Characteristics and differential T-cell dependency of human B-cell colony precursors

Studies were performed to characterize the human peripheral blood non-T cells forming colonies in semisolid cultures stimulated with Staph protein A (SpA). Negative selection experiments revealed that colony precursors largely consisted of cells bearing Fc receptors, complement receptors (CR), surface immunoglobulin (sIg), and Ia-like antigens. Most colony precursors expressed sIgM and sIgD, but not sIgG. Also, colony-forming cells were shown to be distinct from non-T cells proliferating in SpA-stimulated liquid cultures as evidenced by the greater sensitivity of colony precursors to anti-K,λ, or -Ia plus complement depletion. Two distinct categories of colony-forming cells could be distinguished by the expression of CR. CR-positive cells were responsible for greater than 85% of the colonies formed in the absence of optimal T cell numbers. Although under identical conditions CR^? cells demonstrated minimal colony growth, the addition of optimal T cell numbers significantly augmented colony responses. Thus, colony precursors express surface markers characteristic of B cells relatively advanced in the developmental pathway. However, less advanced cells are capable of colony growth in the presence of optimal T cell numbers.     

Regulation of human B-cell colony growth

PHA-induced B-cell enriched populations from venous blood of healthy adults developed into B-cell colonies. Analyses of individual colonies revealed that 80-85% of the cells in each colony were surface membrane immunoglobulin positive. Most colonies, 84%, contained surface IgM-bearing cells. Only a few, 16%, were found with surface IgG-bearing cells. Surface IgM- and surface IgG-bearing cells were not observed in the same colony. Thirty-nine percent of the colonies contained cells bearing surface IgD in addition to either surface IgM- or surface IgG-bearing cells. There was no evidence of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin in the colony cells. The development of B-cell colonies was T-cell dependent; it appears that at least two different T-cell subpopulations, one with low density (D = 1.05) and the other with high density (D = 1.08) are responsible for this helper effect. Monocytes were found to inhibit B-cell colony formation; the inhibition was mainly by endogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthetized and released by monocytes. The addition of physiological concentrations of synthetic PGE2 to monocyte-depleted B-cell enriched populations inhibited B-cell colony growth, this paralleled the effect of endogenous PGE2 released by monocytes. Indomethacin (10-5 M) obviated the inhibitory effect of monocytes.     

Human B lymphocyte colony responses. I. General characteristics and modulation by monocytes

The present study investigated the ability of human B cell-enriched subpopulations to focally proliferate and form colonies in semisolid cultures after stimulation with staph protein A (SpA). After 6 days of incubation, cultures of B-enriched populations exhibited distinct colonies, the number being dependent on the concentration of SpA and the cell density. Optimal colony responses were 1.6 x 10(3) per 1 x 10(6) B lymphocytes, and greater than 83% of the colony-forming cells expressed surface immunoglobulin (sIg). The depletion of adherent monocytes from the B cell-enriched preparations decreased the colony responses approximately 3-fold compared with the nondepleted B cell populations. Adding optimal numbers of adherent monocytes to the monocyte-depleted B cells restored the colony responses; however, less augmentation was observed in single-layer co-cultures containing greater than optimal numbers of monocytes. Identical experiments in double-layer semisolid cultures revealed that relatively greater numbers of monocytes were required to enhance B cell colony responses. Thus, progressively higher ratios of monocytes to B cells resulted in increasing numbers of colonies and failed to demonstrate the diminished colony responses observed in the single-layer system. These studies demonstrate that human B cells form distinct colonies when activated by SpA and that normal adherent monocytes modulate the magnitude of colony responses. Although monocytes predominately enhance B cell clonal differentiation, the evidence presented also suggests that, to a lesser extent, soluble inhibitory materials are elaborated.     

