M. Robinson et al., ADULT WORM HOMOGENATE OF THE NEMATODE PARASITE HELIGMOSOMOIDES-POLYGYRUS INDUCES PROLIFERATION OF NAIVE T-LYMPHOCYTES WITHOUT MHC RESTRICTION, Cellular immunology, 158(1), 1994, pp. 157-166
The documented in vitro response of mouse T cells to parasite antigens
is typically anamnestic and H-2 restricted. As yet, there have been n
o confirmed reports of the existence of a non-H-2-restricted, superant
igen type of response to the antigens of metazoan parasites. Reported
here are data which show that antigens produced by the adult stage of
the nematode parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus (= Nematospiroides dub
ius) can stimulate naive T cells in vitro to proliferate and produce I
L-2. A series of T cell hybridomas has been used to show that adult wo
rm homogenate of H. polygyrus can stimulate parasite antigen naive T c
ells. This response is independent of the H-2 haplotype of the antigen
-presenting accessory cells and does not appear to be influenced by th
e presence or absence of an H-2 E molecule. However, successful presen
tation of the H. polygyrus superantigen does require the presence of m
etabolically active accessory cells and fixation of the accessory cell
s with paraformaldehyde abrogates the response of the target cells. Th
is discovery has important implications for the study of the role of s
uperantigens in host/parasite interactions and will also help to expan
d current knowledge about the relationship between chronic intestinal
nematodes and the host immune system. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.