Activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells by apoptotic particles - mechanism for the loss of immunological tolerance in Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a common autoimmune disease targeting salivary and lacrimal glands. It is strongly female-dominant, characterized by low oestrogen levels combined with a local intracrine dihydrotestosterone defect. We hypothesized that these hormonal deficits lead to increased apoptosis of the epithelial cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC)-mediated proinflammatory host responses. Expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs)-7 and -9 and cytokine profiles was studied in pDCs treated with apoptotic particles collected in consecutive centrifugation steps of media from apoptotic cells. Expression and localization of SS autoantigens in these particles was also analysed. Furthermore, the effects of sex steroids were studied in pDCs cultured with several concentrations of dihydrotestosterone and 17-ß-oestradiol, and in saliva of patient treated with dehydroepiandrosterone. Apoptosis of the epithelial cells led to cleavage and translocation of SS-autoantigens, α-fodrin and SS-A, into apoptotic particles. The apoptosis-induced apoptotic particles also contained another SS-autoantigen, hy1-RNA. These particles were internalized by pDCs in a size-dependent manner and affected TLR-7 and -9 expression and the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The analysed androgens protected cells from apoptosis, influenced redistribution of autoantigens and diminished the apoptotic particle-stimulated increase of the TLRs in pDCs. Our findings suggest that the formation of apoptotic particles may play a role in loss of immune tolerance, manifested by production of autoantibodies and the onset of autoinflammation in SS.

RANKL in the osteolysis of AES total ankle replacement implants.

Peri-implant tissue reactions in failed total ankle replacement (TAR) are characterized by early developing peri-implant osteolysis. The hypothesis of the study was that this reaction is mediated by receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL). Samples of peri-prosthetic tissues from failed TAR implants were stained for macrophages, RANKL, its receptor RANK and osteoprotegerin (OPG), and compared to control samples. The failed TAR implants were surrounded by implant capsule, synovial lining-like interface membrane or necrotic tissues. Infiltrating scavenger receptor I positive CD163(+) macrophages were frequent, in particular around necrotic soft tissues or bone sequestrate, and possibly in part formed due to ischemia and mechanical factors. In contrast, implant-derived wear debris was scanty. Still many RANK(+) macrophages were often seen in close contact with RANKL(+) mesenchymal cells, whereas OPG was mostly located at a distance in vascular endothelial cells. Foreign body giant cells were frequent. RANKL seems to stimulate locally accumulated CD163(+) RANK-expressing cells to fusion, which leads to the local formation of multinuclear foreign body giant cells (and probably of osteoclasts). Therefore, peri-implant osteolysis in early TAR implant failure seems to be caused by the RANKL-driven chronic foreign body inflammation directed against, not implant-derived particles, but against necrotic autologous tissues.

Detection of serum factors enhancing cell mutability from lung cancer patients by application of hypermutable human RS cells.

A search for serum factors that modulate the mutability of human cells has been attempted in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients. Factors were separated by dye-ligand chromatography and first identified as those exhibiting the ability to enhance the frequency of drug-resistance mutations in human RSa cells. The frequency was assessed by estimation of the cloning efficiency of mutant cells resistant to ouabain-mediated cell killing (OuaR) after irradiation with far-ultraviolet light (UV, mainly 254-nm wavelength). Pre-culture of cells with medium containing the factors prior to UV irradiation led to about a 19- to 37-fold increase in the OuaR mutation frequency compared with that of cells irradiated but not treated with the factors. The enhancing activity was detected in the serum of all 7 lung cancer patients, although the serum itself, which had not been treated with chromatography, had little or no enhancing activity in all patients. No enhancing activity was detected in serum preparations from healthy donors. The enhancing activity of lung cancer serum factors on UV-induced mutagenicity was next confirmed by detecting an enhancement of K-ras codon 12 base substitution mutations in human RSb cells, as analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and differential dot-blot hybridization. Our results, together with previous findings on suppression of mutagen-induced mutagenicity by human interferons, suggest the existence of extracellular factors that modulate the mutability of human cells.

Protease activation following UV irradiation is linked to hypomutability in human cells selected for resistance to combination of UV and antipain.

