PMID: 6975332Dec 1, 1981Paper

IgA-specific helper activity of T alpha cells in human peripheral blood

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
M EndohH Kaneshige

Abstract

A subpopulation of human T lymphocytes that express receptors of immunoglobulin A (T alpha cells) was separated by a FACS using FITC-conjugated human IgA myeloma protein in order to determine whether they have helper activity for in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis in comparison with a T alpha cell population separated by rosette formation using PTN-ORBC conjugated with MOPC-315 mouse IgA myeloma protein. FACS-separated T alpha cells have IgA specific helper activity, whereas rosette-separated T alpha cells have polyclonal helper activity for in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis in PWM-stimulated B cells. The polyclonal helper activity observed in rosette-separated T alpha cells might be due to contamination of non-T alpha cells in the T alpha cell fraction. It is concluded that purified T alpha cells in normal human peripheral blood show IgA-specific helper activity in vitro.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antibody Specificity

Antibodies produced by B cells are highly specific for antigen as a result of random gene recombination and somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. As the main effector of the humoral immune system, antibodies can neutralize foreign cells. Find the latest research on antibody specificity here.