CVIDnerd

Are suppressor T-cells CD4+ or CD8+ cells? I've looked at looks of different sources and they seem to say different things. Are they a subset of one of the two types of T-cell?

Thanks! Put very basically, are you saying that it depends on the lineage of B-cell: some create antibodies that last longer than those made by other types of B-cell? Do you know where I can find any research relating to this? Excuse my asking for clarification, but I'm not a scientist, just a patient who's pretty much educating myself in immunology from scratch as I don't feel I'm getting the support or info I need from our NHS. It's fascinating stuff.

Hi So, from all the research I've done, it appears that generally, when you encounter a pathogen, the relevant B-cell becomes activated (with help from helper T-cell), replicates itself into effector cells which pump out antibody for a few weeks to clear the infection, and memory cells which stick around for years in case the body encounters the pathogen again, in which case they activate again and more effector cells and antibody is released. All the information available seems to say that antibody, once loose in the blood, lasts about 3-6 weeks and only the memory B-cells stick around for a long time. However, I was trying to understand then how it is useful to do titer tests for antibody levels (as these look at loose antibody, not B-cells). Unless you've had a recent encounter with the pathogen, surely there wouldn't be any loose antibody hanging around? I asked my immunologist and he said that in fact some of the antibody that has bound to the antigen DOES stay around in the body for years, but I can't ANY information to this effect on any scientific websites or forums. Could anyone give me any information about this long-lasting antibody? Is it a specific type, how long does it last, what percentage of antibody normally sticks around? Thanks!