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D L Boros

Publications and source records attributed to D L Boros.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

IL-4 influences IL-2 production and granulomatous inflammation in murine schistosomiasis mansoni.

In previous studies the dynamics of IL-2 production by splenic cells of Schistosoma mansoni infected mice was correlated with the intensity of hepatic granulomatous inflammation. To extend those observations, the present studies examined the role of IL-4 on the immune responsiveness of infected mice. The dynamics of IL-4 production by soluble egg Ag-stimulated splenic cells was similar to that of IL-2: minimal levels at the pre-oviposition or early worm egg deposition stages (4 to 6 wk) peak production coincident with maximal granulomatous response (8 wk) followed by a concurrent decline at the chronic stage (18 to 20 wk) in both parameters. Addition of murine rIL-4 to splenocyte cultures of acutely or chronically infected mice did not significantly enhance the soluble egg Ag-elicited proliferative response. Daily injections of rIL-4 (10 to 1000 U) given for 14 days to groups of mice with acute infection, at the high dose-enhanced IL-2, but not IL-4, production. Similar treatment given to chronically infected mice did not augment diminished lymphokine production. Chronically infected mice treated with 10 to 1000 U of rIL-4 showed significantly enhanced liver granulomatous responses compared with untreated animals and the augmented granulomas contained more enlarged macrophages and connective tissue matrix. Repeated injections of anti-IL-4 mAb (11B11) given to acutely infected mice significantly suppressed splenic cell proliferation, IL-2 and IL-4 production, and hepatic granulomatous inflammation. Similar treatment given to chronically infected mice also diminished the down-modulated granulomatous response. These data demonstrate that IL-4 plays an important role in the egg-directed granulomatous response and participates in the regulation of Ag-specific lymphoproliferation, and IL-2 and IL-4 production during the course of the infection.

Acute Disease

Utilization of fractionated soluble egg antigens reveals selectively modulated granulomatous and lymphokine responses during murine schistosomiasis mansoni.

Worm eggs deposited in the livers and intestines of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice secrete soluble egg antigens (SEA) and induce T cell-mediated circumoval granulomas. In the present study, we fractionated crude SEA by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and tested the fractions for granuloma elicitation and lymphokine production at different stages of the infection. SEA fraction-coupled beads were used to elicit artificial pulmonary granulomas. Acutely infected mice responded with granulomas to seven fractions (less than 21-, 25- to 30-, 32- to 38-, 60- to 66-, 70- to 90-, 93- to 125-, and greater than 200-kDa fractions) of SEA, whereas chronically infected mice responded to four fractions (60- to 66-, 70- to 90-, 93- to 125-, and greater than 200-kDa fractions). In response to both crude and fractionated SEA, granuloma T cells produced high levels of gamma interferon at the preacute (6-week) stage of infection, but production subsequently diminished. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 production peaked at the acute (8-week) stage of infection and concurrently decreased at the chronic (20-week) stage. At the acute stage of the infection, the granulomagenic SEA fractions also elicited IL-2 and IL-4 production; at the chronic stage, IL-2 production and, to a lesser degree, IL-4 production corresponded to SEA fractions that elicited granulomas. Isolated SEA proteins from the 32- to 38-kDa fraction demonstrated differential lymphokine responses: predominant gamma interferon and IL-2 production was elicited by the 32-kDa fraction, whereas the 35- and 38-kDa proteins elicited predominant gamma interferon and IL-4 production. However, all three proteins elicited granuloma formation. The present study reveals changes in granulomatous responses to SEA fractions during the acute and chronic stages of the infection as well as distinct phases of gamma interferon, IL-2, and IL-4 lymphokine production throughout the infection. Based on these results, it is concluded that granuloma formation and IL-2 and IL-4 production are interrelated.

Animals

The role of egg antigens, cytokines in granuloma formation in murine schistosomiasis mansoni.

