Stimulation of one particular subset of natural killer cells by peptidoglycans extracted from gram-positive bacteria.

Peritoneal nonspecific cytotoxicity was stimulated by ip injection into C57BL/6 or (C57BL/6 X C3H/He)F1 mice of Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan (PGS), which possessed an antitumor effect, and of Micrococcus lysodeikticus peptidoglycan (PGM), which was ineffective against tumors. The natural killer (NK) cell populations elicited by both peptidoglycans had the same phenotype: Thy 1.2+, T200+, Ly 5.1+, Qa5+, and Ly 2.2-. In vivo treatment with sheep anti-mouse beta interferon serum abrogated this effect. The fluids from phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated murine EL 4 thymoma cells enhanced this particular NK activity, and thus PGM-induced effector cells became able to kill solid tumor cells. In conclusion, both PGS and PGM elicited the same particular subset of NK cell populations, and the peptidoglycan structure can play an important role in the intensity of this response.

Demonstration of nonspecific suppressor cells in the peripheral lymphocytes of cancer patients.

The response to phytohemagglutinin of peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied in 169 cancer patients. There was a significant decrease compared with control groups (normal persons and those with benign disease). By selecting cancer leukocyte samples with reactivity to phytohemagglutinin that was increased by carrageenan, a macrophage-toxic agent, and by mixing them with normal lymphocytes, we have demonstrated that the depressed phytohemagglutinin of six cancer patients' lymphoyctes was due to the presence of suppressor cells that possibly were monocytes.

Lymphoid cells in lymph nodes and peripheral blood of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Fifty-five patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were evaluated immunologically by measuring the level of T cells (E-RFC) and high affinity subset T cells (E-29) in the peripheral blood and peritumorous lymph nodes. A significant decrease (p less than 0.05) in mean percentage of E-29 was observed in cancer patient peripheral blood. In peritumorous lymph nodes, there was no difference in terms of total T cells or of high affinity subset T cells, as compared to non-malignant lymph nodes, or between tumor-free and metastatic lymph nodes. Macrophage content was much higher in metastatic than in tumor-free lymph nodes (p less than 0.05) and these macrophages frequently appeared to be more active when tested in phagocytosis of sheep red blood cells sensitized with IgG or IgM + C.

E-rosette-forming cells at 29 degrees C: an assay for the evaluation of the immune status of cancer patients.

High-affinity rosette-forming T-cell assays were performed by incubation of peripheral-blood mononuclear cells with sheep erythrocytes (E) at 29 degrees C. As compared with normal controls, the levels of high-affinity rosette-forming cells (RFC) were much more frequently depressed in cancer patients than were the total E-RFC incubated at 4 degrees C. Only 2/83 normal controls had less than 38% 29 degrees C E-RFC (mean 48 +/- 5), whilst 78/89 cancer patients were below this level. The few postoperative patients tested exhibited a normal range of 29 degrees C E-RFC. The 29 degrees C E-rosette assay gives reproducible counts of a T-cell subset, and is a sensitive assay for evaluating the immune status of cancer patients.

Studies on the mechanism of NK cell lysis.

The mechanism of cytolysis by murine NK cells was analyzed using a variety of metabolic inhibitors that have proven informative in studying the lytic mechanism of CTL and the mechanism of histamine release by mast cells. Target cell binding occurred in the absence of calcium and was inhibited by only one of the agents studied, cytochalasin B. Lysis was initiated by addition of Ca2+ ions, as in the case of CTL. Subsequent to target cell binding, but prior to programming for lysis by Ca2+, NK cell lytic activity could be suppressed by inhibitors of chymotrypsin-like, but not trypsin-like proteases, in contrast to CTL. In addition, 3-deaza-SIBA, an inhibitor of transmethylation reactions and quinacrine, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2, appear to act before the Ca2+-dependent programming for lysis. Sr2+ ions blocked the lytic function, as did trifluoperazine (stelazine), the former presumably competing for ionic calcium, the latter known to block binding of Ca2+ to calmodulin. 8Br-cAMP and colchicine blocked later steps required for lysis. With the possible exception of trifluoperazine, all of the agents that blocked NK cell lysis are known to inhibit histamine release from mast cells. These results lend support to the stimulus-secretion model, originally proposed to explain the mechanism of CTL cytolysis, as relevant to the mechanism of lysis by NK cells.

