Age-dependent changes in B lymphocyte lineage cell populations of autoimmune-prone BXSB mice

BXSB mice, a recently developed autoimmune strain, develop a human lupus-like disease with B cell hyperplasia in peripheral lymphoid organs. Unlike other experimental models of autoimmunity and human lupus, BXSB male mice manifest accelerated autoimmune phenomena through the influence of a Y chromosome-linked enhancing factor. The present studies were performed to investigate the features of B lymphopoiesis in BXSB mice and to determine whether differences exist between BXSB males and females in this respect. B lineage cell populations in the marrow of BXSB mice were identified phenotypically by studying the cytoplasmic mu-heavy chains of IgM (c mu), and functionally by their ability to acquire clonability and sIg in short-term liquid cultures. Male BXSB mice became deficient in both the precursors of functional B cells and c mu + pre-B cells by the age of 8 to 12 wk. This followed a transient increase in this population, which peaked when the mice were 2 to 4 wk old. In females, substantial numbers of functional B cell precursors and c mu + cells were maintained until more than 4 mo of age. Cells lacking Ig but bearing a B lineage cell antigen (14.8) were elevated in numbers in both BXSB males and females until 16 wk of age when compared to normal strains of mice. At the time pre-B cells and functional B precursors were elevated in numbers, some sIg- cells were shown to form colonies in mitogen-stimulated semisolid agar cultures without a period of preculture. Most of these sIg- cells seemed to bear the B lineage cell antigen (14.8). They were independent of both G-10 adherent regulatory cells and Thy-1+ cells for their colony formation. These results indicate that B lymphocyte formation may be maintained in a hyperactive state in BXSB females, whereas males become deficient in B cell precursors very early in life. This early decline might be related to the accelerated development of autoimmune disease in BXSB mice. Bone marrow transplantation studies showed that these unusual characteristics of B lymphopoiesis were reciprocally transferable with unseparated bone marrow cells between BXSB males and females. This finding indicates that sex hormones are not a critical variable in abnormal B lymphocyte formation in this strain, and that the premature deficiency of immediate B precursors in males may be regulated by a genetic factor(s) located on the Y chromosome.