The induction of granuloma formation by soluble egg antigens (SEA) of Schistosoma mansoni is accompanied by T cell-mediated lymphokine production that regulates the intensity of the response. In the present study we have examined the ability of SDS-PAGE fractionated SEA proteins to elicit granulomas and lymphokine production in infected and egg-immunized mice. At the acute stage of infection SEA fractions (< 21, 25-30, 32-38, 60-66, 70-90, 93-125, and > 200 kD) that elicited pulmonary granulomas also elicited IL-2, IL-4 lymphokine production. At the chronic stage a diminished number of fractions (60-66, 70-90, 93-125, and > 200 kD) were able to elicit granulomas with an overall decrease in IL-2, IL-4 production. Granulomas were elicited by larval-egg crossreactive and egg-specific fractions at both the acute and chronic stage of the infection. Examination of lymphokine production from egg-immunized mice demonstrated that as early as 4 days IL-2 was produced by spleen cells stimulated with < 21, 32-38, 40-46, 93-125, and > 200 kD fractions. By 16 days, IL-2 production was evoked by 8 of 9 fractions. IL-4 production at 4 days in response to all fractions was minimal while at 16 days IL-4 was elicited with the < 21, 25-30, 50-56, 93-125, and > 200 kD fractions. The present study reveals differences in the range of SEA fractions able to elicit granulomas and IL-2, IL-4 production between acute and chronic stages of infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Regulation of granulomatous inflammation in murine schistosomiasis. V. Antigen-induced T cell-derived suppressor factors down-regulate proliferation and IL-2, but not IL-4, production by CD4+ effector T cells.

Acute murine schistosomiasis mansoni is characterized by a vigorous CD4+ delayed-type hypersensitivity T cell-mediated granulomatous immune response to deposited parasite eggs. During the chronic stage of infection the granulomatous response is spontaneously down-modulated by Ag-specific Ts cells and their soluble factors. Recently, we established an in vitro model system whereby soluble egg Ag (SEA)-induced acute and chronic infection-derived Ts cells suppressed the proliferation and IL-2 production of acute infection effector delayed-type hypersensitivity T cells. In the present study, culture supernatants harvested from the induced Ts cell cultures were found to suppress, in a non-cytotoxic manner, the SEA-mediated proliferation and IL-2, but not IL-4 production of acute infection CD4+ splenic T cells. Northern blot analysis confirmed that the factor-mediated suppression of IL-2 in the acute infection cells occurred at the transcriptional level as IL-2 mRNA was suppressed within 10 h of SEA stimulation. The acute (A-TseF) and chronic (C-TseF) infection-derived effector suppressor factors were found to be Ag-specific both in production and elicitation of function, and acted without MHC restriction. Moreover, the A-TseF and C-TseF molecules bear binding sites for SEA and an A-TseF was also shown to bind anti-SEA antibodies. Positive selection by flow cytometry showed that the TseF molecules are produced by Ag-stimulated CD4+ acute or chronic infection splenic cells and that CD4+ cells are the target of the suppression.

Animals

Splenic and granuloma T-lymphocyte responses to fractionated soluble egg antigens of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

Soluble egg antigens (SEA) secreted by the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni worms induce a T-cell-mediated granulomatous response that is principally responsible for the pathology of the disease. In the present study sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated SEA proteins were divided into nine fractions (less than 21, 25 to 30, 32 to 38, 40 to 46, 50 to 56, 60 to 66, 70 to 90, 93 to 125, and greater than 200 kDa), electroeluted, and utilized in in vitro lymphoproliferation assays. T-cell-enriched spleen cells from acutely infected mice responded to all nine fractions, while those from chronically infected mice responded to only the 50- to 56- and the 60- to 66-kDa fractions. Depletion of the CD4+ T-cell subset among acute and chronic-infection spleen cells abrogated the response. Depletion of the CD8+ T-cell population resulted in increased proliferation in response to fractions by acute-infection T cells and facilitated responsiveness to hitherto-inactive SEA fractions in chronic-infection T cells. Acute-infection CD4+ granuloma T cells responded to the 40- to 46-, 50- to 56-, 70- to 90-, 93- to 125-, and greater than 200-kDa fractions, while the chronic-infection granuloma T cells responded only to the greater than 200-kDa fraction of SEA. Selective depletion of the CD4+ T-cell subset when acute-infection granuloma lymphocytes were tested abrogated proliferation, whereas subset depletions when chronic-infection granuloma cells were tested indicated that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells respond to the greater than 200-kDa fraction. The present study reveals differences between acute- and chronic-infection splenic and granuloma T cells in the pattern of T-cell blastogenic responses to fractionated SEA.

Acute Disease

Identification of larval cross-reactive and egg-specific antigens involved in granuloma formation in murine schistosomiasis mansoni.

