Functional heterogeneity in allospecific cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones. I. CTL clones express strong anti-self suppressive activity.

Five out of five allo-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones tested strongly suppressed the development of CTLs directed against the H-2 haplotype of the CTL clone and independent of the H-2 specificity recognized by the CTL clone. This was shown by including 100-1,000 cells from the five clones in one way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) cultures in which the stimulator cells were of the same H-2 type as the CTL cells. When these cultures were assayed for cytotoxicity against the stimulator cell haplotype, the cytotoxic activity was decreased in a CTL cell dose-dependent manner by 50 to more than 90%. Suppression was usually not observed in MLR cultures where the CTL-H-2 type was identical with the responder cells or was different from both the responder or stimulator cells. Suppression was demonstrated not to be due to "cold" target inhibition at the time of cytotoxicity assay. Even if the added CTL were completely removed after 48-72 h of culture, significant suppression was obtained. Suppressive ability did not appear to be correlated with the level of allo-specific cytotoxic activity present in the CTL clones, but might involve direct killing of MLR precursor cells by cells in the added CTL clones. The suppression observed here, which is anti-self from the point of view of the added CTL clone, appears to be triggered by precursor cells in the MLR responder population recognizing MHC determinants on cells from the added CTL clone. This peculiar type of suppression, in which the regulator regulates on being recognized, has been christened the veto phenomenon and may play a role in maintenance of self tolerance.

High-affinity human leucocyte antigen class I binding variola-derived peptides induce CD4+ T cell responses more than 30 years post-vaccinia virus vaccination.

Interferon-gamma secreting T lymphocytes against pox virus-derived synthetic 9-mer peptides were tested by enzyme-linked immunospot in peripheral blood of individuals vaccinated with vaccinia virus more than 30 years ago. The peptides were characterized biochemically as high-affinity human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I binders (K(D)

Phenotypic and functional markers for 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-modified regulatory dendritic cells.

The clinical use of dendritic cells (DCs) to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance has been hampered by the lack of a widely acknowledged method for generating human regulatory DCs but even more so by the non-existence of reliable markers. Thus, we set out to find reliable markers that can be measured with simple methods to identify regulatory DCs that are applicable for future clinical studies. Human DCs were generated from peripheral blood monocytes in the presence of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (VD3), which gave rise to a phenotype that resembles immature DCs, with the exception of high CD14 and reduced CD1a on the cell surface. These VD3-treated DCs exert a long-lasting inefficient T cell stimulation and induce T cell hyporesponsiveness with regulatory potential. Importantly, such VD3-treated DCs were readily distinguishable from untreated DCs by low levels of interleukin-23 secretion and low expression of miR-155 upon exposure to maturation stimuli. Furthermore, VD3-treated DCs showed over-expression of miR-378. All these features can be used as robust markers for quality control of VD3-treated regulatory DCs in future clinical studies.

Fast generation of dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent antigen presenting cells capable of inducing immune responses. DC are widely used as vaccine adjuvant in experimental clinical settings. DC-based vaccines are normally generated using a standard 8day DC protocol (SDDC). In attempts to shorten the vaccine production we have developed fast DC protocol by comparing two different fast DC protocols with SDDC. DC were evaluated by FACS analysis, and the optimal profile was considered: CD14(low), CD80(high), CD83(high), CD86(high), CCR7(high), HLA class I and II(high). FACS profiles were used as the selection criteria together with yield and morphology. Two fast DC protocols fulfilled these criteria and were selected for functional analysis. Our results demonstrate that DC generated within 5days or 48h are comparable with SDDC both phenotypically and functionally. However, we found that 48h DC were more susceptible than SDDC to the IL-10 inducing stimulus of TLR ligands (R848 and LPS). Thus to determine the clinical relevance of fast DC protocols in cancer settings, small phase I trials should be conducted monitoring regulatory T cells carefully.

Modified human beta 2-microglobulin (desLys(58)) displays decreased affinity for the heavy chain of MHC class I and induces nitric oxide production and apoptosis.

Beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) is the light chain of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, and is a prerequisite for the binding of peptides to the heavy chain and their presentation to CD8+ T cells. beta2m can be modified in vivo and in vitro by proteolytic cleavage by complement C1 and subsequent carboxypeptidase B-like activity--processes that lead to the generation of desLys(58) beta2m (dbeta2m). This work aims to study the effect of dbeta2m on peptide binding to MHC-I, the influence of dbeta2m on the binding of beta2m to the MHC-I heavy chain and the biological activity of dbeta2m. Both beta2m and dbeta2m are able to support the generation of MHC-I/peptide complexes at 18 degrees C, but complexes formed in the presence of dbeta2m destabilize at 37 degrees C. Moreover, a 250 times higher concentration of dbeta2m than of beta2m is needed to displace MHC-I associated beta2m from the cell surface. In addition, only beta2m is able to restore MHC-I/peptide complex formation on acid-treated cells whereas dbeta2m appears to bind preferentially to denatured MHC-I heavy chains. In cell cultures, exogenously added dbeta2m, but not beta2m, induces apoptotic cell death in monocytic leukaemic cell lines but spares other kinds of leukaemic cells. Additionally, the presence of dbeta2m, and to a lesser extent beta2m, enhances IFN-gamma-induced NO production by monocytic leukaemic cells. In conclusion, these data show that dbeta2m is not able to support the formation of a stable tri-molecular MHC-I complex at physiological temperature and that dbeta2m exerts other biological functions compared to beta2m when bound to cells.

Genome-wide gene expression profiling of SCID mice with T-cell-mediated Colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial disorder with an unknown aetiology. The aim of this study is to employ a murine model of IBD to identify pathways and genes, which may play a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD and could be important for discovery of new disease markers in human disease. Here, we have investigated severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, which upon adoptive transfer with concanavalin A-activated CD4(+) T cells develop inflammation of the colon with predominance in rectum. Mice with increasing level of inflammation was studied. RNA from rectum of transplanted and non-transplanted SCID mice was investigated by a genome-wide gene expression analysis using the Affymetrix mouse expression array 430A (MOE430A) including 22,626 probe sets. A significant change in gene expression (P = 0.00001) is observed in 152 of the genes between the non-transplanted control mice and colitis mice, and among these genes there is an overrepresentation of genes involved in inflammatory processes. Some of the most significant genes showing higher expression encode S100A proteins and chemokines involved in trafficking of leucocytes in inflammatory areas. Classification by gene clustering based on the genes with the significantly altered gene expression corresponds to two different levels of inflammation as established by the histological scoring of the inflamed rectum. These data demonstrate that this SCID T-cell transfer model is a useful animal model for human IBD and can be used for suggesting candidate genes involved in the pathogenesis and for identifying new molecular markers of chronic inflammation in human IBD.

Ligation of major histocompatability complex (MHC) class I molecules on human T cells induces cell death through PI-3 kinase-induced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activity: a novel apoptotic pathway distinct from Fas-induced apoptosis.

Ligation of major histocompatability complex class I (MHC-I) molecules expressed on T cells leads to both growth arrest and apoptosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate the intracellular signal pathways that mediate these effects. MHC-I ligation of human Jurkat T cells induced a morphologically distinct form of apoptosis within 6 h. A specific caspase inhibitor, which inhibited Fas-induced apoptosis, did not affect apoptosis induced by MHC-I ligation. Furthermore, MHC-I-induced apoptosis did not involve cleavage and activation of the poly(ADP- ribose) polymerase (PARP) endonuclease or degradation of genomic DNA into the typical fragmentation ladder, both prominent events of Fas-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that MHC-I ligation of Jurkat T cells induce apoptosis through a signal pathway distinct from the Fas molecule. In our search for other signal pathways leading to apoptosis, we found that the regulatory 85-kD subunit of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI-3) kinase was tyrosine phosphorylated after ligation of MHC-I and the PI-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin selectively blocked MHC-I-, but not Fas-induced, apoptosis. As the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) can be activated by PI-3 kinase activity, and has been shown to be involved in apoptosis of lymphocytes, we examined JNK activation after MHC-I ligation. Strong JNK activity was observed after MHC-I ligation and the activity was completely blocked by wortmannin. Inhibition of JNK activity, by transfecting cells with a dominant-negative JNKK- MKK4 construct, led to a strong reduction of apoptosis after MHC-I ligation. These results suggest a critical engagement of PI-3 kinase-induced JNK activity in apoptosis induced by MHC-I ligation.

Cellular expression or binding of desLys58-beta2 microglobulin is not dependent on the presence of the tri-molecular MHC class I complex.

