 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Killar, L., MacDonald, G., West, J., Woods, A. & Bottomly, K. J. Immun. 138, 1674–1679 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Boom, W. H., Liano, D. & Abbas, A. J. exp. Med. 167, 1350–1363 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ohara, J. & Paul, W. E. Nature 315, 333–336 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sanders, V. M., Snyder, J. M., Uhr, J. W. & Vitetta, E. S. J. Immun. 137, 2395–2404 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kupfer, A., Swain, S. L., Janeway, C. A. & Singer, S. J. Proc natn. Acad. Sci U.S.A. 83, 6080–6083 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Coutelier, J.-P., van der Logt, J. T. M., Heesen, F. W. A., Warnier, G. & Van Snick, J. J. exp. Med. 165, 64–69 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Perlmutter, R. M., Hansburg, D., Butler, D. E., Nicolotti, R. A. & Davie, J. M. J. Immun. 121, 512–566 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jarrett, E. E. E. & Bazin, H. Nature 251, 613–614 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Reynolds, D. S., Boom, W. H. & Abbas, A. K. J. Immun. 139, 767–773 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Snow, E. C., Vitetta, E. S. & Uhr, J. W. J. Immun. 130, 607–613 (1983).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stevens, T., Bossie, A., Sanders, V. et al. Regulation of antibody isotype secretion by subsets of antigen-specific helper T cells. Nature 334, 255–258 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/334255a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/334255a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation