Detection of HLA-DR associated PLT determinants by alloreactive lymphocyte clones

This study deals with alloreactive T-cell clones which recognize cellular determinants associated with HLA-DR antigens. Two clones, CB55 and DS56, exhibited a PLT specificity that was perfectly associated with DR5. On the other hand, clones CB7, DS1 and HS1 showed PLT reactivity with approximately one-half of the DR5 positive cells and none of the DR5 negative cells, whereas clone MD4 largely reacted with the other half of DR5 positive cells. Another MLR culture generated two alloreactive clones DS6 and DS9 with PLT specificity for DR2. However, these clones did not respond to DR2 cells, which were also positive for the DR2-associated HLA-B7 and B18 antigens. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) inhibition studies showed heterogenous patterns, whereby monomorphic non-DR mAbs inhibited the DR2-associated PLT clones while the DR5-associated PLT clones were inhibited by different groups of anti-DR and non-DR mAbs. These observations suggest the existence of several lymphocyte-activating determinants associated with HLA-DR antigens. This diversity may be an important consideration in studies of the role of HLA-DR in immune mechanisms and transplant compatibility.     

Brugia malayi antigens associated with lymphocyte activation in filariasis

Filarial parasites induce immune response in humans which are still poorly characterized. To define the antigens responsible for inducing lymphocyte responses, fast protein liquid chromatography was used to fractionate the antigens of Brugia malayi adult worms which were then tested on lymphocytes from patients with filariasis and normal controls. From an anion exchange column (Mono Q), three peaks of lymphocyte-stimulating activity were eluted which were further fractionated by gel filtration (Superose-12). Peak I induced both a proliferative response as well as the production of filaria-specific antibody in patient lymphocytes. Peak II, capable of inducing only a proliferative response (without antibody production) in patient lymphocytes, was a glycoprotein with phosphocholine as one of the antigenic determinants. Peak III induced proliferative responses in both patient and normal lymphocytes and thus appears to be mitogenic. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was then used to identify changes in the major cellular proteins associated with the activation of patient lymphocytes by these partially purified antigens. Stimulation of patient lymphocytes with peak I resulted in increased synthesis of immunoglobulin heavy, light, and J chains. Further, these were the only major secreted proteins found in the culture supernatants. Peak II resulted in quantitative changes in proteins associated with T and not B lymphocyte stimulation. Further analysis of these antigens should help to elucidate the mechanism of host-parasite interaction at both the cellular and molecular levels.     

Use of dinitrophenol-IgG conjugates to detect sparse antigens by immunogold labeling

We describe a novel method for localizing sparse antigens in thin sections by protein A-gold labeling. The primary antibody is applied to fixed and detergent-permeabilized cells. The cells are then incubated with an anti-antibody that has been labeled with multiple dinitrophenol residues. The cells are next fixed again with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide fixatives before embedding in Eponate. When thin sections are prepared, the dinitrophenol residues are readily detected with a tertiary anti-DNP antibody followed by protein A-gold labeling. This method offers good sensitivity along with superior morphology. Our test antigen for this method was the receptor for low-density lipoprotein, an antigen which had evaded detection by protein A-gold using ultra-thin cryosections.     

Bovine lymphocyte antigens: serological relationships with erythrocyte and spermatozoan antigens

Bovine lymphocytotoxicity tests with 20 unabsorbed bovine blood group sera revealed extensive reactivity which in the majority of cases had no indication of blood group relationship. Six of these sera were absorbed with selected lymphocytes to produce eleven antisera of reduced specificity. Again, most of the sera had reaction patterns which could not be related to the hemolytic patterns of any known blood group antibodies. However, five comparisons involving unabsorbed antisera and two comparisons involving absorbed antisera provided statistical evidence of similarities between their lymphocytotoxic reaction patterns and the hemolytic reaction patterns of certain blood group antibodies. Several of the sera appeared to contain related cytotoxic specificities, and three such absorbed sera may have contained an anti-J specificity. All six examined monospecific isoimmune blood group antisera contained lymphocytic reactivities not related to their hemolytic specificites. Two normal sera containing naturally occurring anti-J had no cytotoxic activity. Anti-semen sera likewise were devoid of lymphocytotoxic activity.     

