Tolerance induction to multiple minor histoincompatible cells by activated B cells is associated with preferential activation of Th2 cells.

C3H/HeH or C57BL/6 mice were injected with resting or Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated splenic B cells from adult B10.BR mice. Animals were grafted with tail skin grafts from B10.BR mice 36 hr later. Spleen cells were removed from these mice 7 days after grafting and challenged in tissue culture with irradiated B10.BR spleen cells or BALB/c cells. LPS blasts, but not naive B cells, induced an antigen-specific reduction in proliferation and IL-2 production from stimulated C3H/HeJ cells. The response obtained from C57BL/6 spleen responder cells was increased by this treatment. IL-4 production was either unchanged (C57BL/6) or enhanced (C3H/HeJ). Modification of the C3H/HeJ anti-B10.BR response by B blasts was not blocked by CTLA-4 Ig, although the increased response seen using MHC-incompatible (C57BL/6) spleen cells was inhibited by CTLA-4 Ig. B10.BR, but not BALB/c, skin graft survival in vivo was enhanced in C3H/HeJ recipients of B10.BR B blasts. In addition, in lymph nodes draining the graft site of C3H/HeJ mice injected with B10.BR LPS blasts, mRNA for IL-4 was detected by polymerase chain reaction. When similar studies were performed with B10.BR immune C3H/HeJ or C57BL/6 mice, no enhancement of graft survival in vivo, or decrease in proliferation/IL-2 production in vitro, was seen following prechallenge with B10.BR LPS blasts.