Human lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1): identification of multiple antigenic epitopes and their relationship to CTL-mediated cytotoxicity

Human lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1, a heterodimeric lymphocyte surface glycoprotein of 177,000 and 95,000 relative molecular weight has been implicated to function in the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) effector mechanism. Seven mouse hybridoma lines producing monoclonal antibodies (MAb) reactive with this structure were studied. Three unique and 3 partially over-lapping epitopes on human LFA-1 were defined by competitive cross inhibition binding assays using biosynthetically labeled anti-LFA-1 MAb. In contrast, of five rat antimouse LFA-1 MAb, all five recognized a common or shared epitope. An HLA-B7 specific human CTL line expressed 1.1 X 10(5) LFA-1 sites per cell with a direct saturation binding assay. Human CTL expressed two to four times more LFA-1 than peripheral blood lymphocytes or B and T lymphoblastoid cell lines. Titration of each of the anti-LFA-1 MAb in a 51chromium release cytolytic assay revealed quantitative differences in the ability of the different anti-LFA-1 MAb to block cytolysis indicating distinct functional and antigenic epitopes exist on the human LFA-1 molecule. Anti-LFA-1 MAb reversibly inhibited the CTL reaction by slowing the initial rate of cytolysis. These results suggest anti-LFA-1 MAb inhibit CTL function by specific blockade of a functionally relevant molecule.     

Immunization of mice with vaccinia virus-M2 recombinant induces epitope-specific and cross-reactive Kd-restricted CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.

The M2 protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a protective antigen in H-2d, but not H-2b or H-2k mice. None of the other RSV proteins, excluding the surface glycoproteins that induce neutralizing antibodies, is protective in mice bearing these haplotypes. Thus, the M2 protein stands alone as a nonglycoprotein-protective antigen of RSV. The M2 protein is a target for murine Kd-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and the resistance induced by infection with a vaccinia virus-RSV M2 (vac-M2) recombinant is mediated by CD8+ CTLs. Since the nonameric consensus sequence for H-2 Kd-restricted T-cell epitopes and the amino acid sequence of the M2 protein of subgroup A and B strains of RSV are known, the present study sought to identify the specific epitope(s) on the M2 protein recognized by CD8+ CTLs. This was done by examining the ability of four predicted Kd-specific motif peptides present in the M2 amino acid sequence of an RSV subgroup A strain to sensitize target cells for lysis by pulmonary or splenic CTLs obtained from mice infected with RSV or vac-M2. The following observations were made. First, two of the four peptides sensitized target cells for lysis by pulmonary or splenic CTLs induced by infection with either vac-M2 or RSV. Second, one of the two peptides, namely the 82-90 (M2) peptide, sensitized targets at a very low peptide concentration (10(-10) to 10(-12) M). Third, cold-target competition experiments revealed that the predominant CTL population induced by infection with vac-M2 or RSV recognized the 82-90 (M2) peptide, and this CTL population appeared to recognize the 71-79 (M2) peptide in a cross-reactive manner. Fourth, CTL recognition of targets sensitized with either the 71-79 (M2) or the 82-90 (M2) peptide was Kd restricted. Fifth, CTLs induced by infection with RSV subgroup A or B strains recognized the two M2 peptides. The findings suggest that the M2 protein of RSV contains an immunodominant Kd-restricted CTL epitope consisting of amino acid residues 82 to 90 (SYIGSINNI), which are shared by subgroup A and B RSVs.     

