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Biomedical subjects

D Zucker-Franklin

Publications and source records attributed to D Zucker-Franklin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Human lymphotropic retroviruses associated with mycosis fungoides: evidence that human T-cell lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) as well as HTLV-I may play a role in the disease.

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is causally associated with adult T-cell leukemia, but its role in mycosis fungoides (MF) has remained enigmatic. The virus is suspect because a small percentage of patients with MF have antibodies to it, the cells of others harbor deleted HTLV-I proviral sequences, and particles resembling HTLV-I emerge in cultured blood lymphocytes obtained from most patients. An alternative possibility is that disparate lymphotropic retroviruses may infect or affect a population of epidermotropic lymphocytes, leading to the same outcome, ie, MF. In studies designed to identify the particles detected in lymphocyte cultures of nine patients with a diagnosis of skin involvement characteristic of MF, this concept has gained support. While the cells of four patients provided evidence of HTLV-I infection, molecular hybridization with HTLV-II-specific pol probes showed HTLV-II in the cells of another patient. The 103-bp fragment amplified by the HTLV-II-specific probe was sequenced and proved to have greater than 90% homology with the same fragment amplified from cells known to be infected with HTLV-II. A role for HTLV-II in MF has not been suggested heretofore. Therefore, HTLV-I, HTLV-II, and their incomplete forms may be found in cells of MF patients, suggesting new theories regarding the pathogenesis of this disease.

Base Sequence

Apparent ineffectiveness of natural killer cells vis-à-vis retrovirus-infected targets.

The role of NK cells in the defense against retroviral infections is ill defined. The discovery of the pathogenic human retroviruses and their epidemic spread have made more urgent a better understanding of how such infections may be naturally controlled. Therefore, a systematic study was undertaken to determine whether NK cells obtained from healthy individuals are able to recognize and lyse target cells that have been infected with HTLV-I, HTLV-II, or HIV. The studies demonstrated that NK cells can recognize retrovirus-infected cells as evidenced by rapid conjugation, but that neither freshly isolated, nor IL-2 stimulated cells cause lysis of such targets. As has been reported for NK-resistant tumor cells, removal of sialic acid residues rendered the retrovirus-infected target cells vulnerable to NK cell attack. Although these data do not suggest that boosting natural immunity would be a useful treatment modality for patients with AIDS or HTLV-related diseases, the observations may help to explain why the small number of cells that harbor retroviruses in patients with subclinical infection are not eliminated.

Cytotoxicity, Immunologic

Characterization of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-positive cells in human umbilical cord blood: their potential usefulness as megakaryocyte progenitors.

A need for hematopoietic stem cells, particularly cells destined to enter the megakaryocyte (MK) series, prompted phenotypic analysis of mononuclear leukocytes in human cord blood. To this end, immunohistochemical, flow cytometric, and ultrastructural techniques were used. The immunogold silver enhancement method (IGS) for the detection of the MK-specific glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa epitopes combined with a monocyte-specific stain for alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase proved to be superior to flow cytometry (FACS) for precise quantitation of cell types in each sample. Immunoelectron microscopy afforded a description of distinctions between precursors bearing GPIIb/IIIa epitopes and other stem cells of the myeloid series. The number of presumed MK progenitors was surprisingly high, averaging 1.8% +/- 1.3% (range, 0.2% to 4.6%) by IGS and 4.1% +/- 3.0% (range, 0.2% to 9.3%) by FACS analysis. The occurrence of GPIIb/IIIa-positive denuded MK nuclei in cord blood was of interest, but was too small to affect these data. These observations should advocate a greater use of cord blood for restitution of MK/platelet-lineage-depleted patients as well as for experimental studies concerned with MK differentiation.

Antigens, CD

Specific ligation of surface alpha-D-galactosyl epitopes markedly affects the quantity of four major proteins secreted by macrophages.

