Studies of cell population dynamics and microenvironmental organization of B lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow of normal mice and in various genetically modified states have shown that cell loss, involving processes of apoptosis and macrophage-mediated cell deletion, is a prominent feature of the primary genesis of B lymphocytes. Balanced against the influence of proliferative stimulants, the programmed death of precursor B cells provides a quantitative control, determining the magnitude of the final output of functional B lymphocytes to the peripheral immune system. The cell loss mechanisms can be readily set in motion by external or systemic influences, making the B-cell output particularly vulnerable to suppression by ionizing irradiation, stress or other systemic mediators. In addition, however, cell loss exerts an important quality control in the formation of the primary B-cell repertoire. The combination of apoptosis and macrophage-mediated deletion, acting at successive stages of B-cell differentiation, efficiently eliminates many precursors having non-productive Ig gene rearrangements, cell cycle dysregulations, and certain autoreactive Ig specificities. Outstanding areas of further work abound. Important questions concern the nature of mechanisms which underlie the processes of B-cell apoptosis and macrophage deletion in bone marrow, the microenvironmental signals involved in B-cell life or death decisions and genetic factors which may override these B-cell culling mechanisms. The answers will be relevant to problems of autoimmune disease, humoral immunodeficiency and B-cell neoplasia.
B lymphopoiesis in mouse bone marrow (BM) can be stimulated by circulating products derived from activated macrophages in the spleen. To examine whether IL-1 could mediate this effect, we have administered murine rIL-1alpha in a range of doses, determining its effect on precursor B cells and its capacity to bind to stromal cells in BM. Immunofluorescence labeling of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), B220 glycoprotein, and mu-chains has been used to quantitate pro-B cells lacking mu (TdT+; 13220+mu-), pre-B cells expressing cytoplasmic mu, and B lymphocytes bearing surface mu. Proliferative activity was measured by mitotic arrest. Single i.p. injections of rIL-1alpha produced a proliferative stimulation of pro-B cells and pre-B cells at optimal doses, whereas other doses were suppressive. Infusion of rIL-1alpha from s.c. osmotic pumps depressed B lymphopoiesis at high dose rates, but stimulated precursor B cell proliferation at lower dose rates. Intravenous 125I-labeled rIL-1alpha bound strongly to a subset of stromal reticular cells and sinusoidal endothelium in BM, as detected by light and electron microscope radio-autography. Computer-aided analysis located rIL-1alpha-binding stromal cells mainly in the outer zones of BM, sites of proliferating precursor B cells, rather than the more central zone. The results demonstrate that IL-1 can act systemically at various dose levels as either a positive or negative modifier of B lymphopoiesis in BM, probably acting indirectly via stromal reticular cells and endothelial cells. Thus, inflammatory processes associated with macrophage activation and IL-1 secretion may have pronounced effects on B cell genesis in BM.
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