Heritable lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 deficiency: abnormalities of cytotoxicity and proliferation associated with abnormal expression of LFA-1

The effect of heritable LFA-1 deficiency on T lymphocyte function was measured. After primary mixed lymphocyte stimulation, all six patients studied showed diminished allospecific T lymphocyte cytolytic and NK activity as compared with kindred and normal controls. MLR and mitogen-induced proliferative responses were consistently depressed. LFA-1-deficient, EBV-transformed B cell lines were poor stimulators of T cell responses. Primary cytolytic responses by lymphocytes from severely LFA-1-deficient patients (less than 0.2% of normal surface expression) were consistently more profoundly depressed than those by lymphocytes from moderately deficient patients (about 5% of normal surface expression). These results demonstrate the importance of LFA-1 in lymphocyte function. After repeated MLR restimulation, proliferative and cytolytic capacity improved and CTL lines could be established from all patients. Cytolysis by lines from one but not a second severe patient, and by four of four moderate patients, was inhibited by anti-LFA-1 MAb, and at 10-fold lower concentrations than required for inhibition of killing by control CTL lines. The locus of inhibition was on the target cell for the severely deficient CTL line, and on both the target and effector cells for moderately deficient CTL lines. In contrast, the locus of inhibition for normal CTL is on the effector cell. These findings show that LFA-1 can participate bidirectionally in cell interactions. The in vitro results are discussed in terms of the clinical findings in patients.     

Tissue-specific regulation of CD8+ T-lymphocyte immunodominance in respiratory syncytial virus infection

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are critical for control of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in humans and mice. To investigate cellular immune responses to infection, it is important to identify major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted CTL epitopes. In this study, we identified a new RSV-specific, H-2K(d)-restricted subdominant epitope in the M2 protein, M2(127-135) (amino acids 127 to 135). This finding allowed us to study the frequency of T lymphocytes responding to two H-2K(d)-presented epitopes in the same protein following RSV infection by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and intracellular cytokine assays for both lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. For the subdominant epitope, we identified an optimal nine-amino-acid peptide, VYNTVISYI, which contained an H-2K(d) consensus sequence with Y at position 2 and I at position 9. In addition, an MHC class I stabilization assay using TAP-2-deficient RMA-S cells transfected with K(d) or L(d) indicated that the epitope was presented by K(d). The ratios of T lymphocytes during the peak CTL response to RSV infection that were specific for M2(82-90) (dominant) to T lymphocytes specific for M2(127-135) (subdominant) were approximately 3:1 in the spleen and 10:1 in the lung. These ratios were observed consistently in primary or secondary infection by the ELISPOT assay and in secondary infection by MHC/peptide tetramer staining. The number of antigen-specific T lymphocytes dropped in the 6 weeks after infection; however, the proportions of T lymphocytes specific for the immunodominant and subdominant epitopes were maintained to a remarkable degree in a tissue-specific manner. These studies will facilitate investigation of the regulation of immunodominance of RSV-specific CTL epitopes.     

Overexpression of interleukin-4 delays virus clearance in mice infected with respiratory syncytial virus.

Although interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression has been implicated in vaccine-enhanced respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease, its role in mediating the immune response to primary RSV infection remains unclear. To assess the effect of IL-4 production on typical RSV infection, transgenic mice which either overexpress or fail to express IL-4 were challenged intranasally with RSV and their responses were compared to those of the parent strains. IL-4-deficient mice eliminated virus from the lung as quickly as did C57BL/6 controls. In contrast, mice which constitutively overexpress IL-4 showed delayed virus clearance compared with mice of the FVB/N control strain, although peak viral titers did not differ. IL-4 overexpression increased the magnitude of the subsequent antibody response. Lung lymphocytes harvested from IL-4-overexpressing mice post-RSV challenge showed diminished RSV-specific cytolytic activity compared with controls. Both IL-4-deficient and IL-4-overexpressing strains resisted rechallenge. These data imply that constitutive IL-4 expression delays or suppresses the development of a virus-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte population important in clearing primary RSV infection.     

Cytotoxic T cells isolated from the central nervous systems of mice infected with Theiler''s virus.