Effect of age on the capacity of the bone marrow and the spleen cells to generate B lymphocytes

The effect of age on the regeneration of the B cell population was studied by cell transfer methods, using the allotype-congenic mouse strains BALB/c (Igha) and C.B-17 (Ighb) as donors of old and young bone marrow (BM) and spleen cells, and C.AL-20 (Igho) as recipients. This design allowed us to identify the origin of the sIgD+ B cells present in the recipients. It was found that in a simple cell transfer, BM cells or spleen cells of aged donors could reconstitute the peripheral B cell population of irradiated, thymectomized recipients essentially as effectively as could BM or spleen cells from young donors. However, when BM cells from aged donors and from young donors were mixed and were used to reconstitute a single recipient, the cells from the aged donor were less efficient than were the cells from the young donor. We found that sIgD+ B cells of young donor origin predominated in the peripheral B cell population of the recipient at 3 to 6 wk after cell transfer. In the BM of the recipients, however, there was no difference in the incidence of sIgD+ B cells derived from the young and the old donors. When recipients were reconstituted with a mixture of spleen cells from old and young mice, the sIgD+ cells of young donor allotype showed a tendency to predominate in the peripheral B cell population, although this predominance was not statistically significant. Under such competitive conditions, the spleen cells of aged donors were less efficient than the BM of aged donors in reconstituting the sIgD+ B cell population of the recipient's BM, but were more efficient in reconstituting the splenic sIgD+ cells. Thus, a subtle defect in the B cell precursor population of the BM and the spleen of aged mice has been demonstrated. The role of T cells in the generation of sIgD+ cells was also analyzed.     

The murine gammaherpesvirus 68 M2 gene is required for efficient reactivation from latently infected B cells

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (gammaHV68) infection of mice provides a tractable small-animal model system for assessing the requirements for the establishment and maintenance of gammaherpesvirus latency within the lymphoid compartment. The M2 gene product of gammaHV68 is a latency-associated antigen with no discernible homology to any known proteins. Here we focus on the requirement for the M2 gene in splenic B-cell latency. Our analyses showed the following. (i) Low-dose (100 PFU) inoculation administered via the intranasal route resulted in a failure to establish splenic B-cell latency at day 16 postinfection. (ii) Increasing the inoculation dose to 4 x 10(5) PFU administered via the intranasal route partially restored the establishment of B-cell latency at day 16, but no virus reactivation was detected upon explant into tissue cultures. (iii) Although previous data failed to detect a phenotype of the M2 mutant upon high-dose intraperitoneal inoculation, decreasing the inoculation dose to 100 PFU administered intraperitoneally revealed a splenic B-cell latency phenotype at day 16 that was very similar to the phenotype observed upon high-dose intranasal inoculation. (iv) After low-dose intraperitoneal inoculation, fractionated B-cell populations showed that the M2 mutant virus was able to establish latency in surface immunoglobulin D-negative (sIgD(-)) B cells; by 6 months postinfection, equivalent frequencies of M2 mutant and marker rescue viral genome-positive sIgD(-) B cells were detected. (v) Like the marker rescue virus, the M2 mutant virus also established latency in splenic naive B cells upon low-dose intraperitoneal inoculation, but there was a significant lag in the decay of this latently infected reservoir compared to that seen with the marker rescue virus. (vi) After low-dose intranasal inoculation, by day 42 postinfection, latency was observed in the spleen, although at a frequency significantly lower than that in the marker rescue virus-infected mice; by 3 months postinfection, nearly equivalent levels of viral genome-positive cells were observed in the spleens of marker rescue virus- and M2 mutant virus-infected mice, and these cells were exclusively sIgD(-) B cells. Taken together, these data convincingly demonstrate a role for the M2 gene product in reactivation from splenic B cells and also suggest that disruption of the M2 gene leads to dose- and route-specific defects in the efficient establishment of splenic B-cell latency.     

Altered VH gene segment utilization in the response to phosphorylcholine by aged mice

Newly generated bone marrow B cell precursors of aged BALB/c mice, stimulated in splenic fragment cultures, display a markedly increased frequency of phosphorylcholine (PC)-responsive cells. This increased frequency is found for both precursors that utilize VHS107, a phenotype common to essentially all PC-specific B cells of young mice, and, surprisingly, for precursors that utilize VH genes other than VHS107. PC-specific hybridomas derived from bone marrow cells of aged mice utilize members of at least three VH gene segment families that have never been observed in PC responses of young mice. The ability of aged but not young mice to generate these unique PC-specific clonotypes may be evidence for constraints on V region utilization during repertoire development in young adults and has important implications for aging-associated changes in immune responsiveness.     