In order to examine the relationship between activation of an antipain-sensitive protease and suppression of mutability in UV (UVC)-irradiated human cells, a human cell variant with the high protease activity induced by UV was established and characterized for its susceptibility to UV-induced mutagenicity. Cells of a hypermutable cell strain, RSa, were mutagenized with ethyl methanesulfonate and irradiated with 10 J/m2 UV, followed by exposure to 20 mM antipain for 34 h. Whereas the combined treatment was totally lethal to RSa cells not treated with ethyl methanesulfonate, one surviving clone was isolated from the mutagenized cells and designated UVAP-1. When fibrinolytic protease activity was measured from extracts of the cell, it was found that the protease activity was elevated promptly after UV irradiation, reaching the maximum at 10 min post-irradiation. This protease activity was inhibited by antipain. After UV irradiation the phenotypic mutation frequencies of UVAP-1 cells were much lower than those of the parent RSa cells, as evaluated by the generation of clones resistant to ouabain-killing. Furthermore, mutation at the K-ras codon 12 in genomic DNA was detected in RSa cells but not in UVAP-1 cells. Thus, the protease activation was correlated with the decreased levels of UV-mutagenicity in UVAP-1 cells, supporting the possible involvement of the antipain-sensitive protease activity in the regulation of cellular mutability following UV irradiation.

Hypomutable potential accompanying interferon-alpha resistance in a human cell line, IFr, derived from interferon-alpha-sensitive and hypermutable RSa cells.

A human cell line, IFr, established from RSa cells, is a variant with increased resistance to cell proliferation inhibition (CPI) by human interferon (HuIFN)-alpha. The parent RSa cells are also hypermutable after irradiation with far-ultraviolet light (UV), as assessed by two different methods: cloning efficiency of ouabain-resistant (OuaR) mutants and K-ras codon 12 mutation in genomic DNA identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) following differential dot-blot hybridization. In the present study, IFr cells were found to be hypomutable: Less than 1 OuaR mutant per 10(4) surviving cells after UV (0-12 J/m2), in contrast to 1-53 OuaR mutants per 10(4) survivors in RSa cells, and no-detectable K-ras codon 12 mutation at any doses tested. However, IFr cells, when cultured with medium containing the protease inhibitor antipain after UV irradiation showed hypermutability to almost the same extent as RSa cells, as determined by both phenotypic and genetic mutation analyses. These results, together with the previous finding of antipain-sensitive protease induction in UV-irradiated or HuIFN-alpha-treated IFr cells, suggest that antipain-sensitive proteases or cellular functions or both may be involved in not only HuIFN-alpha resistance but also hypomutability of IFr cells.

Correlated susceptibility between interferon-beta and UV in human cell lines, F-IFr and RSa.

The human cell line F-IFr is a variant with an increased resistance to cell proliferation inhibition (CPI) by human interferon (HuLFN)-beta, established from RSa cells with high sensitivity to CPI. The parent RSa cells were recently found to be unusually hypermutable after irradiation with far-ultraviolet light (UV), as assessed by two different methods; estimation of the cloning efficiency of ouabain-resistant (Oua(R)) mutants and detection of K-ras codon 12 mutation in genomic DNA identified by polymerase chain reaction following differential dot blot hybridization. In the present study, F-IFr cells were found to be hypomutable; less than one Oua(R) mutant per 10(4) survival cells after UV (0-12 J/m(2)), in contrast to 0.51-85 Oua(R) mutants per 10(4) survivors in RSa cells, and no detectable K-ras codon 12 mutation at any UV dose tested. However, F-IFr cells, when cultured with medium containing the protease inhibitor antipain immediately and transiently after UV irradiation displayed hypermutability to almost the same extent as RSa cells by both phenotypic and genetic mutation analyses. The refractoriness of F-IFr cells to HuIFN-beta CPI was also suppressed by culture with medium containing antipain during HuIFN-beta exposure. Moreover, F-IFr cells irradiated with UV or treated with HuIFN-beta showed elevation of antipain-sensitive protease activity, but not the irradiated or treated RSa cells. UV- and HuIFN-beta-susceptibility were not modulated by antipain in RSa cells. These antipodal characteristics between the two cell lines suggested that antipain-sensitive proteases and/or cellular functions may be involved in increased resistance of F-IFr cells to both Wand HuIFN-beta refractoriness.

Dipyridamole combined with tumor necrosis factor-alpha enhances inhibition of proliferation in human tumor cell lines.

