Loss of CD23 is a consequence of B-cell activation. Implications for the analysis of B-cell lineages.

When splenic CD5- B cells are stimulated with antiimmunoglobulin they become CD5+ and have a prolonged in vitro life. Further treatment with IL-6 induces a loss of surface CD23 and IgD; that is, they resemble freshly isolated peritoneal CD5+ cells. These data suggest that the CD5 phenotype is induced after sIg-mediated B-cell activation. Additional support for this view arises from the observation that the loss of CD23 and IgD can be induced by another activation inducer, LPS, although in this case CD5 is not expressed. Thus, activation by anti-Ig plus IL-6 or by LPS induces CD23 loss. Consistent with the hypothesis that the loss of CD23 is a consequence of activation, we now report that the surface expression of CD23 varies inversely with the amount of total cellular RNA. We also find both CD23 positive and negative B cells among freshly isolated splenic CD5- B cells. In young mice a proportion of small splenic CD5+ B cells are CD23+, providing additional evidence that CD23 is present on all B cells prior to activation. A comparison of the features of CD5+ B cells and the antibody responses to thymus-dependent and thymus-independent antigens leads us to hypothesize that the CD5 phenotype arises as a consequence of thymus-independent type 2 (TI-2) stimulation. The relationship of CD5 expression to B-cell lineage (fetal vs. adult bone marrow) is discussed.