The monoclonal antibody 332-01 is a newly developed antibody which specifically recognizes human desLys58-beta2 microglobulin (dbeta2m). In the present study, we characterized the binding of 332-01 to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), a number of human leukaemic and monocytic cell lines, and beta2m gene-deleted murine lymphocytes. dbeta2m was found to be expressed on non-activated and activated monocytes. When cells were pre-exposed to dbeta2m, 332-01 also bound to non-activated T lymphocytes. dbeta2m was expressed on the monocytic cell lines U937 and TIB-202, and binding was significantly increased when cells were pre-incubated with dbeta2m and when TIB-202 cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide. dbeta2m was also expressed on T leukaemic Jurkat cells as well as on low HLA-expressing erythroleukaemic K562 cells. beta2m gene-deleted murine splenocytes only bound 332-01 after pre-exposure to dbeta2m. Binding of 332-01 antibody could not be displaced by addition of high concentrations of native beta2m. In conclusion, our data indicate that dbeta2m - in contrast to native beta2m - binds to a hitherto unknown cell surface receptor independent of classical MHC class I molecules. As beta2m has previously been shown to display biological activities such as the induction of both growth promotion and apoptosis, C1 complement activity, shown to mediate cleavage of beta2m, could be involved in these processes.

Interactions between infections and immune-inflammatory cells in type 1 diabetes mellitus and inflammatory bowel diseases: evidences from animal models.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are multifactorial disorders of autoimmune origin. Several microbial agents have been reported to be associated with the development of type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel diseases in animal models by different mechanisms. These models which resemble the phenotype of the human disease they mimic, can be very useful to identify important pathogenetic mechanisms, as well as therapeutical targets to treat the disease. This review is focused on the immune inflammatory pathways which are considered to be associated with the pathogenesis T1D and IBD in transgenic mice.

MHC-I-restricted epitopes conserved among variola and other related orthopoxviruses are recognized by T cells 30 years after vaccination.

It is many years since the general population has been vaccinated against smallpox virus. Here, we report that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I restricted T cell epitopes can be recognized more than 30 years after vaccination. Using bioinformatic methods, we predicted 177 potential cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes. Eight epitopes were confirmed to stimulate IFN-gamma release by T cells in smallpox-vaccinated subjects. The epitopes were restricted by five supertypes (HLA-A1, -A2, -A24 -A26 and -B44). Significant T cell responses were detected against 8 of 45 peptides with an HLA class I affinity of K(D) less than or equal to 5 nM, whereas no T cell responses were detected against 60 peptides with an HLA affinity of K(D) more than 5 nM. All epitopes were fully conserved in seven variola, vaccinia and cowpox strains. Knowledge of the long-term response to smallpox vaccination may lead to a better understanding of poxvirus immunity and may aid in the development of new improved vaccines and diagnostic tools.

Treatment of transplanted CT26 tumour with dendritic cell vaccine in combination with blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and CTLA-4.

We investigated the anti CT26 tumour effect of dendritic cell based vaccination with the MuLV gp70 envelope protein-derived peptides AH1 and p320-333. Vaccination lead to generation of AH1 specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) and some decrease in tumour growth of simultaneously inoculated CT26 cells. After combination with an antibody against VEGF receptor 2 (DC101), a significant increase in survival of the tumour cell recipients was observed. Also, monotherapy with an antibody against CTLA-4 (9H10), led to approximately 100% survival of tumour cell recipients. However, effective treatment of mice with already established tumours was only obtained after combination of vaccination, DC101 and 9H10 treatment in which setting 80% of the mice rejected their tumours.

Vaccination with melanoma lysate-pulsed dendritic cells, of patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma: report from a phase I study.

Immune therapy have shown new and exciting perspectives for cancer treatment. Aim of our study was to evaluate toxicity and possible adverse effects from vaccination of patients with advanced colorectal cancer with autologous dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with lysate from a newly developed melanoma cell line, DDM-1.13. Six patients were enrolled in the phase I trial. Autologous DCs were generated in vitro from peripheral blood monocytes in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). DCs were pulsed with melanoma cell lysate from a cloned and selected melanoma cell line enriched in expression of MAGE-A antigens and deficient in expression of melanoma differentiation antigens: tyrosinase, MART-1 and gp100. Vaccinations were administered intradermally on the proximal thigh with a total of five given vaccines at 2 weeks intervals. Each vaccine contained 3-5 x 10(6) DCs. Five of the six patients received all five vaccines. The treatment was well tolerated in all patients without any observed vaccine-correlated adverse effects. Treatment with this DC-based cancer vaccine proved safe and non-toxic.