Intracerebral inoculation of resistant mice (C57BL/10SNJ) with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) results in acute encephalitis followed by subsequent clearance of virus from the central nervous system (CNS). In contrast, infection of susceptible mice (SJL/J) results in virus persistence and chronic immune-mediated demyelination. Both resistance and susceptibility to TMEV-induced disease appear to be immune mediated, since immunosuppression results in enhanced encephalitis in resistant mice but diminished demyelination in susceptible mice. The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether anti-TMEV cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are generated during acute and chronic TMEV infection. Nonspecific lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity was used initially to detect the cytolytic potential of lymphocytes infiltrating the CNS irrespective of antigen specificity. Using TMEV-infected targets, H-2-restricted TMEV-specific CTLs of the CD8+ phenotype were demonstrated in lymphocytes from the CNS of susceptible and resistant mice, arguing against the hypothesis that the ability to generate CD8+ CTLs mediates resistance. In chronically infected SJL/J mice, TMEV-specific CTL activity was detected in the CNS as late as 226 days postinfection. These experiments demonstrate that virus-specific CTLs are present in the CNS during both acute and chronic TMEV infection. Anti-TMEV CTLs in the CNS of chronically infected SJL/J mice may play a role in demyelination through their ability to lyse TMEV-infected glial cells.     

Evidence for an accessory role of LFA-1 in lymphocyte-high endothelium interaction during homing

In a variety of lymphocyte interactions, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) plays an important role as an accessory mechanism mediating cell adhesion. We tested the possibility that LFA-1 could also be involved in the specific binding of lymphocytes to high endothelial venules (HEV) during homing. Antibodies against LFA-1 but not against various other cell surface molecules (except the putative gp90 homing receptor defined by the MEL-14 antibody) were found to inhibit in vitro adherence of lymphocytes to HEV in frozen sections of lymph nodes. Binding of T cell lines to HEV was also inhibited by anti-LFA-1 antibody. Using sublines selected for differential expression of the MEL-14 antigen, MEL-14 high cells (which bind well to HEV) were less susceptible to inhibition by anti-LFA-1 than poor binders with low levels of the homing receptor, supporting the model of LFA-1 being an accessory mechanism strengthening weak interactions between cells. Parallel results were found in vivo where anti-LFA-1 antibodies reduced the migration of normal lymphocytes into lymph nodes and Peyer's patches by 40 to 60%. Localization in the lung, especially of activated lymphocytes, was also impaired, although to a lesser extent. These findings suggest that LFA-1 plays an accessory role in cellular interactions relevant for lymphocyte migration.     

NK T cells contribute to expansion of CD8(+) T cells and amplification of antiviral immune responses to respiratory syncytial virus

CD1d-deficient mice have normal numbers of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells but lack Valpha14(+) natural killer T cells. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunopathogenesis was evaluated in 129xC57BL/6, C57BL/6, and BALB/c CD1d(-/-) mice. CD8(+) T lymphocytes were reduced in CD1d(-/-) mice of all strains, as shown by cell surface staining and major histocompatibility complex class I tetramer analysis, and resulted in strain-specific alterations in illness, viral clearance, and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production. Transient activation of NK T cells in CD1d(+/+) mice by alpha-GalCer resulted in reduced illness and delayed viral clearance. These data suggest that early IFN-gamma production and efficient induction of CD8(+)-T-cell responses during primary RSV infection require CD1d-dependent events. We also tested the ability of alpha-GalCer as an adjuvant to modulate the type 2 immune responses induced by RSV glycoprotein G or formalin-inactivated RSV immunization. However, immunized CD1-deficient or alpha-GalCer-treated wild-type mice did not exhibit diminished disease following RSV challenge. Rather, some disease parameters, including cytokine production, eosinophilia, and viral clearance, were increased. These findings indicate that CD1d-dependent NK T cells play a role in expansion of CD8(+) T cells and amplification of antiviral responses to RSV.     

The cytolytic activity of pulmonary CD8+ lymphocytes, induced by infection with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the M2 protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), correlates with resistance to RSV infection in mice.

