Preferential induction of polyclonal IgA secretion by murine Peyer's patch dendritic cell-T cell mixtures

Polyclonal IgA secretion is inducible in murine B cells when DC-T from Peyer's patches (PP) provide the inducing stimulus. PP DC-T, which are composed predominantly of dendritic cells and Lyt-1+ T cells, are capable of dramatic augmentation of IgA secretion by PP or spleen B cells with minimal induction of IgM secretion. DC-T from spleen, however, are incapable of augmenting IgA secretion by either PP or spleen B cells. The level of IgA secretion is dependent upon the dose of DC-T providing the inducing stimulus and reaches a plateau with DC-T:B ratios of less than 1:1. This system for preferential induction of IgA responses should permit elucidation of cellular mechanisms involved in regulation of IgA secretion.