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Transforming growth factor-beta impairs postburn immunoglobulin production by limiting B-cell proliferation, but not
T Nishimura1, H Yamamoto, S deSerres
1Department of Surgery and the Jaycee Burn Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7210, USA.
Background:
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been shown to be an inhibitor of immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis and may contribute to decreased Ig synthesis after burn injury. This study investigated the relationship between TGF-beta and Ig synthesis after burn injury.
Methods:
Twenty-four BALB/c mice received either a 30% body surface area full-thickness contact burn or no burn. Splenocytes were isolated 8 days after burn and were cultured with 0, 0.05 or 0.5 ng/mL TGF-beta. After culture, total IgG and total IgM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The number of IgM-secreting cells per 10(5) cells was measured by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent spot forming assay. Total IgM per IgM-secreting cell (pg/cell) was calculated.
Results:
Total IgG, IgM, IgM-secreting cells, and B-cell number after culture were decreased by burn injury, and the decrease was exacerbated by the presence of TGF-beta. The total IgM per IgM-secreting cells, however, was significantly increased by TGF-beta at 0.5 ng/mL.
Conclusion:
These data demonstrates that TGF-beta does not specifically impair IgM secretion by committed IgM B cells but appears to decrease B-cell proliferation or clonal expansion.