Effects of neonatal anti-delta antibody treatment on the murine immune system. I. Suppression of development of surface IgD+ B cells and expansion of a surface IgM+ IgD- B lymphocyte population

Lymphocytes that bear surface (s) IgD make up the majority of B cells in mature mice and are the precursors of most antibody secreting cells in primary immune responses made by these mice. In order to study the functional capabilities of the minority sIgD- B lymphocyte population and to gain insight into the possible roles of sIgD, we attempted to abort the development of sigD+ B cells and to expand the sigM+IgD- B cell population by treating mice from birth with affinity-purified rabbit antibodies specific for mouse IgD (RaM delta). RaM delta-suppressed mice had no detectable sIgD+ spleen, lymph node, or bone marrow cells and, on average, only 20% as many sIgM+Ia+ splenic B cells as control mice but had normal numbers of splenic T cells. Lymph nodes from anti-delta suppressed mice were even more depleted of B cells than were spleens from these mice, whereas the percentage of bone marrow B cells in these mice was relatively normal. Germinal centers of anti-delta suppressed mice were fairly normal in appearance, whereas follicular mantle layers, the locus of most sIgD+ B cells in normal mice, were greatly depleted. In addition to their lack of sIgD, splenic B cells of anti-delta suppressed mice differed from those found in control mice in that they bore, on average, twice as much sIgM as control cells, and in that they included an increased percentage of large, DNA synthesizing cells as compared with spleen cells from control mice. However, most sIgM+IgD- splenic B cells from anti-delta suppressed mice were small, nonproliferating cells. B cells from anti-delta suppressed mice insert little or no sIgD into their cell membranes since they continued to bear no detectable sIgD 2 days after in vivo neutralization of RaM delta and since, unlike B cells from control mice, they failed to be activated by a single in vitro injection of a goat anti-mouse delta antibody. Despite their lack of sIgD+ B cells, anti-delta suppressed mice had relatively normal levels of serum IgG as well as normal to increased levels of serum IgM. Thus, sIgM+IgD- B cells appear to have the potential of differentiating into Ig secreting cells in vivo without acquiring sIgD.     

Comparison of the influenza virus-specific effector and memory B-cell responses to immunization of children and adults with live attenuated or inactivated influenza virus vaccines

Cellular immune responses to influenza virus infection and influenza virus vaccination have not been rigorously characterized. We quantified the effector and memory B-cell responses in children and adults after administration of either live attenuated (LAIV) or inactivated (TIV) influenza virus vaccines and compared these to antibody responses. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected at days 0, 7 to 12, and 27 to 42 after immunization of younger children (6 months to 4 years old), older children (5 to 9 years old), and adults. Influenza virus-specific effector immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG circulating antibody-secreting cells (ASC) and stimulated memory B cells were detected using an enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Circulating influenza virus-specific IgG and IgA ASC were detected 7 to 12 days after TIV and after LAIV immunization. Seventy-nine percent or more of adults and older children had demonstrable IgG ASC responses, while IgA ASC responses were detected in 29 to 53% of the subjects. The IgG ASC response rate to LAIV immunization in adults was significantly higher than the response rate measured by standard serum antibody assays (26.3% and 15.8% by neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition assays, respectively). IgG ASC and serum antibody responses were relatively low in the younger children compared to older children and adults. TIV, but not LAIV, significantly increased the percentage of circulating influenza virus-specific memory B cells detected at 27 to 42 days after immunization in children and adults. In conclusion, although both influenza vaccines are effective, we found significant differences in the B-cell and antibody responses elicited after LAIV or TIV immunization in adults and older children and between young children and older age groups.     

