Regulatory Effects of Novel Neurotrophin-1/B Cell-Stimulating Factor-3 (Cardiotrophin-Like Cytokine) on B Cell Function

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 168; no. 11; pp. 5690 - 5698
• Main Authors: Senaldi, Giorgio, Stolina, Marina, Guo, Jane, Faggioni, Raffaella, McCabe, Susan, Kaufman, Stephen A, Van, Gwyneth, Xu, Weilong, Fletcher, Frederick A, Boone, Thomas, Chang, Ming-Shi, Sarmiento, Ulla, Cattley, Russell C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Am Assoc Immnol 01.06.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Antibody Formation; B-Lymphocytes - physiology; Cytokines - physiology; Female; Kidney - pathology; Lymphocyte Activation; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Spleen - pathology; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.168.11.5690

We describe regulatory effects that a novel neurotrophin-1/B cell-stimulating factor-3 (NNT-1/BSF-3; also reported as cardiotrophin-like cytokine) has on B cell function. NNT-1/BSF-3 stimulates B cell proliferation and Ig production in vitro. NNT-1/BSF-3-transgenic mice, engineered to express NNT-1/BSF-3 in the liver under control of the apolipoprotein E promoter, show B cell hyperplasia with particular expansion of the mature follicular B cell subset in the spleen and the prominent presence of plasma cells. NNT-1/BSF-3-transgenic mice show high serum levels of IgM, IgE, IgG2b, IgG3, anti-dsDNA Abs, and serum amyloid A. NNT-1/BSF-3-transgenic mice also show non-amyloid mesangial deposits that contain IgM, IgG, and C3 and are characterized by a distinctive ultrastructure similar to that of immunotactoid glomerulopathy. NNT-1/BSF-3-transgenic mice produce high amounts of Ag-specific IgM, IgA, and IgE and low amounts of IgG2a and IgG3. Normal mice treated with NNT-1/BSF-3 also produce high amounts of Ag-specific IgE. NNT-1/BSF-3 regulates immunity by stimulating B cell function and Ab production, with preference for Th2 over Th1 Ig types.