Specific and natural antibody production during Salmonella typhimurium infection in genetically susceptible and resistant mice.

Genetically susceptible (C57BL/6) and resistant (CBA) mice were infected with an avirulent strain of Salmonella typhimurium and studied over a 35-day period for the production of antibodies directed against bacterial antigens including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (specific antibodies) and antibodies directed against self antigens [natural antibodies (NAb)]. Antibodies directed against LPS and self antigens were detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and those directed against other bacterial antigens by immunoblotting. We found that serum natural antibody titres in C57BL/6 and CBA mice were similar and correlated with the bacterial load in the spleen and liver. In C57BL/6 mice, anti-LPS antibodies remained polyreactive and of the IgM isotype. In contrast, CBA mice, after an early increase in polyreactive IgM anti-LPS antibodies, mounted a specific anti-LPS IgG antibody response. The immunoblotting results demonstrated that the IgM polyreactive antibodies in the resistant and susceptible mice recognized bacterial antigens of different molecular weights and that CBA, but not C57BL/6 mice, were able to produce IgG antibodies recognizing bacterial components. Our results suggest that the synthesis of antibodies directed against bacterial antigens and natural antibodies follow, at least partially, distinct pathways, but they do not allow us to determine whether these two antibody populations are produced by the same or distinct B-cell subpopulations.