B cells of aged mice show decreased expansion in response to antigen,but are normal in effector function

Increased dysfunction of the immune system with age can be attributed to developmental changes in cell types critical for proper immune responses. Previous studies have shown defects in humoral responses of aged individuals, but have not distinguished between aged T-cell/microenvironment and intrinsic B-cell defects. Here adoptive transfer of antigen-specific transgenic B cells compared early immunopoeisis from young and aged donors in a young recipient environment. B cells from aged donors demonstrated decreased antigen-induced expansion, particularly in the lymph nodes; however, they acquired a germinal center phenotype at frequencies similar to B cells from young donors. Additionally, aged B cells produced equivalent levels of antigen-specific antibody that underwent affinity maturation and isotype switching and demonstrated similar numbers of antibody-secreting cells of switched isotype. Thus, the ability of aged B cells to respond appropriately to T-dependent antigens and differentiate into high-affinity, isotype-switched, antibody-secreting cells appears to be intact.     

Specificity of lithium (Li+) to enhance the production of colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) from mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes in vitro

We report here studies demonstrating the ability of Li+ to increase GM-CSF production from both mitogen-induced spleen and thymus cells prepared as serum-free conditioned media (SF-SCCM, SF-TCCM). GM-CSF activity was both a mitogen and Li+ specific mediated event (P less than 0.001-0.001). Identical cultures prepared with either Na, K, Ca, or Mg did not induce GM-CSF activity as compared to Li. No GM-CSF activity was observed in the absence of mitogen. Furthermore, indomethacin (10(-6) M), a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, produced an even greater enhancement in GM-CSF than control cultures prepared without indomethacin. These data indicate Li may enhance GM-CSF production by inhibiting the ability of PG to decrease GM-CSF production. CFU-Mk colony formation was not significantly influenced by any specific cation-induced mitogen (CM), suggesting Li's ability to stimulate megakaryocytopoiesis may be mediated via a more direct stem cell effect. Furthermore, Li-derived (CM) significantly reduced both CFU-E and BFU-E, while those CMs prepared in the presence of K and Ca significantly increased erythroid colony formation. These effects could be mediated via alterations in the production of BPA. These studies demonstrate the unique capacity of cations to influence the differentiation of committed hematopoietic stem cells possibly by modulating the production of such factors required for hematopoietic differentiation.     

Effect of physical stress on sensitivity of lymphocytes to inhibition by prostaglandin E2

Physical stress is associated with depressed cellular immune function. We have found that lymphocytes from subjects undergoing either of 2 stressful events, cardiac surgery or childbirth, are more sensitive to inhibition by PGE2. For example, the concentration of PGE2 required for 50% inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation (ID50) into phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes from patients undergoing cardiac surgery went from 1.5 X 10(-8) M on the day before surgery to 3 X 10(-9) M on the day after surgery. This increase in sensitivity to PGE2 was accompanied by a significantly decreased lymphocyte proliferative response (27 to 68% of control, depending on mitogen dose) and a 50% increase in the percentage of E rosette-positive cells with receptors for the Fc portion of IgG. The increased sensitivity to PGE and the depressed mitogen responses returned to preoperative values by day 10. The depressed mitogen responses of the postoperative patients were completely restored to normal by removal of glass-adherent cells before culture. In addition, the responses of the postoperative patients and the women in labor were partially restored by the addition of indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, to the cultures. Thus it would appear that physical stress causes lymphocytes to become more sensitive to prostaglandin E2, and the increased sensitivity to inhibition by this immunomodulator is responsible in part for the depressed cellular immune function after physical stress.     