Activated macrophages (M phi s) have terminal alpha-D-galactosyl (alpha D-Gal) residues on their membranes that are not apparent on resting cells. Ligation of these epitopes with Griffonia simplicifolia I-B4 (GSI-B4), a lectin that has specificity for alpha-D-Gal residues, alters selected M phi functions. To explore the mechanism(s) that may be responsible for some of the functional changes, alterations in the secretory pattern of [35S]methionine-labeled proteins were assessed when cells were cultured with or without this ligand. The proteins were identified by Western blots and quantitated. Interestingly, alpha-D-Gal ligation proved to decrease the secretion of some proteins while increasing the secretion of others. Some of the most significant changes were observed in four proteins: fibronectin and transglutaminase were down-regulated by 55 and 66% respectively, while plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2 was increased by 259% and collagenase was increased 1000-fold. These observations show that the emergence of new oligosaccharide epitopes, such as alpha-D-Gal, concomitant with M phi activation may serve to mediate the transduction of signals that cause quantitative changes in the elaboration of diverse M phi products. The biologic significance of the four identified proteins has been well established. Fluctuations in their levels are likely to play a role at sites of chronic inflammation.

Animals

Effects of human interleukin-6 on megakaryocyte development and thrombocytopoiesis in primates.

Recombinant human interleukin-6 (IL-6) has previously been shown to increase platelet counts in mice and primates. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, serial analyses were performed on megakaryocytes obtained from rhesus monkeys treated for 8 days with 30 micrograms/kg/d of recombinant human IL-6. Platelet counts increased to a maximum of 7.8 x 10(5)/microL with biphasic peaks on days 7 and 12 without significant changes in platelet volumes. Large increases in DNA content were seen by two-color flow cytometry and digital image analysis. Ploidy distribution underwent a significant shift between study days 3 and 11 (P less than .0001) with large increases in the frequency of 64N and 128N megakaryocytes. The modal ploidy increased from the normal 16N to 64N. Megakaryocyte size, as measured by area, was increased 2- to 2.7-fold. On day 3, multiple megakaryocytes were seen in endomitosis, along with an abundance of young cells with wide, organelle-free peripheral zones. The giant megakaryocytes seen on days 5 to 7 exhibited marked membrane hyperplasia that occupied much of the cell. Emperipolesis occurred frequently, as did megakaryocyte cell death. No giant platelets were seen. We conclude that IL-6 significantly alters the process of megakaryocyte maturation and thrombocytopoiesis, and that these effects, at least in the doses of IL-6 administered, should not be equated with the physiologic mechanisms operative during accelerated platelet production.

Animals

Detection of human T-lymphotropic virus-like particles in cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with mycosis fungoides.

Because of seronegativity and absence of a leukemic phase in most patients with mycosis fungoides, a role for the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in this disease has remained tenuous. Virus particles are not seen in fresh isolates of skin or blood lymphocytes and the malignant cells (Sézary cells) have been difficult to culture. The availability of growth factors and biomolecular techniques have prompted a renewed attempt to find evidence of virus infection in these patients. We report here the successful culture of blood lymphocytes of 17 patients with mycosis fungoides and 1 patient with the Sézary syndrome. The cells of 2 additional patients failed to grow after 4-6 weeks in vitro. Ultrastructural analysis of the cultures showed an abundance of HTLV-like particles in the specimens of 18 of the 20 patients. Preliminary immunohistochemical studies carried out with various antisera directed against HTLV-I and the polymerase chain reaction utilizing a probe for a conserved region of the pol gene of HTLV-I were positive on only a portion of the specimens. Although definitive characterization of this organism awaits further analysis, it seems likely that circulating lymphocytes of all patients with mycosis fungoides harbor a virus that morphologically resembles HTLV-I.

Blotting, Southern

Macrophage membrane glycoproteins that bind Griffonia simplicifolia I-B4: effect on cytotoxicity and protein secretion.

Thioglycollate elicited peritoneal (TG-Møs) but not resident peritoneal Møs (R-Møs) were found to bind the lectin Griffonia simplicifolia isotype I-B4 (GSI-B4). This was demonstrated by ultrastructural studies and FACS analyses. Membranes from TG-Møs were isolated, separated on SDS-PAGE, electrotransferred onto nitrocellulose, and exposed to peroxidase-labeled GSI-B4. These procedures revealed two major membrane glycoproteins of molecular weights 180,000 and 94,000 daltons that bound the lectin GSI-B4 which has a specificity for recognizing terminal alpha-galactosyl residues. The presence of these epitopes on the two membrane glycoproteins was further substantiated by the fact that treatment of the membranes with alpha-galactosidase destroyed their capacity to bind GSI-B4 and that alpha-D-galactopyranoside but not N-acetyl-D-glucosamine competitively inhibited GSI-B4 from binding to the glycoproteins. Treatment of TG-Møs with GSI-B4 reduced the capacity of interferon (IFN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or IFN alone, to induce Mø mediated cytotoxicity towards tumor cells by as much as 40%. GSI-B4 also caused alterations in the pattern of biosynthetically 35S-methionine labeled secreted proteins as early as 2 hours after contact with TG-Møs. Out of 35 discernible proteins on fluorograms of SDS-PAGE separated proteins, 5 were down-regulated and 9 were enhanced. It is suggested that the two novel Mø membrane proteins may play a role in regulating the response of Mø subpopulations to their humoral and cellular environments.