Transforming growth factor-beta messenger RNA and protein in murine colitis.

Using a CD4+ T-cell-transplanted SCID mouse model of colitis, we have analyzed TGF-beta transcription and translation in advanced disease. By in situ hybridization, the epithelium of both control and inflamed tissues transcribed TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3 mRNAs, but both were expressed significantly farther along the crypt axis in disease. Control lamina propria cells transcribed little TGF-beta1 or TGF-beta3 mRNA, but in inflamed tissues many cells expressed mRNA for both isoforms. No TGF-beta2 message was detected in either control or inflamed tissues. Immunohistochemistry for latent and active TGF-beta1 showed that all cells produced perinuclear latent TGF-beta1. The epithelial cell basal latent protein resulted in only low levels of subepithelial active protein, which co-localized with collagen IV and laminin in diseased and control tissue. Infiltrating cells expressed very low levels of active TGF-beta. By ELISA, very low levels (0-69 pg/mg) of soluble total or active TGF-beta were detected in hypotonic tissue lysates. TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3 are produced by SCID mouse colon and transcription is increased in the colitis caused by transplantation of CD4+ T-cells, but this does not result in high levels of soluble active protein. Low levels of active TGF-beta may be a factor contributing to unresolved inflammation.

Binding of human beta 2-microglobulin to murine EL4 thymoma cells upregulates MHC class I heavy-chain epitopes, inhibits IL-2 secretion and induces resistance to killing by natural killer cells.

A variety of murine tumor cell lines was studied for its binding of exogeneously added human beta 2-microglobulin (h beta 2m). Three T lymphomas and one IL-2-dependent T-cell line (HT-1) bound substantial amounts of h beta 2m, whereas P815 mastocytoma cells, an Abelson virus-infected pre-B cell line (ABLS-8), X63 B-lymphoma cells and YAC cells did not bind h beta 2m. In two of the T lymphomas, EL4 and BW5147, binding of h beta 2m led to an increase in major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) heavy-chain epitope expression as measured by anti-H-2K/D antibody binding and FACS analysis. EL4 cells which had bound h beta 2m decreased their rate of constitutive IL-2 secretion and became resistant to activated natural killer (NK) cell killing. The present data suggest the binding of h beta 2m to mouse T cells leads to conformational changes of MHC-I heavy chains which influence both effector and target functions of the cell.

Veto-like down-regulation of T helper cell reactivity in vivo by injection of semi-allogeneic spleen cells.

Injection of semiallogeneic (C57BL/6 X BALB/c) F1 MHC class II expressing spleen cells into C57BL/6 mice leads to a clonal deletion or anergy of recipient CD4+ T helper cells with specificity for the allogeneic MHC class II molecules on the injected cells whereas reactivity against third party allogeneic cells is not influenced. These observations were based on analyses in the recipient mice of proliferating CD4+ T cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR), limiting dilution (LD) cultures and measurements of IL-2 and IL-3 secretion.

Regulatory effects in vitro by thymic medullary epithelial cells on TCR transgenic T cells specific for male H-Y antigens.

To evaluate the ability of thymic epithelial cells (TEC) to influence growth and differentiation of antigen specific T cells, we have used female transgenic (TG) mice expressing a receptor on the majority of their T cells for the male (H-Y) antigen in the context of H-2Db antigens. Male or female TEC expanded in serum-free medium were co-cultured with female TG thymocytes. FAC-Scan analysis after 3 days of co-culture did not indicate any selective deletion of subpopulations induced by male TEC. In contrast, the presence of TEC in TG thymocyte cultures led to increased proliferation, irrespective of the type of TEC and stimulus used. Limiting dilution (LD) proliferation analyses, using irradiated male spleen cells as stimulator cells, showed increased clonability of CD4-CD8+ cells, but reduced clonability of CD4-CD8- thymocytes, in the presence of both male and female TEC. Clones from the LD cultures were expanded for several weeks. Expanded clones all expressed the v beta 8.2+ TG TCR. One-half of the expanded TG CD8+ T cell clones obtained from LD cultures exhibited H-Y specific proliferation, and the majority of clones showed antigen-specific IL-3 secretion. Expanded clones did not develop into a cytotoxic machinery in the present culture system.