The frequency and fine specificity of B cells responsive to (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl in aged mice

The B-cell response to NP-Hy of two murine strains has been analyzed in order to evaluate the affects of aging on B-cell repertoire expression. The results indicate that for both BALB/c mice (Igha) and B10.D2 mice (Ighb) the frequency of (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl (NP)-responsive splenic B cells is approximately twofold lower, on a per B cell basis, in aged mice as compared to young adults. However, as with previous assessments of the response to DNP-Hy in aged mice, the frequency of newly generated surface immunoglobulin negative bone marrow precursor cells specific for NP in aged BALB/c mice is the same as in young mice. The decrease in frequency of responsive splenic B cells is not accompanied by a measurable decrease in repertoire diversity or changes in clonotype distribution as assessed by representation of kappa vs lambda light chain-bearing antibodies, binding of monoclonal antibodies to a panel of analogues of NP, and the proportionate representation of B10.D2 monoclonal antibodies that bear NPb idiotypic determinants. By these criteria it appears that down-regulation of B cells as they mature and emerge from the bone marrow of aged mice is pan-specific and does not disproportionately affect B cells of a predominant clonotype family. Consistent with other investigations which have demonstrated differences in secreted antibodies of immunized aged vs young mice, we have observed that 4 weeks after immunization of B10.D2 mice with NP-BSA, the frequency of newly generated secondary B cells is lower in aged than in young mice and the generation of lambda-bearing secondary precursor cells is particularly low. Thus, clonotype-specific down-regulation may play a role in shaping the B-cell repertoire subsequent to immunization of aged mice.     

Evidence for early aging in the mucosal immune system

Despite recent advances in the cellular and molecular analysis of induction and regulation of mucosal immune responses, little is yet known about differences which occur in aging. To address this important issue, we have compared the mucosal and systemic immune responses of aged (12- to 14-mo- or 2-year-old) and young adult (6- to 8-wk-old) C57BL/6 mice. Both aged and young mice were immunized weekly with three oral doses of 1 mg of OVA and 10 microg of cholera toxin (CT) as mucosal adjuvant. Both groups of mice over 1 or 2 years of age showed reduced levels of Ag-specific mucosal or systemic immune responses at day 21. An Ag-specific B cell enzyme-linked immunospot assay confirmed these results at the cellular level. When the Ag-induced cytokine responses were examined at both protein and mRNA levels, CD4(+) T cells from spleen and Peyer's patches of young adult mice revealed elevated levels of IL-4 production; however, these cytokine responses were significantly diminished in aged mice. In contrast to mucosal immunization, mice s. c. immunized with OVA plus CT resulted in impaired OVA-specific but intact CT B subunit-specific immune responses in 12- to 14-mo-old mice although the responses to both Ags were depressed in 2-year-old mice. These results provide the first evidence that the development of age-associated alterations possibly occurs earlier in the mucosal immune system than in the systemic immune compartment.     

Fluctuations in subsets of splenocytes and isotypes of Ig in young adult and aged mice resulting from Trypanosoma musculi infections.

A prominent feature of parasitic infections is the marked hyperplasia of lymphoid tissues. The resultant disruption of those tissues may be a major cause of the immunodepression that typifies parasitic infections. Trypanosoma musculi infections in mice evoke lymphoid hyperplasia and depressed immune responses. T. musculi infections are more severe in C3H than in C57BL/6 (B6) mice; and more severe in aged mice of either strain, compared with young adults. This report concerns a flow cytometric analysis of splenic leukocytes, identified by various surface Ag, in young and aged, trypanosome-infected mice of C3H and B6 strains. Companion studies included quantification of serum Ig isotypes at intervals during infection. The results support the following conclusions: a) all major types of splenic leukocytes were activated by trypanosome infection resulting in enlargement of the cells and proliferation ("blastogenic response"); b) in all young-adult mice and in aged B6 mice (but not aged C3H mice) Thy-1+, Ly-1+, and Ly-4+ cells increased moderately during infection whereas the number of Ly-2+ cells remained constant; c) all cells of the B lineage increased during the course of infection (except in aged C3H mice) with disproportionate increases in the most mature stage (IgG+); d) the responses of young adult C3H and B6 mice to infection differed as illustrated by the ability of B6, but not C3H, mice to limit hyperplasia and reverse the effect; e) aging of B6 mice was reflected by relative inability to regulate generation of mature Ig-producing cells; f) aging of C3H mice was severe as reflected by the relative inability of most subsets of leukocytes to react to the infection, possibly because of abnormalities that were intrinsic in aged, normal C3H mice. It is likely that: a) disruption of lymphoid tissue, probably mediated by alterations in the production of and responsiveness to cytokines, is responsible for the depressed ability of the immune system to defend against parasites; and b) such disruptive effects, being more pronounced in aged animals and less easily brought under control, account for the greater vulnerability of aged animals to parasitic infection.     

