Immunoregulatory effects of cloned T cells on B-cell responses: comparison of autoimmune and non-autoimmune derived clones.

T-cell clones were derived from autoimmune prone (NZB) and non-autoimmune (C58) strains of mice and tested for their effects in several assays of B-cell responsiveness. Clones from the C58 strain suppressed lipopolysaccharide LPS-stimulated B-cell proliferation, activation and immunoglobulin synthesis. In contrast, an NZB-derived clone enhanced these measures of B-cell response. The effects of the NZB clone were more notable on splenic target populations taken from mice 6 months of age or older. MHC-compatible DBA/2 spleen cells also showed enhancement of B-cell activation, but not of immunoglobulin synthesis by the NZB clone. It has been shown previously that all of the clones suppress T-cell proliferative responses. A potentially important skewing of the immune system toward humoral rather than cellular responses is therefore mediated by this clone derived from an autoimmune strain.