Sodium periodate-induced human suppressor cells for polyclonal B cell activation

Abstract

Sodium periodate (SP) induces proliferation of mature T cells. In this study, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) pretreated for 10 minutes at room temperature with increasing concentrations (0.1 to 5 mM) of SP before culture for 7 days in the presence of pokeweed mitogen (PWM) exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of IgG production, contrasting with an increase in 3H-thymidine uptake. When MNC from 70 normal individuals were pretreated with 1 and 2 mM SP, IgG production in culture was suppressed by 46.8 +/- 4.5% and 60.4 +/- 4.4% (mean +/- S.E.M.), respectively, as compared to IgG synthesis in the presence of PWM alone. Longitudinal studies of MNC obtained from the same normal individuals over 6-10 months showed similar degrees of suppression, indicating that the level of SP-inducible suppressor cell activity remains relatively constant, although the degree of suppression varies among normal persons. Both T cells and monocytes were required for PWM-driven IgG production and for SP-induced suppression. A soluble factor elaborated by SP-treated monocytes was also able to suppress IgG production. This model should provide useful information about abnormal regulation of IgG synthesis in various pathological conditions.