Spleen B cells from BALB/c mice are more prone to activation than C57BL/6 during a secondary immune response to cruzipain

PELLEGRINI AV; GUIÑAZÚ N; AOKI MP; CHICO GALERO I; CARRERA-SILVA AE; GIRONÉS N; FRESNO M; GEA S

OXFORD UNIV PRESS

Año: 2007 vol. 19 p. 1395 - 1395

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">There is an increasing interest in the study of roles that B cells may play in regulating immune responses both in protection and in pathogenesis. However, little is known about additional immune functions of B cells independently of antibody production. In this study, we have assessed how the immunization with T-dependent antigens in different host genetic backgrounds affects several parameters of B cells during secondary immune responses. We have previously reported that BALB/c immunized with cruzipain, induced heart autoimmunity, whereas C57BL/6 mice were resistant. In a comparative study employing the same experimental model, we demonstrated that BALB/c-enriched spleen B cells presented higher ability to proliferate releasing elevated levels of IL-4. Moreover, spleen of immune BALB/c mice presented an increased number of germinal center and plasma cells as well as higher exp