Effect of interleukin 1 on the induction and maintenance of B cell tolerance in vitro

• Published in: Journal of leukocyte biology 1989-04, Vol.45 (4), p.329-335
• Main Authors: Duan, Ji‐Ming, Habicht, Gail S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - drug effects; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; cytokines; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; immune tolerance; Immune Tolerance - drug effects; Immunobiology; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-1 - pharmacology; Interleukin-1 - physiology; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Lymphokines, interleukins ( function, expression); Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Regulatory factors and their cellular receptors; Spleen; TNP‐Ficoll; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0741-5400; 1938-3673
• DOI: 10.1002/jlb.45.4.329

The effects of interleukin 1 (IL‐1) on induction and maintenance of immune tolerance in vitro have been studied by using splenocytes from C57BL/6 male mice. B cell tolerance to the hapten trinitrophenol (TNP) was induced with TNP‐human gamma globulin (HGG) and the cells were challenged with TNP‐Ficoll. To determine the tolerance (or immunity), antibody concentrations in the supernatant fluids were measured by using a TNP‐specific ELISA assay. Partially purified murine IL‐1 abrogated tolerance induction, and when it was added at challenge phase, it also abrogated tolerance. In addition, partially purified IL‐1 converted TNP‐HGG from a tolerogen into an immunogen without any additional exposure to antigen. Similar results were obtained when recombinant human IL‐1 α was used in place of partially purified natural IL‐1. IL‐1 is most likely acting directly on B cells rather than through the agency of T cells because purified B cells failed to become tolerant in the presence of IL‐1. Studies of IL‐1 production by antigen‐ or tolerogenstimulated splenocytes or purified B cells showed that only antigen could elicit IL‐1 production in these cells. That tolerance abrogation is unique to IL‐1 is suggested by studies which show that TNF, IL‐2, and INF γ, alone, in combination with each other, or in combination with subeffective concentrations of IL‐1 failed to effect tolerance abrogation.