The majority of lamina propria CD4(+) T-cells from scid mice with colitis undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis in vivo.

We have previously shown that adoptively transferred CD4(+) T-cells mediate an chronic colitis in severe combined immune deficient (scid) mice. Colitis is accompanied by activation and apoptosis of Fas ligand and TNF-alpha expressing CD4(+) T-cells in the diseased colonic lamina propria (Eur. J. Immunol. 28:3655 (1998)). Here we investigate the apoptosis-inducing mechanism in these lamina propria infiltrating CD4(+) T-cells. We observe that freshly isolated lamina propria CD4(+) T-cells can kill Fas transfected P815 mastocytoma cells in a TCR/CD3 redirected chromium-release assay, but do not express TNF-alpha mediated cytotoxicity. Pre-incubation of the isolated lamina propria CD4(+) T-cells with an anti-FasL antiserum partially blocked killing of the Fas transfected target cells, indicating a role for the Fas-FasL system in the killing process. Treatment of scid mice with colitis with anti-FasL antiserum for 12 h blocked the apoptotic process in lamina propria CD4(+) T-cells by more than 65% compared to mice treated with control antiserum. Together, these results point towards the Fas-FasL and not the TNF-alpha-TNF-alpha receptor system as the primary apoptosis-inducing mechanism of lamina propria CD4(+) T-cells in this model of murine chronic colitis, and suggest an important role for the Fas-FasL system in the maintenance of homeostasis of locally proliferating T-cells.

Human p53(264-272) HLA-A2 binding peptide is an immunodominant epitope in DNA-immunized HLA-A2 transgenic mice.

C57BL/10 mice transgenic for HLA-A2 were immunized with either a full-length DNA-construct of the tumor suppressor p53 or with a minigene encoding the p53-derived immunodominant peptide p53(264)LLGRNSFEV272 (L9V). Vaccination with the full-length p53 construct induced potent cytotoxic activity of splenocytes against L9V-pulsed target cells after in vivo re-stimulation. Vaccination with the L9V-encoding minigene likewise induced specific anti-L9V cytotoxicity in vitro. Subsequent experiments revealed that peptide-pulsed dendritic cells were the most efficient cell types for in vitro re-stimulation. In concordance with this, immunization with L9V-pulsed dendritic cells also induced a potent and specific anti-L9V cytotoxic response in vitro. These data show that HLA-A2/peptide-specific cytotoxic immunity can be generated in vivo against the same immunodominant epitope by immunizing either with full-length DNA or with a DNA minigene encoding the immunodominant peptide epitope.

Veto cell suppression mechanisms in the prevention of allograft rejection.

Substantial evidence has accumulated to suggest that in the near future implementation of the veto-cell-suppressor concept in the treatment of kidney allograft recipients might lead to the establishment of life-long specific allograft tolerance in the absence of further immunosuppressive therapy. Veto suppression prevents the generation of antigen-specific T-helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro provided that the T-lymphocyte precursors specifically recognize antigenic peptides associated with the major histocompatibility complex molecules class II and class I, respectively, expressed on the surface of the veto-active cell. Data from a large number of experimental and clinical studies strongly indicate that veto-active cells function in vivo and are capable of preventing allograft rejection. Thus, donor-cell-mediated veto activity is the most likely explanation for the well-known graft tolerizing effect of pretransplant donor blood transfusions in kidney graft recipients. A prerequisite for a veto-active environment in vivo is the establishment of lymphoid microchimerism, in which veto-active donor and recipient cells mutually downregulate potential alloaggression.

Studies of the MHC class I molecules of veto-active and veto-inactive lectin-stimulated spleen cell populations.

Mouse spleen cells activated for three days with ConA, but not with PHA and LPS, were found to possess strong veto activity. Thus, ConA-activated spleen cells were capable of preventing a cytotoxic T cell response generated in MLC against the H-2 haplotype of the ConA-activated cells. Radiolabelling and chemical cross-linking of veto-active and veto-inactive cells, followed by immunoprecipitation of H-2, class I antigens, and analyses of the precipitates by one and two dimensional SDS PAGE were performed. By these procedures we were unable to demonstrate qualitative and quantitative differences between precipitates of veto-active and veto-inactive cell populations.