Previous studies demonstrated that the pulmonary resistance to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) challenge induced by immunization with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the M2 protein of RSV (vac-M2) was significantly greater 9 days after immunization than at 28 days and was mediated predominantly by CD8+ T cells. In this study, we have extended these findings and sought to determine whether the level of CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity measured in vitro correlates with the resistance to RSV challenge in vivo. Three lines of evidence documented an association between the presence of pulmonary CTL activity and resistance to RSV challenge. First, vac-M2 immunization induced pulmonary CD8+ CTL activity and pulmonary resistance to RSV infection in BALB/c (H-2d) mice, whereas significant levels of pulmonary CTL activity and resistance to RSV infection were not seen in BALB.K (H-2k) or BALB.B (H-2b) mice. Second, pulmonary CD8+ CTL activity was not induced by infection with other vaccinia virus-RSV recombinants that did not induce resistance to RSV challenge. Third, the peak of pulmonary CTL activity correlated with the peak of resistance to RSV replication (day 6), with little resistance being observed 45 days after immunization. An accelerated clearance of virus was not observed when mice were challenged with RSV 45 days after immunization with vac-M2. The results indicate that resistance to RSV induced by immunization with vac-M2 is mainly mediated by primary pulmonary CTLs and that this resistance decreases to very low levels within 2 months following immunization. The implications for inclusion of CTL epitopes into RSV vaccines are discussed in the context of these observations.     

Functional distinctions between the LFA-1, LFA-2, and LFA-3 membrane proteins on human CTL are revealed with trypsin-pretreated target cells

We asked whether we could distinguish the roles of the human lymphocyte membrane proteins LFA-1, LFA-2, and LFA-3 in the function of CTL-mediated killing. Little is known about the functions of these molecularly distinct proteins beyond the facts that i) binding of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to any one of them is sufficient to inhibit killing, ii) that in each case inhibition involves prevention of CTL-target cell conjugate formation, and iii) that MAb to LFA-1 and LFA-2 inhibit best when bound to the CTL, whereas anti-LFA-3 inhibits only when bound to the target cell. This latter is despite the fact that (in our test system) LFA-1 and LFA-3 are expressed both on the CTL and on the target. When the target cells were pretreated with trypsin, the sensitivity of CTL-mediated killing was affected in a different way for each site. Inhibition of anti-LFA-1 was increased by approximately 20-fold. Inhibition by anti-LFA-2 was unaffected. Inhibition by anti-LFA-3 was abolished. Trypsin did not remove the specific antigens recognized by the various CTL, HLA-A,B,C or HLA-DR. Nor did it remove LFA-1 from the target cell. It did, however, selectively remove LFA-3 from the target cell. These results indicate, for the first time, that LFA-1 and LFA-2 have functionally distinct roles. They suggest that an unidentified trypsin-sensitive target cell molecule, operationally designated the "trypsin-sensitive counter blocker" (TSCB), plays an important role in the function of LFA-1, possibly by providing a target cell binding site for LFA-1 on the CTL. The hypothesis that this TSCB is identical to LFA-3 (and the related possibility that LFA-1 and LFA-3 are mutual ligands) is not favored by our data, but is not excluded. Finally, the data indicate that the mechanisms by which MAb inhibit killing differ at the LFA-1 and LFA-3 sites. They are consistent with LFA-1 providing adhesion strengthening by binding to another site (the TSCB?) and with LFA-3 delivering an inhibitory signal when provoked with MAb.     

The functional significance, distribution, and structure of LFA-1, LFA-2, and LFA-3: cell surface antigens associated with CTL-target interactions

Three cell surface antigens associated with the cytolytic T lymphocyte(CTL)-target cell interaction were identified by generation of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against OKT4+, HLA-DR-specific CTL and selection for inhibition of cytolysis in a 51Cr-release assay. These MAb block cytolysis by both OKT4+ and OKT8+ CTL and the proliferative responses to PHA and the mixed lymphocyte response (MLR). LFA-1 is an antigen widely distributed on lymphoid tissues and is composed of two polypeptides of 177,000 and 95,000 Mr on all cell types studied. Anti-LFA-1 MAb block NK cell-mediated cytolysis in addition to T lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity and proliferation. LFA-2 (Mr = 55,000 to 47,000), a determinant on the sheep red blood cell receptor, is expressed by T cells but not B cells and appears specific for T cell functions. LFA-3 (Mr = 60,000) is a widely distributed antigen present on both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic tissues and appears to only be involved in T cell functions. MAb to LFA-1 and LFA-2 inhibit function by binding to effector cell surface molecules, whereas anti-LFA-3 MAb appear to block by binding to the target cells. Together with previously described molecules, LFA-1, LFA-2, and LFA-3 demonstrate the complexity of CTL-mediated cytotoxicity at the molecular level.     