In the search for cytokines whose antiproliferative action could be enhanced by combination with dipyridamole, 2,6-bis(diethanolamino)-4,8-dipiperidinopyrimido[5,4-d]pyrim idine, the combination of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) with this agent was evaluated in various human tumor cell lines. Inhibition of the proliferation of human melanoma cell lines MM-1CB and HMV-1 by TNF-alpha (1-10(2) U/ml) was enhanced in culture dishes by combination treatment with dipyridamole (0.1-10 microM). The enhancement effect was also detected in other tumor cell lines: T98 (glioma), SCC-1CB (squamous cell carcinoma), HAC-2 (ovarian clear-cell carcinoma), HLE (hepatoma), HEC-1 (endometrial adenocarcinoma) and HOC-21 (ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma). The incorporation of [14C]amino acids and [3H]uridine into acid-insoluble cell materials in the combination-treated cells was not significantly different from that in cells treated with TNF-alpha or dipyridamole. However, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine was specifically inhibited in all cell lines examined after more than 12 h of the TNF-alpha and dipyridamole combination treatment, although neither agent alone inhibited this incorporation. On the other hand, the growth of tumors induced by the injection of MM-1CB and HMV-1 cells into nude mice was more markedly inhibited by the subcutaneous administration of TNF-alpha in combination with orally administered dipyridamole than by either agent alone. The results presented suggested that dipyridamole is beneficial in assuring the effectiveness of anti-cancer cytokine therapy.

Dipyridamole enhances an anti-proliferative effect of interferon in various types of human tumor cells.

The anti-proliferative activity of human interferon (HuIFN) was enhanced by dipyridamole, 2,6-bis-(diethanolamino)-4,8-dipiperidinopyrimido-[5,4-d]-py rimidine, when tested against various human tumor cell lines, including KT (breast carcinoma), PLC/PRF/5 (hepatoma), MGC-I, U251-SP and T98 (glioma), HAC-2 and SHIN-3 (ovarian carcinoma), and MM-ICB (melanoma). The enhancement occurred irrespective of the kind of HuIFN used (alpha, beta or gamma) and the original degree of susceptibility of the cells to HuIFN. Even low doses down to 0.01 microM of dipyridamole that had no intrinsic anti-proliferative activity could enhance the effect of HuIFN. The enhancement of HuIFN effects seems not to be caused by induction of HuIFN production, because neither anti-viral activity nor HuIFN antigens were detected in culture medium in cells treated with dipyridamole. Mopidamole, a derivative of dipyridamole lacking one piperidine residue, produced little enhancement of the effects of HuIFN. Among ovarian cancer cell lines tested, the enhancement of the activity of HuIFN by dipyridamole for HAC-2 and SHIN-3 cells was equivalent to or greater than that for 3 chemotherapy agents (adriamycin, vincristine, and a camptothecin derivative). However, neither HOC-21 ovarian cancer cells nor HEC-1 endometrial adenocarcinoma cells were susceptible to any combinations. When MGC-1, U251-SP, and HAC-2 cells were injected into nude mice, the growth of tumors was more markedly inhibited by the subcutaneous administration of HuIFN in combination with oral administration of dipyridamole than by the HuIFN alone. Thus, this combination therapy seems to be worth trying for human cancer, although the enhancement of the effects of HuIFN by dipyridamole varied among the cell lines examined.

Establishment and characterization of a human cell strain, KT, with high sensitivity to UV-killing and to cell proliferation inhibition by interferon.

We have established a human cell line, designated KT, with high susceptibility to both cell proliferation inhibition by interferon and UV-killing, from a metastatic breast carcinoma. A tumor marker, a pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (Schwangerschaftsprotein 1; SP1), and carcinoma characteristics compatible with ductal carcinoma of the breast were seen in KT cells by electron microscopic observation. KT cells were slightly more resistant to X-ray-induced toxicity than fibroblastic cells, termed KS, from the scalp of the patient. But, KT cells had lower cloning efficiency after UV irradiation than did KS cells: D0 values of 1.5 J/m2 and 7.2 J/m2, respectively. KT cells also appeared more susceptible to human interferon (HuIFN) preparations (alpha, beta, gamma and natural or recombinant) than did KS cells, as measured by cell colony formation ability, proliferation rates, and [3H]deoxythymidine incorporation levels into acid-insoluble cell materials. The sensitivity of KT cells to UV and HuIFN was greater than that of human RSa cells, a cell line with high sensitivity to both agents. KT cells had more capacity for UV-induced DNA-repair replication synthesis than did RSa cells, the capacity being much the same as that of KS cells. There was no significant difference in levels of antiviral activity induced by HuIFN and binding capacity for 125I-labeled IFN-alpha A between KT and KS cells. KT cells appeared refractory to cell proliferation inhibition by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) preparations.

