The cytokines effect on EBV-immortalized human B cells producing antisperm antibody

We have analyzed the antisperm antibody production of autoimmunized male subjects using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immortalization of B lymphocytes. We evaluated the influence of several in vitro culture variants applied prior to EBV infection on the frequence of antibody-producing cells and affinity of secreted antibodies. The following variants were applied: a) polyclonal antigenic stimulation of lymphocytes with PWM, b) PWM (pokeweed mitogen) + IL-2 + interferon gamma and c) PWM + IL-2 + interferon gamma + sperm antigenic extract. The variants where the cytokines were added did not increase the frequency of EBV-infected antibody-producing cells as comparing to EBV infection previously amplified by the use of polyclonal activator. Furthermore the cytokine activation either in combination with mitogen or in vitro secondary antigenic sensitization (prior to EBV transformation) did not seem to have beneficial effect on affinity of antibodies produced by EBV-infected cells in comparison to straight EBV infection. On the other hand, the attempt to promote an immunoglobulin secretion (IgM) by previously obtained human-human antisperm hybridomas by adding of IL-2 was quite successful.