Sequential expression of immunoglobulin on developing mouse B lymphocytes: a systematic survey that suggests a model for the generation of immunoglobulin isotype diversity.

Paired immunofluorescent staining with antibodies specific for the major isotypes of mouse immunoglobulin was used to study the ontogenetic expression of diversity of cell surface immunoglobulin. The first B lymphocytes to emerge, derived from cytoplasmic IgM+ precursors, express sIgM exclusively. Between birth and 3 days of age separate populations of sIgM+ B lymphocyte acquire a second isotype: sIgD, one of the subclasses of sIgG, or sIgA. At 3 days, all splenic B lymphocytes that bear sIg or sIgA also express sIgM, but virtually none stain for sIgD. By 7 days, a substantial porportion of sIgG+ or sIgA+ lymphocytes in spleen and most of those in lymph node express both sIgM ans sIgD. Anti-mu antibody treatment from birth prevented development of B lymphocytes expressing any isotype. These observations suggest that the immature sIgM+ B lymphocyte is the pivotal cell in the generation of the different sublines of B cells and that sIgD ig or IgA. The frequency of lymphocytes bearing only sIgG or sIgA is higher in old than in young mice, suggesting that sIgD and sIgM may be lost after stimulation by antigens. The occurrence of a nearly identical distribution of sIg isotypes on B lymphocytes from athymic, pathogen-free mice suggests that primary expression of isotype diversity does not require T cells.     

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modulation of human monocyte accessory cell function in promoting T-cell colonies: Inability of LPS and IL-1 to abrogate the need for monocytes with high HLA-DR expression

The abilities of human monocytes differentially expressing HLA-DR and of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to influence T-cell colony responses were investigated. Optimal T-cell colony responses stimulated by soluble Staph protein A were crucially dependent on monocytes. Also, monocyte facilitation of colony responses was markedly inhibited by 10 μg/ml LPS and the addition of indomethacin reversed this inhibition. In contrast the inhibition of T-cell colony responses with 100 μg/ml LPS was not reversed with indomethacin and preincubation experiments with high concentrations of LPS showed the inhibition could be mediated through T cells by mechanisms other than prostaglandins. The treatment of monocytes with a monoclonal anti-HLA-DR reagent + C reduced the frequencies of monocytes expressing high levels of HLA-DR ~ fivefold and the resulting monocytes which expressed low levels of HLA-DR also poorly functioned in the promotion of colony responses compared to controls. LPS in the presence of indomethacin improved the ability of monocytes expressing low levels of HLA-DR to promote colony responses. However, these monocytes consistently failed to augment colony responses to those levels observed with untreated monocytes and their failure was not secondary to deficient interleukin 1 release. These results indicate that although LPS can somewhat potentiate the accessory cell function of certain human monocytes, it cannot abrogate an additional requirement for those monocytes expressing high levels of HLA-DR.     

Induction of refractoriness of cyclic AMP responses to prostaglandin E1 and epinephrine by prior exposure of guinea pig macrophages to lipopolysaccharide

Prior exposure of guinea pig macrophages to LPS (lipopolysaccharide) resulted in reduced cAMP-generating responses to prostaglandin E1 and epinephrine. LPS-induced refractoriness was diminished when LPS treatment was carried out in the presence of an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, hydrocortisone, or indomethacin, or an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide. The release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites, especially prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2, increased during incubation of macrophages with LPS. These increases were efficiently antagonized by hydrocortisone, indomethacin, or cycloheximide. Preincubation of macrophages with prostaglandin E1 greatly reduced the subsequent responses of cAMP generation to prostaglandin E1 and unexpectedly also to epinephrine. Thus, increased production of prostaglandins during the LPS treatment is likely to be responsible for decreased cAMP responses to subsequent addition of prostaglandin E1 and epinephrine.     

