Induction of protective immunity by primed B-1 cells in Toxoplasma gondii -infected B cell-deficient mice

Microbiol Immunol. 2003;47(12):997-1003. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2003.tb03460.x.

Abstract

We examined the role of B-1 cells in protection against Toxoplasma gondii infection using B cell-deficient mice (muMT mice). We found that primed but not naïve B-1 cells from wild-type C57BL/6 mice protected B cell-deficient recipients from challenge infection. All muMT mice transferred with primed B-1 cells survived more than 5 months after T. gondii infection, whereas 100% of muMT mice transferred with naïve B-1 cells succumbed by 18 days after infection. Additionally, high expression of both T help (Th) 1- and Th2-type cytokines and a high level of nitric oxide production were observed in T. gondii-infected muMT mice transferred with primed B-1 cells. Thus, it was clearly demonstrated that B-1 cells play an important role in host protection against T. gondii infection in muMT mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Interferon-gamma / analysis
  • Interleukin-10 / analysis
  • Interleukin-12 / analysis
  • Interleukin-4 / analysis
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Toxoplasma / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology*

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interleukin-4
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Interferon-gamma