A SYBR Green RT-PCR assay in single tube to detect human and bovine noroviruses and control for inhibition

Background

A subset of the virus-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) isolated from the lungs of mice infected with human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is impaired in the ability to secrete interferon γ (IFNγ), a measure of functionality. It was suggested that the impairment specifically suppressed the host cellular immune response, a finding that could help explain the ability of RSV to re-infect throughout life.

Results

To determine whether this effect is dependent on the virus, the route of infection, or the type of infection (respiratory, disseminated, or localized dermal), we compared the CTL responses in mice following intranasal (IN) infection with RSV or influenza virus or IN or intradermal (ID) infection with vaccinia virus expressing an RSV CTL antigen. The impairment was observed in the lungs after IN infection with RSV, influenza or vaccinia virus, and after a localized ID infection with vaccinia virus. In contrast, we observed a much higher percentage of IFNγ secreting CD8+ lymphocytes in the spleens of infected mice in every case.

Conclusion

The decreased functionality of CD8+ CTL is specific to the lungs and is not dependent on the specific virus, viral antigen, or route of infection.     

Generation of memory cell-mediated immune responses after secondary infection of mice with pichinde virus

Pichinde virus (PV), a member of the arenavirus group, was found to elicit strong cell-mediated immune responses in various strains of mice. After primary i.v. inoculation, augmentation of natural killer (NK) cell activity occurred and peaked 3 to 4 days after infection. The NK response was followed by a second peak of cytotoxic activity that was found to be H-2 restricted, virus specific, and mediated by Thy-1.2+, Lyt-2.2+ lymphocytes. This cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response peaked 7 days post infection. Neutralizing antibodies were not detectable after PV infection of the mice. In light of this, we investigated the generation and kinetics of secondary cell-mediated immune responses after reinjection of homologous virus in vivo. Slight but significant augmentation of NK activity was observed 1 day after secondary virus challenge. As in the primary response, effectors of this NK activity rapidly became sensitive to anti-Thy-1.2 and complement treatment. NK activity rapidly returned to background levels and was followed by an anamnestic CTL response that peaked 4 days after reinjection of the virus. Thus, cell-mediated immune responses appeared more rapidly after secondary challenge in vivo, and the temporal relationship between NK and CTL generation was maintained. Both secondary NK and CTL responses were generated in mice that had been pretreated with cyclophosphamide (CY), suggesting that memory cell-mediated immune responses can be reactivated in vivo without undergoing cell division. In contrast, treatment with CY before primary infection delayed the appearance of virus-induced NK activity and abrogated the generation of H-2-restricted virus-specific CTL. Rechallenge of these CY-treated NK-primed mice resulted in the rapid generation of a secondary NK response that was not followed by either a primary or secondary CTL response. The data suggest that cells mediating a nonspecific effector function may possess specific memory. We discuss our results with respect to possible NK-CTL relationships.     

Nicotine Inhibits Memory CTL Programming

Nicotine is the main tobacco component responsible for tobacco addiction and is used extensively in smoking and smoking cessation therapies. However, little is known about its effects on the immune system. We confirmed that multiple nicotinic receptors are expressed on mouse and human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and demonstrated that nicotinic receptors on mouse CTLs are regulated during activation. Acute nicotine presence during activation increases primary CTL expansion in vitro, but impairs in vivo expansion after transfer and subsequent memory CTL differentiation, which reduces protection against subsequent pathogen challenges. Furthermore, nicotine abolishes the regulatory effect of rapamycin on memory CTL programming, which can be attributed to the fact that rapamycin enhances expression of nicotinic receptors. Interestingly, naïve CTLs from chronic nicotine-treated mice have normal memory programming, which is impaired by nicotine during activation in vitro. In conclusion, simultaneous exposure to nicotine and antigen during CTL activation negatively affects memory development.     

