The Journal of Immunology, Vol 144, Issue 1 60-65, Copyright © 1990 by American Association of Immunologists

ARTICLES

Phenotypic and functional characteristics of human newborns' B lymphocytes

A Durandy, L Thuillier, M Forveille and A Fischer
INSERM U 132, Hopital des Enfants Malades, Paris, France.

It has been demonstrated two major facts concerning human newborns' B lymphocytes: 1) they differentiate poorly into Ig-producing cells and 2) they express CD5 and CD1c membrane proteins. We have further analyzed human newborns' B cell characteristics and found that approximately half of them express activation Ag, i.e., 4F2 and IL-2R, both associated in significant proportions with CD23 and Bac-1. These membrane Ag were found both on CD5(+) and CD5(-) B cells. Newborns' B cells do not exhibit other activation markers because they express surface IgD, and because their size, RNA, and DNA contents do not differ from those of adults' B cells, indicating that they are in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase. Newborns' B cell proliferation can be induced by rIL-2, rIL-4, low m.w. B cell growth factor, and by Staphylococcus aureus protein A. It is presently difficult to build a hypothesis accounting for all the specific findings made on newborns' B cells. It is not known for instance whether CD5(+) and (-) B cells belong to distinct subsets as suggested by the fluorescence intensity curve obtained with an anti-CD5 antibody or to distinct stages in a unique pattern of B cell maturation during fetal and newborn life. This may indicate that partially activated B cells actually produce natural polyspecific autoantibodies of the IgM isotype found in newborns' human serum.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Gary-Gouy, A. Sainz-Perez, J.-B. Marteau, A. Marfaing-Koka, J. Delic, H. Merle-Beral, P. Galanaud, and A. Dalloul Natural Phosphorylation of CD5 in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells and Analysis of CD5-Regulated Genes in a B Cell Line Suggest a Role for CD5 in Malignant Phenotype J. Immunol., October 1, 2007; 179(7): 4335 - 4344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Gary-Gouy, J. Harriague, G. Bismuth, C. Platzer, C. Schmitt, and A. H. Dalloul Human CD5 promotes B-cell survival through stimulation of autocrine IL-10 production Blood, December 15, 2002; 100(13): 4537 - 4543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L J West Defining critical windows in the development of the human immune system Human and Experimental Toxicology, September 1, 2002; 21(9-10): 499 - 505. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Lagneaux, A. Delforge, D. Bron, C. De Bruyn, and P. Stryckmans Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemic B Cells But Not Normal B Cells Are Rescued From Apoptosis by Contact With Normal Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Blood, April 1, 1998; 91(7): 2387 - 2396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. W. Schettino, A. Cerutti, N. Chiorazzi, and P. Casali Lack of Intraclonal Diversification in Ig Heavy and Light Chain V Region Genes Expressed by CD5+IgM+ Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells: A Multiple Time Point Analysis J. Immunol., January 15, 1998; 160(2): 820 - 830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sugita, N. van der Wel, R. A. Rogers, P. J. Peters, and M. B. Brenner CD1c molecules broadly survey the endocytic system PNAS, July 18, 2000; 97(15): 8445 - 8450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]