The Humoral Immune Response

Humoral immunity can also be divided into nonspecific and specific components  

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Blakeley BR, Sisoda CS, Mukkar TK. 1980. The effect of methyhnercury, tetraethyl lead, and sodium arsenite on the humoral immune response in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharm 52 245-254. 

B cells play a large role in the humoral immune response. In humans, B cells are produced and mature in the bone marrow. However, the abbreviation B does not stand for bone marrow. It stands for the bursa of Fabricius, an organ unique to birds, where B cells originally were discovered to mature. 

Kaminski NE, Koh WS, Yang KH, Lee M, Kessler FK. Suppression of the humoral immune response by cannabinoids is partially mediated through inhibition of adenylate cyclase by a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein-coupled mechanism. Biochem Pharmacol 1994 48 1899-1908. 

Reigart JR, Graher CD. 1976. Evaluation of the humoral immune response of children with low level lead exposure. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 16 112-117. 

Else, KJ. and Wakelin, D. (1989) Genetic variation in the humoral immune response of mice to the nematode Trichuris muris. Parasite Immunology 11, 77-90. 

IL-2 acts as a critical autocrine growth factor for T-cells, and the magnitude of the T-cell response is largely dependent upon the level of IL-2 produced. IL-2 also serves as a growth factor for activated B-lymphocytes. In addition to promoting proliferation of these cells, IL-2 (as well as some other interleukins) stimulates enhanced antibody production and secretion. In this way, it effectively potentates the humoral immune response. 

Vos, J.G. and de Roij, T., Immunosuppressive activity of a polychlorinated diphenyl preparation on the humoral immune response in guinea pigs, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 21, 549, 1972. 

Temple, L. et al., Comparison of ELISA and plaque-forming cell assays for measuring the humoral immune response to SRBC in rats and mice treated with benzo[a]pyrene or cyclophosphamide, Fundam. Appl. Toxicol., 21, 412, 1993. 

Wilson, S.D., Munson, A.E. and Meade, B.J., Assessment of the functional integrity of the humoral immune response the plaque-forming cell assay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Methods, 19, 3, 1999. 

Freier, D.O. et al., Enhancement of the humoral immune response by Echinacea purpurea in female Swiss mice, Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol, 25, 551, 2003. 

Thuvander, A., and Carlstein, M., Sublethal exposure or rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, to polychlorinated biphenyls effects on the humoral immune response to Vibrio anguillarum, Fish Shellfish Immunol., 1, 77, 1991. 

Fuchs, B.A., Campbell, K.S., and Munson, A.E., Norepinephrine and serotonin content of the murine spleen Its relationship to lymphocyte P-adrenergic receptor density and the humoral immune response in vivo and in vitro, Cell. Immunol., 117, 339, 1988. 

TABLE 15.5. Antibodies Involved in the Humoral Immune Response... 

As described previously, the humoral immune response results in the proliferation, activation, and subsequent production of antibodies by B cells following antigenic exposure and stimulation. The functionality and interplay between the three primary types of immune cells (macrophage, B cells, and T cells) required to elicit a humoral response can be assessed through various in vitro assays using cells from the peripheral blood or lymphoid tissues. 

Antibody a protein produced by plasma cells as part of the humoral immune response that has the ability to recognize and bind to the antigen that elicited it. 

Neuroimmunological reactions. The humoral immune response in CNS is different from the immune response usually observed in blood. As a main difference, we find no switch from the IgG-class response to a more speciflc IgG-class response in the course of inflammatory disease. The pattern of intrathecal IgG/IgA/IgM synthesis remains rather constant and depends on the causes, pathophysiology, and localization of the disease process (R4). 

R7. Reiber, H., and Felgenhauer, K., Rrotein transfer at the blood cerebrospinal CSF barrier and the quantification of the humoral immune response within the central nervous system. Clin. Chim. Acta 163, 319-328 (1987). 

To initiate a T-cell immune response, antigen presenting cells have to display antigenic peptides com-plexed with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on their cell surface. The T-cell receptor of CDS cells is specific for the peptide-MHC class I complex while the CD4 cell receptor binds the peptide-MHC class II complex. This binding of the peptide-MHC II complex stimulates CD4 cell proliferation and subsequent lymphokine release. This CD4 cell response can initiate a delayed hypersensitivity reaction. However CD4 activation and the production of various lymphokines is also needed for the generation of cytotoxic T-cells and for the differentiation of plasma cells from B-lymphocytes and the antibody response by these plasma cells. For their role in also the humoral immune response CD4 cells are called T-helper cells. 

Corticosteroids suppress both humoral and cellular immunity. Single doses produce a redistribution of lymphocytes with a concentration dependent decrease of CD4 and CDS positive cells. This in vivo lymphopenic effect correlates with the in vitro inhibition of stimulated T-cell proliferation. Furthermore, corticosteroids are able to inhibit the expression of genes coding for IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, interferon a, and tumor necrosis factor, TNE-a. Chronic administration decreases the size and also the cellu-larity of lymphoid tissues like lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. Corticosteroids have more effect on the primary immune response and are less effective against previously sensitized immune responses. Their suppressive effects are more pronounced for T-cell immune responses than for the humoral immune response. 

Chen ML, Gandolfi AJ. Characterisation of the humoral immune response and hepatotoxicity after multiple halothane exposures in guinea pigs. Drug Metab Rev 29 103-122. 1997. 

The proteins at the heart of the humoral immune response are soluble proteins called antibodies or immunoglobulins, often abbreviated Ig. Immunoglobulins bind bacteria, viruses, or large molecules identified as foreign and target them for destruction. Making up 20% of blood protein, the immunoglobulins are produced by B lymphocytes, or B cells, so named because they complete their development in the feone marrow. 

Pasparakis M, Alexopoulou L, Episkopou V, Kollias G. Immune and inflammatory responses in TNFa-deficient mice A critical requirement for TNFa in the formation of primary B cell follicles, follicular dendritic cell networks and germinal centers, and in the maturation of the humoral immune response. J Exp Med 1996 184 1397-411. 

Hartikka, J., Bozoukova, V., Ferrari, M., Sukhu, L., Enas, J., Sawdey, M., et al. (2001), Vaxfectin enhances the humoral immune response to plasmid DNA-encoded antigens, Vaccine, 19,1911-1923. 

Acquired immunity is immunity that develops with exposme to antigens the immune system builds a defence that is specific to that antigen. B-ceU lymphocytes, produced in the stem cells of the bone marrow, synthesise and release antibody they oversee the humoral immune response. T-ceU lymphocytes, produced in the bone marrow but sensitised in the thymus, are the basis of the ceU-mediated immune response. 

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