Immuno-PCR: a promising ultrasensitive diagnostic method to detect antigens and antibodies

Immuno-PCR (iPCR) is a method that combines the advantages of both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR and is a powerful method for detecting low quantities of protein antigens. Despite its potential, for a long time iPCR was an underutilized method as evidenced by the low number of publications on its routine application. The introduction of ready-to-use reagents, the large choice in linker molecule, reduction of protocol time and the development of new systems is opening the way for iPCR to become a routine method for use as a microbial diagnostic. To understand how iPCR could become an indispensible microbial diagnostic, we review the evolution of iPCR, from its first classical format with numerous drawbacks to more sophisticated systems developed to circumvent these drawbacks.     

Echinococcus granulosus: host lymphocyte transformation by parasite antigens.

Lymphocyte transformation, measured by in vitro tritiated thymidine incorporation, and indirect hemagglutination tests were carried out on hydatid patients and normal individuals using sheep and human hydatid fluid or scolex antigens. The hydatid patients showed statistically significant lymphocyte transformation with human and sheep hydatid fluid or scolex antigens when compared to normal individuals. The indirect hemagglutination tests resulted in high titers of antibody with sheep or human hydatid fluid antigens, while very low titers were obtained with scolex antigens. Unlike in the indirect hemagglutination test, the source of the antigen, scolex or fluid, was not of consequence in the lymphocyte transformation test. Furthermore, there was no correlation between the results of the serologic and lymphocyte transformation tests, since some patients with very high lymphocyte stimulation indices produced low indirect hemagglutination titers and vice versa. Similar results were obtained from rabbits which were immunized with sheep hydatid fluid or scolex extracts. The skin tests were of the immediate type of hypersensitivity reactions. Delayed skin reactions did not occur in spite of the presence of sensitized lymphocytes in the blood of the immunized rabbits.     

Mycoplasma contamination of membrane associated measles antigens. Inability to demonstrate in vitro lymphocyte responsiveness to measles.

A marked suppression of protein synthesis including IgA was demonstrated in BALB/c mouse thymocytes incubated in short-term tissue culture in the presence of anti-mouse α chain antibodies. In C57BL mouse thymocytes a suppression of protein synthesis including IgM was obtained by incubating the cells in tissue culture containing anti-mouse μ chain antibodies. The association of anti-α chain antibodies or anti-κ chain antibodies, at 4 °, to the Ig subunits on the surface of BALB/c mouse thymocytes was demonstrated following radioiodination of the antibody treated cells. The anti-mouse Ig antibodies attached to the surface α chains or κ chains at 4 ° were radioiodinated on the cell surface, rendering the corresponding surface mouse Ig subunits inaccessible to radioiodination by lactoperoxidase. The α chains or κ chains complexed with their specific antibodies were independently removed from the cell surface upon heating to 37 °. However, it was found that each of the antibodies attached first to its Ig subunit on the cell surface interferes with the subsequent binding of antibodies to the second subunit. The antibody-surface Ig complexes, although cleared from the cell membrane at 37 °, were not released into the culture medium, leading to the conclusion that these complexes were endocytosed.     

Bovine lymphocyte antigens: serological relationships with erythrocyte and spermatozoan antigens.

Bovine lymphocytotoxicity tests with 20 unabsorbed bovine blood group sera revealed extensive reactivity which in the majority of cases had no indication of blood group relationship. Six of these sera were absorbed with selected lymphocytes to produce eleven antisera of reduced specificity. Again, most of the sera had reaction patterns which could not be related to the hemolytic patterns of any known blood group antibodies. However, five comparisons involving unabsorbed antisera and two comparisons involving absorbed antisera provided statistical evidence of similarities between their lymphocytotoxic reaction patterns and the hemolytic reaction patterns of certain blood group antibodies. Several of the sera appeared to contain related cytotoxic specificities, and three such absorbed sera may have contained an anti-J specificity. All six examined monospecific isoimmune blood group antisera contained lymphocytic reactivities not related to their hemolytic specificities. Two normal sera containing naturally occurring anti-J had no cytotoxic activity. Anti-semen sera likewise were devoid of lymphocytotoxic activity.     