Cross-reactive humoral immune responses between antigens of different developmental stages of the worm Schistosoma mansoni have previously been demonstrated. In contrast, information on antigenic cross-reactivity at the T-cell level is still very sparse. The present study examined the cross-reactive T-cell responses to eggs and crude and fractionated soluble egg antigens (SEA) in infected mice prior to (from 0 to 4 weeks of infection) and after (5 weeks and onwards) egg deposition. Splenic lymphocyte proliferation to unfractionated SEA was detected as early as 2 weeks postinfection and increased rapidly by 4 weeks postinfection. Injections of live eggs into the lungs of infected mice at 4 weeks postinfection demonstrated enhanced granuloma formation, indicating the presence of primed T cells that respond to egg antigens. Further experiments with the artificial granuloma model and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated SEA fractions demonstrated that in mice infected for 4 weeks the 60- to 66-, 93- to 125-, and greater than 200-kDa SEA fraction-coated beads elicited significant pulmonary granulomas. By 6 weeks postinfection, when eggs are deposited in the livers, in addition to the cross-reactive fractions (60 to 66, 93 to 125, and greater than 200 kDa), beads coated with fractions of 25 to 30, 32 to 38, and 70 to 90 kDa also elicited significant granulomatous reactions. These antigenic fractions are considered to have elicited egg stage-specific T-cell responsiveness. In addition hepatic granuloma T cells from the 6th week of infection demonstrated the strongest blastogenic response to the 60- to 66-kDa cross-reactive fraction. Thus, in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated T-cell cross-reactivity between the larval and egg stages of the worm. On the basis of these observations, the appearance of the primary circumovum granulomatous response in infected mice is considered to represent the sum of larval cross-reactive and egg-specific T-cell responsiveness.

Animals

Regulation of granulomatous inflammation in murine schistosomiasis. IV. Antigen-induced suppressor T cells down-regulate proliferation and IL-2 production.

In murine schistosomiasis mansoni the cell-mediated immune response to the deposited eggs is mediated by CD4+ delayed-type hypersensitivity effector T (TDH) cells that produce vigorous granulomatous responses in the liver and intestines of acutely infected animals. The response is significantly down-modulated in chronically infected mice by Ag-specific Ts cells. The present study was undertaken to establish an in vitro model by which TDH-Ts cell interactions could be analyzed. To this end, Ts cells were induced in vitro by preculture of chronic or acute infection spleen cells with soluble egg Ag (SEA) for 48 h. The induced cells suppressed the SEA-specific proliferation of acute infection spleen cells by 80 to 95%. The induced suppressor cells were Ag specific in both induction and elicitation of function, and were not cytotoxic to the acute infection splenic target cells. Suppression by the induced cells was manifested within the first 24 h of the SEA-induced response as IL-2 produced by acute infection spleen cells was suppressed 62%. Phenotypic analysis by flow cytometry of the induced suppressor cells showed that CD8+ cells from acute infection spleens and CD4+ and CD8+ cells from chronic infection spleens were effector Ts cells. Taken together, CD4+ and CD8+ SEA-specific Ts cells can be induced in vitro to effectively suppress the SEA-specific lymphoproliferation and IL-2 production of acute infection spleen cells. Establishment of this in vitro model will allow us to further analyze the mechanisms of Ts cell-mediated suppression of TDH cells.

Animals

Changing patterns of lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 production and utilization, and IL-2 receptor expression in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

In murine schistosomiasis mansoni the soluble egg Ag (SEA)-induced L3T4+ T cell-mediated circumoval granulomatous response peaks at the acute stage (8w) and undergoes Lyt-1+, Lyt-2+ suppressor cell mediated down-modulation at the chronic stage (20w) of the infection. In the present study lymphoproliferation, IL-2 production, utilization, and IL-2R display were examined in splenic lymphocytes of infected mice. The L3T4+ subset was the major SEA-specific proliferative population at both stages of the infection. Chronic infection spleen cells or the L3T4+ subset proliferated less compared with their acute infection counterparts. Elimination of the Lyt-2+ subset did not improve diminished proliferation. Chronic infection cells and the Lyt-2+ subset stimulated with SEA and exogenous rIL-2 regained their proliferative ability to a level comparable with acute infection cells. Ag-stimulated acute infection T cells produced 40 to 50 chronic infection cells less than 5 U/ml IL-2. Elimination of L3T4+ T cells diminished, and the Lyt-2+ T cells left unchanged IL-2 production in the acute infection cells. Elimination of Lyt-2+ subset from the chronic infection population did not enhance IL-2 production. Exogenously added rIL-2 was equally utilized by acute or chronic infection T cells. Scatchard plots of [125I]IL-2 binding showed similar numbers of high affinity receptors on acute (189) and chronic infection cells (118), but the number of low affinity receptors was higher on the acute (2229) vs the chronic infection lymphocytes (578). Analysis of IL-2R expression by two-color fluorescence and flow cytometry revealed that 30 to 40% of the acute, chronic infection L3T4+ cells displayed receptor. Receptor expression increased by added SEA, or SEA + rIL-2. R display among Lyt-2+ cells was only 12 to 18%. SEA stimulation enhanced receptor display more among the acute, SEA + rIL-2 stimuli raised receptor expression only among chronic infection lymphocytes. These data do not show inherent defect in IL-2R display, or utilization in chronic infection T cells. Diminished IL-2 production appears to be the cause of decreased T cell responsiveness.

