B Cell Sensitization to Helminthic Infection Develops In Utero in Humans

摘要: Human neonates are generally deficient in their ability to generate humoral immunity. This deficiency is thought reflect physiologic immaturity of T and B cell function lack previous exposure exogenous Ags. To determine whether neonatal immunity can be modified by maternal helminth infection during pregnancy, we assessed Ig production cord blood lymphocytes from healthy newborns mothers living an area Kenya where schistosomiasis, bancroftian filariasis, geohelminth infections endemic. Twelve 40 17 39 lymphocyte preparations Coast Province, Kenya, spontaneously made polyclonal IgE (range, 0.15–21 ng/ml) IgG (1.6–10.1 vitro. In vitro synthesis (CBL) was, on the average, 10-fold less than that PBMC Kenyan (1.1–98 was undetectable for CBL delivered United States. Schistosome filarial Ags stimulated a 3- >100-fold increase parasite-specific Abs 10 6 newborns, respectively. observed have Ag-driven responses were more likely schistosome- or filaria-infected uninfected ( p