Failure to detect mouse species-specific antigens in Toxoplasmin Sevac.

Toxoplasmin--a highly purified extract from the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii propagated in mice--was tested for the presence of the mouse species-specific antigens by immunodiffusion in agar gel and by PCA test. Neither test gave positive reaction. It was concluded therefore that Toxoplasmin Sevac used for the detection of dermal hypersensitivity to toxoplasma antigens in humans does not contain any detectable contamination by mouse species-specific antigens within the limits of sensitivity of both methods used.     

In vitro inhibition of lymphoproliferative responses to tumor associated antigens and of lymphoma cell proliferation by rat splenic macrophages.

Spleens from W/Fu rats bearing a syngeneic progressively growing (C58NT)D tumor contain cells which can inhibit lymphoproliferative responses in a mixed lymphocyte-tumor interaction designed to demonstrate suppressor activity. Spleens from rats having rejected (C58NT)D tumors also contained suppressor cells but to a lesser degree. The growth inhibition assay, which measures inhibition of proliferation of tumor cells, was evaluated as a simple assay system to screen for suppressor cell activity. The effector cells in both assays had the same characteristics, indicating a predominant role of macrophages. Normal rat spleens were found to contain growth inhibition activity which led to the demonstration of suppressor cell activity in spleens of normal animals. Removal of suppressor cells from the spleens of immunne rats results in consistently higher lymphoproliferative responses to tumor associated antigens on the tumor cells.     

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay to detect antibodies produced by hybridomas to antigens derived from human melanoma cells

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay to detect antibodies that react with antigens derived from human melanoma cells is described. A soluble preparation derived from Nonidet P-40 lysates of tissue-cultured melanoma cells was dried on the surfaces of wells of polyvinyl chloride microtiter plates and fixed with 0.02% glutaraldehyde. Antibody preparations were added and incubated for 18 h at 4 degrees C. The wells were washed and bound antibodies were detected using radioactive Staphyloccoccal protein A (125I-SpA). Optimal conditions are described for all the steps employed. Concentrations of antigen selected, the amount of 125I-SpA employed and the duration of incubation of antibodies with antigen were found to be critical. The assay was sensitive and reproducible, and lent itself to the simultaneous evaluation of many individual antibody samples in a short period of time. The assay was particularly valuable for rapid screening of hybridoma supernatants for antibodies to antigens derived from melanoma cells and from a panel of other tumor and normal cells.     

Suppression of mitogen- and tumor-cell-induced lymphocyte stimulation by tumor-associated fetal antigens

The ability of tumor-associated fetal antigens (TAFA) to suppress mitogen and tumor-cell-induced blastogenesis was investigated. Three different TAFA (I, III, and IV) were tested in PHA and Con A lymphocyte proliferation assays. Spleen cells from New Zealand black rats (NBR) were fractionated over nylon wool; and nonadherent (NA) and adherent (AD) cells were compared with unfractionated (UF) cell responses. Preincubation of NA cells with TAFA-I was followed by addition of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) elicited suppression in a 3-to 4-day assay. UF cells were unresponsive to TAFA and/or PHA at all concentrations tested. TAFA dose—response titration curves in Con A proliferation assays revealed that all TAFA tested (TAFA I, -III, and -IV from fibrosarcomas; TAFA-I and -III from osteosarcomas) were suppressive. For some TAFA, nanogram quantities produced significant suppression. In mixed leukocyte tumor cell assays (MLTC) both UF and NA normal rat spleen cells were tested for proliferative responses to syngeneic tumor cells. Four distinct TAFA, purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography, suppressed lymphocyte proliferation when added to MLTC cultures in 5-day assays. Specificity experiments demonstrated that trinitrophenol-bovine serum albumin did not produce similar immunosuppression. TAFA did not block recognition of tumor antigen nor produce nonspecific cytotoxicity of the spleen cells. Significant suppression of DNA synthesis was produced by TAFA-1 following cocultivation with spleen and tumor cells for 1, 2, and 3 days, compared to no suppression when spleen and tumor cells were washed free of TAFA-I prior to tumor cell addition at Day 0. Similar experiments using rat embryo fibroblasts (REF) as stimulators demonstrated that pre-REF cocultivation treatment of lymphocytes with TAFA-I significantly reduced subsequent blastogenic responses. This effect was not reversible; however, if TAFA-I was added to responders previously stimulated by REF, a suppressive response was not seen. Experiments were also carried out to determine the reversibility of TAFA-I effects. Cells were treated with TAFA-I from 1 to 5 days, followed by determination of lymphocyte blastogenesis. TAFA-I effects are reversible and antigen presence is required to completely suppress (or inhibit) stimulation by tumor cells.     

