Presence of receptors for antigen and antibody on dengue virus-induced suppressor T cells and their products

Abstract

Dengue type 2 virus (DV)-induced suppressor pathway consists of a cascade of Ts₁ cell and its product SF, Ts₂ cell and its product SF₂ and the Ts₃ cell which mediates antigen-specific suppression of humoral immune response. The present study was undertaken to investigate if the different constituents of this pathway have complementary receptors. It was observed that the suppressor activities of Ts₁, SF and Ts₃ were abrogated by binding with anti-DV antibody while those of Ts₂ and SF₂ were abrogated by binding with DV antigen. Thus DV-induced suppressor pathway has a network of idiotype-anti-idiotype-like interactions which maintain the antigen specificity.