Expression of interleukin-4 by recombinant respiratory syncytial virus is associated with accelerated inflammation and a nonfunctional cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response following primary infection but not following challenge with wild-type virus

The outcome of a viral infection or of immunization with a vaccine can be influenced by the local cytokine environment. In studies of experimental vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an increased stimulation of Th2 (T helper 2) lymphocytes was associated with increased immunopathology upon subsequent RSV infection. For this study, we investigated the effect of increased local expression of the Th2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) from the genome of a recombinant RSV following primary infection and after a challenge with wild-type (wt) RSV. Mice infected with RSV/IL-4 exhibited an accelerated pulmonary inflammatory response compared to those infected with wt RSV, although the wt RSV group caught up by day 8. In the first few days postinfection, RSV/IL-4 was associated with a small but significant acceleration in the expansion of pulmonary T lymphocytes specific for an RSV CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitope presented as a major histocompatibility complex class I tetramer. However, by day 7 the response of tetramer-positive T lymphocytes in the wt RSV group caught up and exceeded that of the RSV/IL-4 group. At all times, the CTL response of the RSV/IL-4 group was deficient in the production of gamma interferon and was nonfunctional for in vitro cell killing. The accelerated inflammatory response coincided with an accelerated accumulation and activation of pulmonary dendritic cells early in infection, but thereafter the dendritic cells were deficient in the expression of B7-1, which governs the acquisition of cytolytic activity by CTL. Following a challenge with wt RSV, there was an increase in Th2 cytokines in the animals that had previously been infected with RSV/IL-4 compared to those previously infected with wt RSV, but the CD8(+) CTL response and the amount of pulmonary inflammation were not significantly different. Thus, a strong Th2 environment during primary pulmonary immunization with live RSV resulted in early inflammation and a largely nonfunctional primary CTL response but had a minimal effect on the secondary response.     

Targeting LFA-1 and cd154 suppresses the in vivo activation and development of cytolytic (cd4-Independent) CD8+ T cells

Short-term immunotherapy targeting both LFA-1 and CD40/CD154 costimulation produces synergistic effects such that long-term allograft survival is achieved in the majority of recipients. This immunotherapeutic strategy has been reported to induce the development of CD4+ regulatory T cells. In the current study, the mechanisms by which this immunotherapeutic strategy prevents CD8+ T cell-dependent hepatocyte rejection in CD4 knockout mice were examined. Combined blockade of LFA-1 and CD40/CD154 costimulation did not influence the overall number or composition of inflammatory cells infiltrating the liver where transplanted hepatocytes engraft. Expression of T cell activation markers CD43, CD69, and adhesion molecule CD103 by liver-infiltrating cells was suppressed in treated mice with long-term hepatocellular allograft survival compared to liver-infiltrating cells of untreated rejector mice. Short-term immunotherapy with anti-LFA-1 and anti-CD154 mAb also abrogated the in vivo development of alloreactive CD8+ cytotoxic T cell effectors. Treated mice with long-term hepatocyte allograft survival did not reject hepatocellular allografts despite adoptive transfer of naive CD8+ T cells. Unexpectedly, treated mice with long-term hepatocellular allograft survival demonstrated prominent donor-reactive delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, which were increased in comparison to untreated hepatocyte rejectors. Collectively, these findings support the conclusion that short-term immunotherapy with anti-LFA-1 and anti-CD154 mAbs induces long-term survival of hepatocellular allografts by interfering with CD8+ T cell activation and development of CTL effector function. In addition, these recipients with long-term hepatocellular allograft acceptance show evidence of immunoregulation which is not due to immune deletion or ignorance and is associated with early development of a novel CD8+CD25high cell population in the liver.     

