Co-appearance of autoantibody-producing B220low B cells with NKT cells in the course of hepatic injury

Severe hepatic injury is induced by Concanavalin A (Con A) administration in mice, the major effector cells being CD4+ T cells, NKT cells and macrophages. Since autologous lymphocyte subsets are associated with tissue damage, Con A-induced hepatic injury is considered to be autoimmune hepatitis. However, it has remained to be investigated how autoantibodies and B-1 cells are responsible for this phenomenon. In this study, it was demonstrated that autoantibodies which were detected using Hep-2 cells in immunofluorescence tests and using double-strand (ds) DNA in the ELISA method, appeared after Con A administration (a peak at day 14). Moreover, autoantibody-producing B220low cells (i.e., B-1 cells) also appeared at this time. Purified B220low cells were found to have a potential to produce autoantibodies. These results suggest that Con A-induced hepatic injury indeed includes the mechanism of autoimmune hepatitis.