Immunosuppression caused by antigen feeding II. Suppressor T cells mask Peyer's patch B cell priming to orally administered antigen

Abstract

Peyer's patch (PP) cells transferred into sublethally irradiated recipients generated substantial IgM, IgG and IgA anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in the recipient spleen. If donor mice were given SRBC orally for 4–5 weeks prior to transfer, the adoptively transferred PP IgG and IgA responses were considerably suppressed, although the IgM responses were often unaffected. Co-injection of PP cells from antigen-fed mice with PP cells from normal mice resulted in marked suppression of the normal PP IgG and IgA response. However, treatment of PP cells from antigen-fed mice with anti-Thy-1.2 plus complement prior to cotransfer completely abrogated suppression of the IgG PFC response and partially abrogated the suppressed IgA response. B cells from the PP of antigen-fed mice, when transferred into SRBC-primed irradiated recipients (to provide T cell help) generated 2–3 times more IgG and IgA PFC than comparable numbers of B cells from the PP of normal mice. Thus antigen feeding generates suppressor T cells in PP which can mask the expression of B cell priming to orally administered antigen.