Abstract
It has been previously shown that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) when activated in vitro with antigen are capable of suppressing the proliferative response of autologous fresh cells to the same antigen. We were unable to confirm this using Candida antigen (Can) but did find that PBMC are capable of inducing proliferation in fresh autologous cells. PBMC in the absence (control cells) or presence of Can were preincubated for 5 days, irradiated or mitomycin-treated, washed thoroughly, and added to equal numbers of fresh autologous responder cells; these were incubated for 5 days and proliferation assayed by 3H thymidine incorporation. In 12 of 14 experiments with positive Candida responders, the presence of Can-preincubated cells caused significant proliferation of fresh autologous cells (x=26,601±2,171 SEM) whereas presence of control cells did not (1,419±150). This autostimulatory activity (ASA) was not seen when an individual's Candida response was negative or low (N=8). Suppression of the Candida stimulation assay by these activated cells was not consistently seen. Similar and even more impressive ASA was noted when phytohemagglutinin was used as the prestimulatory agent. ASA may represent a normal immune amplification mechanism or somehow be related to the now well-described autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction.
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Welch, M., Ank, B., Kujubu, D. et al. 976 AUTOSTIMULATORY ACTIVITY OF ANTIGEN ACTIVATED HUMAN MONONUCLEAR CELLS. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 605 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01001
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01001