Acute Disease

Recombinant IL-2 therapy reverses diminished granulomatous responsiveness in anti-L3T4-treated, Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

We have previously shown, that anti-L3T4 mAb treatment strongly suppressed granuloma formation in the liver, and IL-2 production in the spleen of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. In the present study the dynamics of IL-2 production was delineated during the infection, and the effect of rIL-2 treatment on granulomatous responsiveness was examined. IL-2 production in soluble egg Ag-stimulated spleen cells of mice was detectable at 6, peaked at 8 and waned by 20 wk of the infection. In contrast, Con A stimulus elicited high levels of IL-2 production by 8 wk which remained nearly unchanged throughout the infection. Administration of rIL-2 to acutely infected, anti-L3T4 mAb-treated, or chronically infected mice reversed the diminished or modulated granulomatous responses without restoring the ability for endogenous IL-2 production. Transfer of spleen cells of anti-L3T4 mAb-treated, chronically infected mice did not indicate a role for Ts cells in the impaired production of IL-2 in recipients. These data suggest that lack of IL-2 production can play an important role in the immunoregulation of the granulomatous response.

Animals

Interactions between adherent mononuclear cells and lymphocytes from granulomas of mice with schistosomiasis mansoni.

T-lymphocyte-adherent mononuclear cell interaction was analyzed in the vigorous and immunomodulated liver granulomas of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. Collagenase-dispersed granulomas contained 15% lymphocytes, 30% macrophages, 50% eosinophilis, and some neutrophils. Dispersed granuloma cells stimulated with concanavalin A or soluble worm egg antigens (SEA) did not proliferate unless plate-adherent, esterase-positive mononuclear cells were removed before culture. To analyze the granuloma adherent cell-mediated suppression, vigorous granuloma cell cultures partially depleted of adherent mononuclear cells were supplemented with indomethacin, catalase, superoxide dismutase, levamisole, and anti-murine alpha/beta interferon antiserum. In concanavalin A and SEA-stimulated cultures, only the addition of indomethacin or anti-alpha/beta interferon antiserum alleviated the adherent cell-mediated suppression of vigorous granuloma lymphocyte response. In contrast, these agents only minimally alleviated the suppressed response of SEA-stimulated, immunomodulated granuloma lymphocytes. Moreover, coculture of equal numbers of vigorous and immunomodulated granuloma cells partially depleted of adherent suppressor cells abrogated the alleviated response of vigorous granuloma lymphocytes. These findings indicate that, within the schistosome egg-induced vigorous granulomas, the adherent mononuclear cells exert regulation over lymphocyte responsiveness by alpha/beta-interferon and an indomethacin-sensitive, probably prostaglandin-mediated pathway. Within the immunomodulated granulomas, the adherent suppressor cell-mediated regulation of lymphocyte proliferation appears to play a lesser role.

