Spleen B cells from BALB/c are more prone to activation than spleen B cells from

PELLEGRINI A, GUIÑAZÚ N, AOKI MP, CALERO IC, CARRERA-SILVA EA, ET AL, GEA S

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOLOGY

Año: 2007 p. 1395 - 1395

0953-8178

here is an increasing interest in the study of roles that B cells may play inregulating immune responses both in protection and in pathogenesis. However,little is known about additional immune functions of B cells independently ofantibody production. In this study, we have assessed how the immunization withT-dependent antigens in different host genetic backgrounds affects severalparameters of B cells during secondary immune responses. We have previouslyreported that BALB/c immunized with cruzipain, induced heart autoimmunity,whereas C57BL/6 mice were resistant. In a comparative study employing the sameexperimental model, we demonstrated that BALB/c-enriched spleen B cells presentedhigher ability to proliferate releasing elevated levels of IL-4. Moreover, spleenof immune BALB/c mice presented an increased number of germinal center and plasmacells as well as higher expression of B-cell activation markers (MHC class II,