NK activity in carrageenan-treated mice.

NK activity was determined by measuring 51chromium released from Yac-1 target cells incubated with spleen cells from normal or carrageenan (Car)-treated mice. Intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of i-Car (3 mg) provoked splenomegaly in mice. This splenomegaly accompanied during the first days (2-3), a marked increase of NK activity, then a decrease of this activity at day 8-9. It was returned to normal level at day 30. The modulation of NK activity in Car-treated mice is not due to the variation of the number of NK cells, since the frequency of target-binding cells (TBC) was not modified. The increase in NK activity during the first days may be due to the presence of interferon induced by carrageenan. Concomitant injection of an anti-mouse interferon globulin with carrageenan abolished the boosting of NK activity. NK activity of spleen cells from Car-treated mice at day 8 could not be stimulated by interferon in vitro as it could with the normal spleen cells. No decrease of NK activity was observed in Car-treated mice at day 8, when indomethacin was administered. Hence the decrease of this activity in Car-8 mice might be partially due to the alteration of NK effector cells induced by prostaglandins.

Role of NK cells in protection of mice against herpes simplex virus-1 infection.

Natural killer (NK) cells have been implicated in the recognition and killing of a variety of virus infected target cells in vitro, yet their role in vivo remains uncertain. In these experiments, the role of NK cells in the regulation of resistance to herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) was studied. Adult C57BL/6 mice are resistant to HSV-1 (HFEM strain), but are rendered highly susceptible by treatment with cyclophosphamide 24 hr prior to infection. In this model, passive transfer of 10(8) normal spleen cells or 10(7) poly I:C-treated spleen cells provided protection for 72% of the recipients. Spleen cells from NK cell-deficient beige mice similarly treated failed to engender passive protection. The phenotype of the cells responsible for transferring protection was NK1.1+, and asialo GM1+. Transfer of NK cells resulted in marked reduction of HSV titers in the livers and brains of recipients. These experiments provide direct evidence for a role for NK cells in protection against development of fatal HSV infection in mice.

Natural killer cell recognition of target cells expressing different antigens of vesicular stomatitis virus.

Natural killer (NK) cells have the capability of lysing virus-infected, transformed, and embryonal cells, yet the nature of the target structure(s) recognized remains unclear. The availability of well-characterized temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of vesicular stomatitis virus, defective in expression of individual viral-encoded polypeptides at the nonpermissive temperature (39 degrees C), offered an approach to elucidating NK-cell recognition of virus-infected cells. Target cells were infected with ts mutants in three functions: the viral surface glycoprotein (G protein; ts 045); the matrix (M) protein (ts G31, ts G33), and the polymerase (ts G11). Cells infected with wild-type virus and all ts mutants at the permissive temperature (31 degrees C) were killed by murine spleen cells. Similar to results on cytotoxic T lymphocytes, target cells infected by ts 045 defective in expression of G protein at 39 degrees C were not killed by NK cells. Unexpectedly, cells infected at 39 degrees C with the M-protein mutants also were not killed, although G protein was expressed at the cell surface. Target binding studies indicated that conjugates were not formed by cells infected with the ts mutants at the nonpermissive temperature. That expression of G protein was not sufficient for NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was established in experiments in which a plasmid (pSVGL) containing the gene for vesicular stomatitis virus G protein was transfected into COS cells. Although G antigen was expressed on the plasma membrane, the cells were not lysed. These results suggest either that recognition of virus-infected cells depends on an appropriate conformation imparted to the viral G protein by association with the M protein or that NK cells can recognize alterations in the structure of the cell membrane induced by insertion of viral M and G molecules.