Enhancement of the spontaneous development of autoreactive B cells by PPD in mouse peritoneal cell cultures.

The effect of tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) on the development of plaque-forming cells (PFC) against bromelain-treated syngeneic mouse red blood cells (Br-MRBC) was studied in peritoneal cell cultures. The finding that PPD enhances the development of PFC to Br-MRBC, even under conditions where cell division is blocked by mitomycin C treatment, suggests that cell proliferation does not represent a necessary prerequisite for differentiation of precursor cells into autoantibody-forming cells.