Animals

Cystatin C and cathepsin B production by alveolar macrophages from smokers and nonsmokers.

The capacity of alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained from smokers and nonsmokers to secrete cathepsin B and its inhibitor cystatin C was examined because of the concept that an imbalance in the production of proteolytic enzymes and/or their inhibitors could be responsible for the lung damage seen in smokers. Quantitation of immunoprecipitates on Western blots showed that the amount of total cystatin C secreted into the culture medium by AM of smokers was significantly greater than the amount secreted by cells obtained from nonsmokers, whereas the difference between the amount of cathepsin B secreted by the AM of smokers and that from nonsmokers did not appear significant. The cystatin C found in the medium conditioned by AM of nonsmokers appeared to be more heterogeneous in molecular size, presenting either as a single band of about 14 Kd or as a high-molecular-weight triplet of about 69 Kd, 63 Kd, and 57.3 Kd. Furthermore, in some cases there were single or doublet bands at 14 Kd as well as the high-molecular-weight triplets. In contrast, smokers AM-conditioned medium uniformly possessed both the low-and the high-molecular-weight cystatin C. Cathepsin B was not detected in Western blots at its reported molecular weights but was identified at the exact area occupied by the higher molecular weight cystatin C, i.e., at bands corresponding to 69 Kd, 63 Kd, and 57.3 Kd. Therefore, it is clear that in culture media of AM, cystatin C and cathepsin B are present as proteinase-antiproteinase complexes. The observation also suggests that in smokers an excess of cystatin C may be elaborated, which, if further substantiated, would show for the first time a likely role for this proteinase inhibitor in vivo.

Adult

Internalization of human immunodeficiency virus type I and other retroviruses by megakaryocytes and platelets.

Direct infection of megakaryocytes and platelets by human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) or other retroviruses has not been demonstrated. To determine whether this could occur, murine bone marrow was co-cultivated with the amphotropic retrovirus-producing cell line PA317-N2, and freshly isolated normal human bone marrow and platelets were co-cultivated with HIV-infected H9 cells. In each case, ultrastructural analyses showed viruses within megakaryocytes and platelets. In murine specimens, the uptake of retrovirus was avid at all stages of differentiation. In human specimens, viral uptake was less frequent. These results suggest that direct infection of megakaryocytes could play a role in the pathophysiology of HIV-associated disease. In addition, these observations suggest that cells of the megakaryocyte lineage could serve as target cells in gene transfer experiments using retroviral-based vectors.

Animals

CD4-independent, productive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection of hepatoma cell lines in vitro.

Five hepatoma cell lines, including CZHC/8571, PLC/PRF/5, Hep3B, HepG2, and HUH7, were inoculated with three diverse isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Productive infection was noted in all hepatoma cell lines, and expression of viral p24 antigen lasted for over 3 months, but its level decreased in proportion to the number of viable cells. HIV-1 antigens were also found in the cells by immunohistochemical staining and radioimmunoprecipitation assay, as were viral RNA by in situ hybridization and HIV-1-like particles by electron microscopy. Virus yield assays were also positive on supernatant fluids collected from hepatoma cultures inoculated with HIV-1. Despite their susceptibility to infection, all five hepatoma cell lines were negative for CD4 by immunofluorescence and for CD4 mRNA by slot-blot hybridization. In addition, HIV-1 infection of hepatoma cell lines was not blocked by anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody or soluble CD4. Together, these findings clearly demonstrate that all five hepatoma cell lines were susceptible to productive infection by HIV-1 in vitro via a CD4-independent mechanism.

