Restoration and stimulation of the in vitro immune response of B cells to sheep erythrocytes by interleukins and muramyl dipeptide (MDP).

MDP, a synthetic muramyl dipeptide, is capable of increasing the primary in vitro antibody response, to sheep erythrocytes, of purified B cells restored with a monokine and helper T cell factors, including Interleukin 2 and the late-acting T cell replacing factor (TRF). First, the possibility that the adjuvanticity of MDP could be due to the elaboration of Interleukin 1, caused by its effect on macrophages, was excluded. In addition, a kinetic study showed that the effect of MDP was greater when added later, concomitantly with or one day after the helper T cell factors. Therefore, it appears that MDP acts directly on B cells, in a late stage of their differentiation to antibody-producing cells.