Open AccessEffects of a novel immunosuppressive agent, FK506, on human B cell activation
Author(s) -
SUZUKI N.,
SAKANE T.,
TSUNEMATSU T.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1990.tb05185.x
Subject(s) - pokeweed mitogen , t cell , b cell , immunology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , cell , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , biochemistry , in vitro , antibody , endocrinology , concanavalin a
SUMMARY We examined the effect of new immunosuppressive agent, FK506, on the human B cell function, in comparison with that of cyclosporin A (CyA) and tried to define the discrete activation step(s) which is selectively affected by FK506 and CyA. We used polyclonal B cell activators, Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). We found that (i) the initial B cell activation process by PWM, which is on the basis of T cell‐dependent manner, is susceptible to the inhibitory effects of FK506 and CyA. while initial B cell activation on the basis of T cell‐independent manner by SAC is resistant to these drugs: (ii) they also inhibit helper factor production by T cells; (iii) once they are activated, the B cells become resistant to inhibition by the drugs; and (iv) on an equimolar basis, FK506 exhibits 100‐fold greater inhibitory activity than does CyA. Thus FK506 mainly interferes with interactions between T cells and other cells which are essential for B cell activation process, resulting in inhibition of B cell function.