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Michelle Wykes, Ana Pombo, Chris Jenkins, G Gordon MacPherson, Dendritic Cells Interact Directly with Naive B Lymphocytes to Transfer Antigen and Initiate Class Switching in a Primary T-Dependent Response, The Journal of Immunology, Volume 161, Issue 3, August 1998, Pages 1313–1319, https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.161.3.1313
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Abstract
Dendritic cells (DC) are thought to initiate Ab synthesis by activation of T cells, which then provide cytokine and cell-bound “help” to B cells. Here, we provide evidence that DC can capture and retain unprocessed Ag in vitro and in vivo, and can transfer this Ag to naive B cells to initiate a specific Ab response. The response is skewed with 4- to 13-fold higher titers of IgG than IgM, and the predominant subclasses of Ab produced in naive animals are those associated with Th2-type responses. Ag retention and the skew in class switching is a physiologic phenomenon because DC loaded with Ag in vivo and isolated 24 h later initiated a class-switched, Ag-specific Ab response in naive animals. In vitro studies confirmed that DC provide naive B cells with signals that are essential for the synthesis of class-switched Ab. Taken together, these observations show that DC have an important role in the initiation of Ab synthesis by direct interaction with B cells.
