A clonal analysis of the IgE response and its implications with regard to isotope commitment.

In a clonal analysis of the IgE response, it was found that a small proportion of primary or nonimmune B cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes can be stimulated by antigen to produce IgE-secreting clones. In addition, there appears to be no substantial difference in the frequency of such cells between the classical low and high IgE responder strains. An analysis of immune, or memory, B cells revealed substantial increases in the frequency of B cells secreting IgE as compared with primary B cells, although the actual proportion of B cells secreting IgE remained relatively low. When the IgE-secreting clones derived from either primary or secondary B cells were reanalyzed for the presence of other isotypes, it was found that all clones secreting IgE were secreting at least one other isotype, with the majority secreting two or three other isotypes in addition to IgE. This demonstrates that there is no distinct subpopulation of B cells committed to IgE expression per se.