Animals

Characterization of granuloma T lymphocyte function from Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

This study was undertaken to characterize and compare T lymphocyte function from the vigorous and modulated liver granulomas of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. Although both types of lesion contained equal percentages of T lymphocytes, the T cell subset distribution was different. For vigorous lesions, the ratio of helper/effector to suppressor/cytotoxic T cells was 2 to 3:1. For modulated lesions the ratio was lower (1:1). Differences in the phenotypic profiles of vigorous and modulated granuloma (Gr) T cells were reflected in their functional activity. Vigorous Gr T cells were more active in lymphoproliferation, IL-2 production, and granuloma formation than those from modulated lesions. Moreover, modulated Gr T cells suppressed the functional activity of vigorous Gr T cells in a dose-dependent manner. The selective depletion of T cell subsets showed that phenotypically, the Gr delayed-hypersensitivity T cell is L3T4+, Lyt-1+ whereas the Gr Ts cell is an Lyt-2+ lymphocyte. Both of these T cell subsets are present in vigorous and modulated lesions. During acute infection, delayed-hypersensitivity T cell lymphocyte functions predominate, whereas Ts lymphocyte functions appear to prevail during chronic infection.

Animals

Immunopathology of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Schistosomiasis mansoni is a chronic helminthic disease that affects about 100 million people in the tropics. The worms have a life span of 5 to 10 years, and they live in the mesenteric veins of the host. Lightly infected individuals are asymptomatic or manifest mild intestinal symptoms. Heavily infected individuals often develop severe morbidity with hepatosplenomegaly, sometimes with a fatal outcome. Morbidity is attributed to the strong humoral and T-cell-mediated host immune responses developed to a variety of parasite antigens and expressed as tissue inflammations. The immunopathology includes dermatitis, immune complex-mediated kidney disease, and, chiefly, T-cell-mediated granuloma formation and fibrosis around disseminated parasite eggs. This review describes the mechanisms of induction and expression of immunopathology in infected persons and experimental animals. Immunoregulatory mechanisms that modulate the enhanced immune responses and may ameliorate excessive morbidity are discussed.

Acute Disease

Detection of alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 1-protease inhibitor, and neutral protease-antiprotease complexes within liver granulomas of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

In schistosomiasis mansoni the parasite egg-induced granulomatous tissue inflammations resolve by fibrosis. Intralesional collagen synthesis and deposition are influenced by collagenase, elastase activity that is diminished at the chronic stage of the disease. To determine the cause of diminished neutral protease activity, the authors determined levels of the antiprotease/alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) and alpha 1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1Pi) in extracts or secretions of liver granulomas of infected mice. By ELISA, both antiproteases were detected in granuloma-derived substances, as well as supernatants of cultured, adherent granuloma macrophages. In all samples, alpha 2M was the predominant inhibitor. Antiprotease levels were similar in granuloma-derived samples obtained from acutely and chronically infected mice. However, supernatants of cultured adherent macrophages isolated from granulomas of mice with acute infection contained levels of protease inhibitors several times higher than those of similar preparations obtained from chronically infected animals. Gel filtration of samples on Sephacryl S-200 columns did not separate collagenase and elastase from protease inhibitors. By chromatofocusing, a few inhibitor-free collagenase as well as enzyme-free alpha 2M and alpha 1Pi-active peaks were eluted. The bulk of the material that eluted at the acidic region contained protease-antiprotease activity indicating the presence of enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The intragranulomatous presence of antiproteases complexed with protease enzymes emphasizes their importance in the possible enhancement of fibrosis.

Animals

Regulation of granulomatous inflammation in murine schistosomiasis. III. Recruitment of antigen-specific I-J+ T suppressor cells of the granulomatous response by I-J+ soluble suppressor factor.

Down-modulation of the schistosome egg-induced granulomatous response involves various interacting subsets of T suppressor (TS) lymphocytes. In the present study the inductive phase of the process of modulation was analyzed. A soluble, I-J+ granuloma TS cell recruiting factor (Gr-TSRF) derived from spleen cells of chronically infected mice is described. This factor eluted from immunoabsorbent columns coupled with anti-I-Jk alloantisera induced the recruitment and expansion of antigen-specific I-J+ TS cells from a TS precursor cell population in the spleens of acutely infected mice. The recruited TS cells suppressed the granulomatous response of normal recipients in a 2-day adoptive transfer model. The antigenic specificity of the recruited TS cells was demonstrated by their inability to suppress KLH-induced artificial granulomatous response. This mechanism of recruitment described in the current study and illustrated by adoptive transfer experiments is likely to be active in vivo in initiating the process of spontaneous modulation. The I-J+ Gr-TSRF and the I-J+ TS cell described in this paper, together with the previously described H-2 restricted I-C+ factor and the subsets of TS cells (THs, TSe, TSpr), indicate the existence of an intricate, regulatory pathway(s) that operates during the modulation of the granulomatous response.

