Inhibition of B Lymphocyte Activation by Interaction with Fc Receptors

Abstract

Much early work indicated that specific antibody can play an inhibitory role in the immune response. This inhibitory activity was found to be dependent on an intact Fc portion of the antibody used, both in vivo and in vitro. Thus a role for lymphocyte Fc receptors in regulation of the immune response was suggested. However, soluble antigen-antibody complexes, which bind to Fc receptors, do not appear to inhibit B cell activation. Recent experiments have demonstrated that antigen-antibody complexes immobilized on a surface strikingly inhibit LPS induced B cell mitogenesis and polyclonal antibody synthesis. Mechanisms for Fc receptor-mediated inhibition of B cell activation have been considered, and a model proposed to explain many of these findings as well as allow for antigen specific inhibition.