Influence of T cell specificity on the antibody response to the acetylcholine receptor.

Lymph node T cells were obtained from rats immunized with purified acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or isolated receptor subunits (alpha, beta, gamma, or delta). The immune T cells were then analyzed for the ability to respond to native AChR or AChR subunit challenge in an in vitro proliferation assay, as well as to perform as helper T cells (TH) in an in vitro anti-AChR antibody response. Results indicated a significant degree of subunit-to-subunit crossreactivity at the T cell level. Moreover, helper function could be generated by stimulation of T cells immune to any of the AChR subunits, although alpha-immune TH cells appeared to provide a quantifiably increased level of specific antibody production by AChR-immune B cells in vitro when compared to antibody produced by the same B cells in conjunction when beta-, gamma-, or delta-immune TH cells.