Leishmania major-Specific B Cells Are Necessary for Th2 Cell Development and Susceptibility to L. major LV39 in BALB/c Mice

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) 2008-04, Vol.180 (7), p.4825-4835
• Main Authors: Ronet, Catherine, Voigt, Heike, Himmelrich, Hayo, Doucey, Marie-Agnes, Hauyon-La Torre, Yazmin, Revaz-Breton, Melanie, Tacchini-Cottier, Fabienne, Bron, Claude, Louis, Jacques, Launois, Pascal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - immunology; Antigen-Presenting Cells - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Disease Susceptibility - immunology; Immunity, Innate - immunology; Leishmania major; Leishmania major - immunology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Phenotype; Th2 Cells - immunology
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.7.4825

B lymphocytes are considered to play a minimal role in host defense against Leishmania major. In this study, the contribution of B cells to susceptibility to infection with different strains of L. major was investigated in BALB/c mice lacking mature B cells due to the disruption of the IgM transmembrane domain (microMT). Whereas BALB/c microMT remained susceptible to infection with L. major IR173 and IR75, they were partially resistant to infection with L. major LV39. Adoptive transfer of naive B cells into BALB/c microMT mice before infection restored susceptibility to infection with L. major LV39, demonstrating a role for B cells in susceptibility to infection with this parasite. In contrast, adoptive transfer of B cells that express an IgM/IgD specific for hen egg lysozyme (HEL), an irrelevant Ag, did not restore disease progression in BALB/c microMT mice infected with L. major LV39. This finding was likely due to the inability of HEL Tg B cells to internalize and present Leishmania Ags to specific T cells. Furthermore, specific Ig did not contribute to disease progression as assessed by transfer of immune serum in BALB/c microMT mice. These data suggest that direct Ag presentation by specific B cells and not Ig effector functions is involved in susceptibility of BALB/c mice to infection with L. major LV39.