Effects of human interferon on cellular response to UV in UV-sensitive human cell strains.

Cells of a human RSa cell line, with high sensitivity to UV killing and low capacity for DNA repair, when pretreated with 1-100 units/ml of human interferon (HuIFN) preparations for more than 12 h before irradiation, acquired an enhancement of UV-induced DNA-repair replication synthesis in association with recovery from inhibition of total cellular DNA synthesis and UV survival. Prompt and transient induction of plasminogen activator activities was also found within 5 min after UV irradiation in the cells pretreated with HuIFN but not in the cells non-pretreated with HuIFN. The enhancement and induction effects of HuIFN were observed, irrespective of the kind of HuIFN preparation used (alpha, beta or gamma, and natural or recombinant) and in other UV-sensitive fibroblast cells which were derived from Cockayne syndrome and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (XP1KY). However, all of the enhancement of DNA-repair synthesis and the induction of plasminogen activator activities by HuIFN was suppressed by treatment with cycloheximide immediately after UV irradiation.

Increased resistance to the anticellular effect of interferon in an ultraviolet light-resistant human cell line, UVr-1.

Interferon (alpha, beta and gamma) susceptibility was tested in a human cell line, UVr-1, a u.v. light-resistant variant of RSa cells; the latter have high sensitivity to both u.v. lethality and the cell proliferation inhibition (anticellular) effect of human interferon (HuIFN) preparations. UVr-1 cells were less sensitive than the parental RSa cells to the inhibitory effects of HuIFN preparations, as measured by cell proliferation and the incorporation of [3H]deoxythymidine and [3H]deoxyadenosine into acid-insoluble cellular material. Nevertheless, UVr-1 cells exposed to HuIFN showed almost the same enhanced levels of antiviral activity and pppA(2'p5'A)n synthetase activity as similarly treated RSa cells. Further, UVr-1 cells had much the same binding capacity for 125I-labelled HuIFN-alpha A. Thus, it seems likely that the variant has an increased resistance to the anticellular effect but not to the antiviral effect of HuIFN preparations. UVr-1 cells showed no significant difference from RSa cells in u.v.-induced DNA repair synthesis. However, when a comparison was made between the susceptibility of normal fibroblasts and fibroblasts from patients with Cockayne's syndrome, characterized by an altered u.v. sensitivity but no alteration of DNA repair replication synthesis, the Cockayne's syndrome fibroblasts, CCK-3 and CCK-4, were more susceptible to HuIFN-beta as judged by cell proliferation and deoxythymidine incorporation tests.

Cross-sensitivity between interferon and uv in human cell strains: IFr, HEC-1, and CRL1200.

Correlation between susceptibility to the anticellular effect of human interferon (HuIFN) and ultraviolet (uv) lethality was examined in a set of isogeneous human cell lines (RSa and IFr cells), a human endometrial cancer cell line (HEC-1 cells), and a Xeroderma pigmentosum-derived fibroblast cell line ( CRL1200 cells). IFr cells, previously established as a HuIFN-alpha-resistant subline by exposing HuIFN-alpha- and uv-sensitive RSa cells to HuIFN-alpha preparations, appeared more refractory to uv than did the parent RSa cells in the cell proliferation and colony-formation studies. The extent of recovery from uv-inhibited total cellular DNA synthesis and uv-induced DNA-repair synthesis was enhanced to a greater extent in IFr cells than in RSa cells. The preexposure of RSa cells to HuIFN-alpha enhanced uv-induced DNA-repair replication activities. HEC-1 cells, which are reportedly totally refractory to HuIFN actions, appeared most resistant to uv, in all the tests. The uv-sensitive CRL1200 cells appeared highly susceptible to HuIFN-beta, in both cell proliferation and DNA-synthesis inhibition tests. These results support and extend our previous finding (N. Suzuki, J. Nishimaki , and T. Kuwata (1982). Mutat . Res. 106, 357-376) that susceptibility to the anticellular effect of HuIFN closely relates with uv lethality.