Abstract
In vitro stimulation of human peripheral blood B cells with recombinant IL-4 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) markedly increases their expression of MHC and costimulatory molecules, thus enhancing antigenic peptide presentation to T cells. Because these cells proliferate extensively in vitro (unlike monocytes or dendritic cells), they represent a promising and convenient reagent for the generation and maintenance of antigen-specific T cells for use in a variety of experimental or therapeutic settings. However, the impact of this type of B cell APC on cytokine production by responder T cells has hitherto not been examined. To address this issue, we stimulated normal human T cells with either allogeneic B cells (generated in vitro) or with MNCs obtained from the same donor. After 7 days, T cells were washed and re-challenged with the same APCs. The resulting alloreactive cytokine response was measured using quantitative ELISPOT methods and expressed as the frequencies of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-5 producing cells per thousand responder cells added. B cell- and MNC-primed cell lines both produced vigorous lymphokine responses, but B cell-stimulated T cells consistently produced more IL-5 spots (mean of 265 vs. 98/1000 responders, p<0.002) and fewer IFN-γ spots (163 vs 386/1000 cells, p<0.005) than MNC-stimulated cells. Further, the ratio of IFN-γ to IL-5 spots was almost ten-fold lower in B cell-stimulated cultures compared to MNC-induced cultures (0.67 vs. 5.2, p<0.001). ELISPOT studies assessing the ratio of IFN-γ to IL-4 spots and ELISA assays comparing IFN-γ and IL-5 levels from culture supernatants demonstrated the same pattern of marked type 2 skewing by B cells. This pattern was unaffected by the presence of anti-IL-4 antibody suggesting type 2 skewing was not mediated by IL-4. Cytokine skewing produced by B cells or MNC could be partially reversed by swapping MNC and B cells during re-stimulation on day 7, but this plasticity was markedly reduced after 3 (weekly) cycles of B cell or MNC re-stimulation in vitro. Type 2 skewing by B cells was enhanced when monocytes were removed from responder T cell populations by either depleting CD14+ positive cells or by positive selection of T cells prior to stimulation. In contrast, type 2 polarization could be prevented using recombinant IL-12. Not all cells of B-cell origin share the same propensity to type 2 skewing observed with IL-4/CD40L-stimulated B cells; under identical conditions, EBV-transformed B cells stimulated alloimmune T cells to produce a strong type 1 cytokine response comparable to that produced by MNCs. In summary, IL-4/CD40L-stimulated B cells strongly promote a type 2 T cell response during primary alloimmune challenge; this skewing can become fixed after repeated B cell stimulation. Investigators using these cells as APC should be aware of this potential phenomenon, particularly during primary T cell responses. It is also important to consider the factors described above that may exacerbate or ameliorate this effect.
The immune response against myelin basic protein in two strains of rat with different genetic capacity to develop experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
