Regulatory role of IgE-binding factors from rat T lymphocytes. III. IgE-specific suppressive factor with IgE-binding activity.

Incubation with rat IgE of rat mesenteric lymph node cells obtained 8 days after infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) resulted in the formation of soluble factors with affinity for IgE, i.e., IgE-binding factors(s). The factors were derived from T lymphocytes and were able to suppress an in vitro IgE response without affecting the IgG response. The minimum concentration of rat IgE for the induction of factor formation was 0.3 to 1.0 microgram/ml. Gel filtration of culture filtrates of the IgE-containing culture identified 2 components with IgE-binding activity; one component had a m.w. of between 10,000 and 20,000, and another component had a m.w. of between 25,000 and 50,000. Both factors could be purified by binding to IgE-Sepharose followed by elution at acid pH. Among the two IgE-binding factors, the lower m.w. component had the ability to suppress selectively the IgE response. In contrast to IgE-potentiating factor, which also had affinity for IgE, the IgE-suppressive factor failed to bind to lentil lectin Sepharose. Formation of IgE-specific suppressive factor was not limited to the lymphocytes obtained 8 days after Nb-infection. Incubation with IgE of lymphocytes obtained 4 wk after infection resulted in the formation of both IgE-specific suppressive factor and IgE-potentiating factor, and the activity of the suppressive factor was greater than that of the potentiating factor.