Chronic in vivo depletion of CD4 T cells increases both serum IgM levels and the expressed frequency of anti-ssDNA precursors in both NZB and mice

Short- and long-term effects of T-cell modulating agents in experimental autoimmunity

“…Anti-CD4 treatment enhanced the polyclonal B-cell activation, which indicates that CD4 + cell may exert a negative feedback on polyclonal B-cell activation. Indeed, a-CD4-treatment enhances polyclonal B-cell activation in lupus mice (Cowdery, 1990), and treatment of activated B-cells from normal mice with a-CD4 causes polyclonal B-cell activation (Cowdery and Fleming, 1992). Since inhibition of the principal Th2-cytokine IL-4 did not lead to enhanced polyclonal B-cell activation (present study), Th2 cells are not likely to be responsible for this negative feed-back.…”