Heterogeneity in the response of T cells to antigens presented by B lymphoma cells

Proliferation of antigen-specific T-cell populations was induced in cultures stimulated with antigen and a suitable source of antigen-presenting cells. Soluble (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) and particulate (horse red blood cells) antigens were presented by irradiated spleen cells and by a variety of B-lymphoma-cell lines, providing support for antigen-specific H-2-restricted T-cell responses. A marked heterogeneity was demonstrated, however, in the capacity of T-cell lines to proliferate in response to antigen presented by the B-lymphoma cells. T-cell populations were prepared from the lymph nodes of antigen-primed mice and restimulated in vitro in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. During the first six in vitro restimulations, these T-cell populations maintained the capacity to respond to antigen presented either by irradiated spleen cells or by B-lymphoma cells. Continued growth of these T-cell populations, again in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells, resulted in the generation of T-cell lines which had lost the ability to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. These lines however, fully retained the capacity to proliferate in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. T-cell clones derived from one of these lines were also unable to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells but again proliferated in the presence of antigen and irradiated spleen cells. Supernatants containing high levels of IL-1, IL-2, or IL-3 activity failed to reconstituted the antigen-specific response of T-cell lines which had lost the capacity to respond to antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells. Furthermore, titrated numbers of irradiated spleen cells, while having the capacity to support T-cell proliferation themselves, failed to synergize with B-lymphoma cells in the support of antigen-specific T-cell proliferation. Thus we have defined populations of antigen-specific, H-2-restricted T cells which do not recognize antigen presented by B-lymphoma cells and can therefore discriminate between different antigen-presenting cell types.     

Cytotoxic and proliferative lymphocyte responses to allogeneic and xenogeneic antigens in vitro.

In vitro lymphoproliferative responses to foreign histocompatibility antigens are phylogenetically restricted. Responses occur most readily to allogeneic or closely related xenogeneic leucocytes, but not to unrelated xenogeneic cells. Specific cytotoxic T cell responses to foreign histocompatibility antigens show the same phylogenetic restriction. This lack of xenoreactivity is not due to a lack of precursor cells for the xenoantigens; guinea-pig lymphocytes, although normally unresponsive to mouse antigens, have a similar precursor frequency for these antigens as do lymphocytes of allogeneic mouse strains. Specific cytotoxic responses of guinea-pig lymphocytes to mouse antigens can be generated if a factor released from con A stimulated guinea-pig spleen cells is added to the culture medium. The factor produced by con A-activated spleen cells (CS) is also phylogenetically restricted in its action; CS must be obtained from animals homologous with the donor of the responding lymphocytes.     

Use of a simplified fluctuation test to detect and characterize mutagenesis by nitrofurans.

The capacity of whole cell sonicates of skin fibroblasts of normal individuals and patients with the autosomal recessive disease Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) to remove aerobic gamma-ray products of the 5,6-dihydroxydihydrothymine type (t₀^γ₂) from exogenous DNA substrates was investigated. All four AT strains (AT CRL 1312, AT CRL 1343, AT GM 367, AT 4BI) possessed normal capabilities to excise t₀^γ₂ from irradiated bacteriophage DNA and irradiated chromatin isolated from normal and AT-skin fibroblasts.