Activation of LFA-1 through a Ca2(+)-dependent epitope stimulates lymphocyte adhesion

The leukocyte function-associated molecule-1 (LFA-1) plays a key role in cell adhesion processes between cells of the immune system. We investigated the mechanism that may regulate LFA-1-ligand interactions, which result in cell-cell adhesion. To this end we employed an intriguing anti-LFA-1 alpha mAb (NKI-L16), capable of inducing rather than inhibiting cell adhesion. Aggregation induced by NKI-L16 or Fab fragments thereof is not the result of signals transmitted through LFA-1. The antibody was found to recognize a unique Ca2(+)-dependent activation epitope of LFA-1, which is essentially absent on resting lymphocytes, but becomes induced upon in vitro culture. Expression of this epitope correlates well with the capacity of cells to rapidly aggregate upon stimulation by PMA or through the TCR/CD3 complex, indicating that expression of the NKI-L16 epitope is essential for LFA-1 to mediate adhesion. However, expression of the NKI-L16 epitope in itself is not sufficient for cell binding since cloned T lymphocytes express the NKI-L16 epitope constitutively at high levels, but do not aggregate spontaneously. Based on these observations we propose the existence of three distinct forms of LFA-1: (a) an inactive form, which does not, or only partially exposes the NKI-L16 epitope, found on resting cells; (b) an intermediate, NKI-L16+ form, expressed by mature or previously activated cells; and (c) an active (NKI-L16+) form of LFA-1, capable of high affinity ligand binding, obtained after specific triggering of a lymphocyte through the TCR/CD3 complex, by PMA, or by binding of NKI-L16 antibodies.     

Enhancement of tumor growth correlates with suppression of the tumor-specific cytolytic T lymphocyte response in mice chronically infected by Trypanosoma cruzi

The immunity of BALB.B mice to syngeneic Gross murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-induced B.GV cells was studied at various times after infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. BALB.B mice chronically infected by the parasite do not develop an effective immune response against B.GV tumor cells, and B.GV tumor growth in vivo is consequently facilitated. The tumor-specific cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) compartment in these mice was studied in vitro because CTL are known to participate actively in syngeneic tumor rejection. These analyses showed that: a) CTL differentiation is suppressed in mice with chronic T. cruzi infections; b) suppression is at the level of CTL precursor cell activation; c) suppression is not antigen-specific; and d) suppression is mediated by macrophages and Lyt-2+ T lymphocytes.     

How many human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected target cells can a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte kill?

The antiviral role of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is poorly understood. Specifically, the degree to which CTLs reduce viral replication by killing HIV-1-infected cells in vivo is not known. Here we employ mathematical models of the infection process and CTL action to estimate the rate that CTLs can kill HIV-1-infected cells from in vitro and in vivo data. Our estimates, which are surprisingly consistent considering the disparities between the two experimental systems, demonstrate that on average CTLs can kill from 0.7 to 3 infected target cells per day, with the variability in this figure due to epitope specificity or other factors. These results are compatible with the observed decline in viremia after primary infection being primarily a consequence of CTL activity and have interesting implications for vaccine design.     

Quantification of the relative importance of CTL, B cell, NK cell, and target cell limitation in the control of primary SIV-infection

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and target cell limitation have all been suggested to play a role in the control of SIV and HIV-1 infection. However, previous research typically studied each population in isolation leaving the magnitude, relative importance and in vivo relevance of each effect unclear. Here we quantify the relative importance of CTLs, NK cells, B cells and target cell limitation in controlling acute SIV infection in rhesus macaques. Using three different methods, we find that the availability of target cells and CD8+ T cells are important predictors of viral load dynamics. If CTL are assumed to mediate this anti-viral effect via a lytic mechanism then we estimate that CTL killing is responsible for approximately 40% of productively infected cell death, the remaining cell death being attributable to intrinsic, immune (CD8+ T cell, NK cell, B cell) -independent mechanisms. Furthermore, we find that NK cells have little impact on the death rate of infected CD4+ cells and that their net impact is to increase viral load. We hypothesize that NK cells play a detrimental role in SIV infection, possibly by increasing T cell activation.