Animals

Population dynamics of T and B lymphocytes in the lymphoid organs, circulation, and granulomas of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

The T and B lymphocyte composition of the lymphoid organs, peripheral blood, and hepatic granulomas was determined in mice lightly infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Apart from an increase of circulating B cells, no change was seen in the distribution of lymphocytes prior to oviposition. Thereafter (8-20 weeks), a pronounced trend toward increased B and increased T cell percentages occurred throughout the organs. This effect was largely due to marked increases in the B cell population which outweighed increases of T cells occurring at 8 and 16 weeks. By the late chronic period (32 weeks), an overall normalization of percentages was observed due to declining B and/or increasing T cell numbers. Hepatic granulomas also showed notable compositional changes. At the time of maximum granulomatous response (8 weeks), the lymphocyte population of these lesions consisted primarily of T cells. Subsequently, during the time of modulated granuloma formation (12-32 weeks), B-cells became a significant component, comprising 10% of the granuloma cell population. The appearance of B cells within granulomas may indicate that they play a role in modulating granulomatous hypersensitivity.

Animals

Modulation of granulomatous hypersensitivity. I. Characterization of T lymphocytes involved in the adoptive suppression of granuloma formation in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

The cellular basis of the spontaneous modulation of the granulomatous response to schistosome eggs was analyzed in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Spleen cells of 20 or 32 week-infected mice undergoing modulation, when transferred to 6 week-infected recipients, suppressed the maximal granulomatous response at 8 weeks. Suppression of both naturally forming asynchronous liver and synchronously induced lung lesions was achieved. Specificity of this effect was demonstrated by the suppression of egg granulomas but not antigen-coated bead granulomas developing simultaneously in the lungs of cell recipients. Further characterization showed that suppression was abrogated by pretreating transferred cells with either anti-Thy 1.2 or anti-Iak alloantisera and C. Transfer of macrophage-depleted or fractionated T and B spleen cells confirmed that T cells alone transferred suppression. Moreover, an Ia antigen-bearing (Ia+) subpopulation of T cells was required in the transferred suppression. Moreover, an Ia antigen-bearing (Ia+) subpopulation of T cells was required in the transferred population. An examination of T cells obtained from isolated, dispersed lung granulomas from control and adoptively suppressed mice revealed an increased proportion of Ia+ cells in the latter. It is suggested that Ia+ T cells may be involved in the local modulation of the granulomatous response.

Animals

Fc-receptor-bearing macrophages isolated from hypersensitivity and foreign-body granulomas. Delineation of macrophage dynamics, fc receptor density/avidity and specificity.

Foreign-body and delayed hypersensitivity granulomas were induced in mice; and the dynamics of macrophages isolated from dispersed, 1--4-week-old lesions was delineated. The size and histologic complexity of the lesions increased as shown: adjuvant greater than schistosome egg greater than methylated bovine serum albumin greater than bead. Esterase staining, spreading on glass, and the percentage of Fc-receptor--bearing macrophages present in the various granulomas reflected the same gradient. The Fc receptors were examined by rosetting with rabbit-antibody--SRBC complex (EA). Whereas more than 90% of the population of macrophages of the dermal adjuvant granuloma contained undiminished numbers of receptor-bearing macrophages throughout the 4 weeks, the percentage of macrophages that displayed receptors in pulmonary foreign-body (40%) and delayed hypersensitivity granulomas (70%) peaked at 1 week and subsequently declined. The EA rosetting of the foreign-body and delayed hypersensitivity granuloma macrophages was strongly inhibited by monomeric IgG2a-specific and weakly by aggregated IgG2b-specific mouse myeloma proteins. Also, macrophages of the delayed hypersensitivity granulomas rosetted in higher percentages with SRBCs coupled with monomeric IgC2a than with those coupled with aggregated IgG2b myeloma proteins. Macrophages of the foreign-body lesion did not react with aggregated IgG2b--SRBC. Rosetting with monomeric IgG2a--SRBC or aggregated IgG2b--SRBC could not be cross-inhibited by the myeloma proteins. Both the monomeric IgG2a--SRBC and aggregated IgG2b--SRBC complexes were readily phagocytized. Trypsin treatment of the macrophages inhibited rosetting with EA or myeloma-protein--coupled SRBCs. The display of Fc receptors on the granuloma macrophages seems to be related to the etiology of the lesion and the intensity and duration of the inflammatory reaction.

Animals