Functional analysis of thymic B cells.

Abstract

The expression of low- and high-affinity interleukin-5 receptors (IL-5Rs) on thymic B cells and reactivity of thymic B cells to IL-5 was investigated. Thymic B cells consist of two populations (CD5+ and CD5- B cells), as previously described. Three-color FACS analyses using anti-CD5, anti-IgK, and anti-IL-5R mAbs reveal that approximately 60% of both populations (CD5+ and CD5-) in the thymus possess IL-5R, detected by mAb H-7. In Scatchard plot analyses, IL-5Rs on thymic B cells are observed as low affinity receptors; the high-affinity IL-5R, which is known to be expressed on some IL-5-activated splenic B blasts or some IL-5-dependent cell line cells, is not clearly detected on thymic B cells. The reactivity of thymic B cells to IL-5 is found to be significantly lower than that of splenic B cells both in proliferative responses and LPS-induced IgM and IgA antibody responses. These findings are compatible with the expression of the low-affinity IL-5R on thymic B cells. The responsiveness of thymic B cells to either IL-6 or the combination of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 is also lower than that of splenic B cells. Furthermore, the thymic B cells are found to induce neonatal tolerance. Therefore, thymic B cells act as antigen-presenting cells in the negative selection of thymocytes, rather than as antibody-producing cells under the influence of foreign antigens and/or regulatory cytokines.