Yl. Ye et al., PHENOTYPIC AND FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF ACTIVATED B-CELLS OF AUTOIMMUNENZB X NZW F1-MICE, Scandinavian journal of immunology, 47(2), 1998, pp. 122-126
Polyclonal B-cell activation is the central theme in the production of
autoantibodies and possible activation of autoreactive T cells in bot
h human and murine lupus, The abnormal expansion of CD5(+) B cells in
murine lupus has been suggested, in particular, to be one of the most
characteristic findings in these mice. Activated B cells can be separa
ted from the B cells of resting stage by the difference in cell densit
y. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of dif
ferent densities of the spleen cells separated by gradient density. Fu
rthermore, the ability of anti-DNA antibody secretion in each percoll
gradient fraction of B cells was also analysed. The results showed: a
higher percentage of CD5(+) B cells, which corresponded to the activat
ed B-cell population, in percoll gradient 1 and 2 fractions; that sple
nic B cells of NZB/W F-1 mice had proliferative response to interleuki
n (IL)-4 or IL-5 but not to IL-10 or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma); and
that B cells isolated by percoll gradient produced anti-DNA antibody
after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus IL-5 and IFN-gamm
a, but not IL-4 and IL-10. These data suggest that B cells at differen
t stages of activation express differential characteristics and functi
ons.