The effect of aging on the frequency,phenotype and cytokine production of human blood CD4 + CXCR5 + T follicular helper cells: comparison of aged and young subjects

Background

T cell-dependent B-cell responses decline with age, indicating declined cognate helper activity of aged CD4?+?T cells for B cells. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, a novel T helper subset, play an essential role in helping B cells differentiation into long-lived plasma cells in germinal center (GC) or short-lived plasma cells. In the present study, we proposed that there might existe changes of proportion, phenotype or cytokine production of blood Tfh cells in healthy elderly individuals compared with healthy young individuals.

Results

The results showed that frequencies of aged blood CXCR5?+?CD4?+?Tfh cells increased compared with young subjects. Both aged and young blood CXCR5?+?CD4?+?Tfh cells constitutively expressed CD45RO, CCR7 and CD28, and few of these cells expressed CD69 or HLA-DR, which indicated that they were resting memory cells. There was no significant difference of IL-21 frequency production by aged blood CXCR5?+?CD4?+?Tfh determined by FACS compared with young individuals, however, aged PBMCs produced significantly higher levels of IL-21 evaluated by ELISA. Furthermore, there were no significant differences of percentages of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17 or IL-22 production by aged Tfh cells compared with their counterparts of young individuals respectively. However, frequencies of IL-17+ cells within aged CD4?+?CXCR5-T cells were markedly lower than in the young individuals. Furthermore we observed different frequencies of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-4 or IL-22 production by Tfh or by CD4?+?CXCR5- cells in aged and young subjects respectively.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrated that the frequencies of blood memory CXCR5?+?CD4?+?Tfh cells increased in the elderly population. There were similar frequencies of Th characterized cytokine production such as IL-21, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17 or IL-22 in aged and young Tfh cells. However, aged PBMCs produced a significantly higher amount of IL-21 compare to young subjects.

     

Two distinctive patterns of monocyte immunoregulatory and effector functions in heavy human infections with Schistosoma mansoni

We evaluated the relationship between immunoregulatory and effector functions of monocytes in subjects with heavy S. mansoni infection (greater than 400 eggs/g of stool). Two main patterns were found. In seven individuals (mean 601 eggs/g), the depletion of adherent cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) increased blastogenic responses to soluble worm antigenic preparation (SWAP) from a stimulation index (SI) of 3.2 +/- 1.0 to 11.0 +/- 3.0 (p less than 0.01). The presence of indomethacin (1.0 micrograms/ml) in cultures of PBMC from these subjects increased the SWAP response to 7.1 +/- 2.0 (p less than 0.05). In contrast, neither adherent cell depletion nor indomethacin affected blastogenesis induced by nonschistosome antigens or nonspecific mitogens. In this group of infected individuals, monocyte killing of schistosomula and adherence to plastic were increased 122% (p less than 0.01) and 50% (p less than 0.01) over the respective values obtained in uninfected, age-matched controls. A second pattern was found in 10 individuals with a significantly higher intensity of infection (1339 eggs/g of stool (p less than 0.02)). PBMC from these subjects failed to respond significantly to SWAP (SI = 2.0 +/- 0.5), whereas the levels of responses to other antigens and mitogens were maintained at rates comparable to controls. Adherent cell depletion did not significantly affect the blastogenic response (1.8 +/- 0.2), nor did the presence of indomethacin in cultures (2.0 +/- 0.5). Moreover, monocyte-mediated schistosomula killing was depressed in these individuals (50% of controls, p less than 0.05) as was adherence to plastic (77% of controls, p less than 0.05).     

B-lymphocyte colony formation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A semisolid culture system for B-cell colony formation is described. The system includes pretreatment of B-cells by neuraminidase-galactose oxidase and help of mitomycin-treated T-cells. With this assay system, colony-forming B-cell precursors were detected in all eight patients we studied with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. These patients' own T-cell helper effect was less than that of normal T-cells.