Specific antibody responses by high- and low-density human peripheral blood B cells: T-helper cells and T-cell replacing factor (TRF) act on different B-cell subpopulations.

Antibody production to influenza A strain virus X31 (H3N2) was measured in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with either antigen (X31) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM). With some donors, X31 antibody was produced in response to antigenic stimulation, but not as part of the polyclonal response to PWM, suggesting that antigen and PWM may be acting on different B-cell subpopulations. To test this hypothesis, T-cell depleted PBMC (E-) cells were fractionated on discontinuous Percoll gradients and assayed for antibody production in response to antigen or PWM. Fraction I (FrI = SG less than 1.070) cultured in the presence of T cells responded well to PWM, but not at all to X31. FrII (1.070 less than SG less than 1.075) and FrIII (SG greater than 1.075) cultured in the presence of T cells both responded well to X31, but only the medium-density B cells (FrII) were able to make specific antibody when T cells were replaced with T-cell replacing factor (TRF). Specific X31 antibody responses by medium- and high-density B cells (FrII and FrIII) were suppressed equally by the addition of allogeneic T-suppressor (Ts) cells. When allo-activated Ts cells were inactivated by irradiation, allogeneic T-helper (Th) cells were able to collaborate with both FrII and FrIII B cells in specific antibody responses to X31. Since TRF was not able to substitute for T cells in specific antibody responses by FrIII B cells, this result shows that allogeneic T-cell help was not mediated by non-specific 'allogeneic effect' factors and apparently requires cognate T cell-B cell interactions.