B-CELL HYBRIDOMA PRESENTS BOTH B-CELL AND T-CELL EPITOPES FOR STIMULATING ANTIBODY-PRODUCTION VIA CD23 PATHWAY

CD23+ B cell hybridoma 17A11, pulsed with IgE:TNP-KLH triggered IgA, I gG, and IgE antibody production via CD23-mediated presentation. Prior anti-CD23 treatment abrogated 95% of the humoral antibody responses. B oth B and T cell epitopes were presented by 17A11. B cell epitopes as recognized by IgG but not T cell epitopes were sensitive to treatment with 0.2 M acetic acid. Efficacy of antigen presentation via CD23 on 1 7A11 was comparable to that mediated via surface immunoglobulins (sig) on a CD23 negative 4.5 parental fusion partner B cell line. This is t he first demonstration that IgE:TNP-KLH pulsed B cell hybridomas prese nt both B-and T-cell epitopes in stimulating IgA, IgG, and IgE antibod y production, and raise a pertinent issue whether IgE antibodies produ ced under pathophysiological conditions may serve as positive feedback signal for sustaining production of different classes of antibodies.