CD4 Antigens

Phorbol ester-induced loss of membrane sialic acid: implications for tumor cytolysis by natural killer cells.

Freeze-fracture analysis has shown that treatment of cells with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) results in a loss of intramembranous particles (IMP) associated with the external leaflet of their plasma membranes. It has also been demonstrated that phorbol esters markedly enhance the sensitivity of tumor targets to natural killer (NK) cells, although the mechanism underlying this phenomenon has remained unexplained. Since the ability of NK cells to recognize neoplasms appears to be inversely related to the concentration of sialic acid on the target cell surface, it seemed possible that phorbols affect membrane glycoproteins which have terminal carbohydrates bearing sialic acid residues. To investigate whether phorbol treatment could be responsible for the loss of sialic acid, four tumor cell lines were examined before and after exposure to PMA. A reduction in surface sialic acid was established by four different methods: 1) standard thiobarbituric acid analysis of cell hydrolysates, 2) metabolic labelling of cells with [3H]-mannosamine followed by treatment with neuraminidase, 3) chromatography of membrane extracts, and 4) freeze-fracture analysis of lectin-labelled intact cells. These observations suggest a mechanism whereby phorbols may facilitate NK-cell-mediated cytolysis. In addition, an entirely novel effect of these tumor-producing agents may have been uncovered.

Cell Membrane

Cell surface-associated proteinases in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity: enhancement of enzyme expression is unique to activation with interferon-alpha.

The human NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity reaction is sensitive to proteinase inhibitors with specificity for chymotrypsin-like enzymes inhibitable by 1-tosylamide 2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK). Evidence is presented in support of previous data suggesting that this type of cytotoxicity is attributable to enzymes associated with the surface membrane of the NK cell. Activation of the cells with IFN-alpha results in increased cytolytic activity, the suppression of which requires an almost two- to threefold increase in the concentration of proteinase inhibitors. Treatment of NK cells with IFN-alpha results in increased surface binding of [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate ([ 3H]DFP). This effect is not inhibited by cycloheximide (50 micrograms/ml), suggesting translocation of preexisting enzymes to the surface membrane. TPCK can compete with [3H]-DFP for binding to the cell surface and can abrogate the increase in [3H]DFP binding observed after IFN-alpha stimulation of the cells. Treatment with IFN-gamma does not increase cell surface-associated proteolytic activity and stimulation with IL-2 results in much smaller increments. The sensitivity of cytotoxicity to proteinase inhibitors is confined to the initial 2-5 min of the reaction. This suggests that cell surface-associated proteinases play a role in the programming of NK cells for lysis, whereas subsequent events may be dependent on secreted enzyme moieties.

Aprotinin

Megakaryocytes of human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals express viral RNA.

The pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is not fully understood. Immune mechanisms provide a partial explanation but fail to account for a lack of compensatory megakaryocytosis, the rapid reversal after treatment with azidothymidine, and the ultrastructural aberrations seen in the megakaryocytes of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Therefore, a direct effect of HIV on megakaryocytes was investigated. The bone marrow of HIV seropositive individuals was analyzed ultrastructurally, and the megakaryocytes of 10 thrombocytopenic patients were subjected to in situ hybridization with a HIV RNA probe. The structural aberrations in HIV megakaryocytes were distinct from those in HIV-negative immune thrombocytopenias, and the megakaryocytes of 10 of 10 patients examined by in situ hybridization unambiguously expressed viral RNA. Therefore, it is likely that direct infection of megakaryocytes with HIV-1 is one mechanism for the decrease in platelet production.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Structural changes in the megakaryocytes of patients infected with the human immune deficiency virus (HIV-1).

Although immune mechanisms are known to be partially responsible for the thrombocytopenia of patients infected with HIV-1, an understanding of the mechanism underlying this disorder is incomplete. A casual observation that bone marrow biopsies of HIV-infected individuals seem to exhibit an unusually large number of denuded megakaryocyte nuclei (DN-MK) prompted a study comparing MK of 20 HIV-seropositive individuals with those of 10 patients with HIV-negative idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and 10 hematologically normal subjects. In normal marrows the number of DN-MK average 2.1 +/- 0.5 SE per 10 low power field. In patients with ITP the average number was 6.5 +/- 1.4 SEM, whereas HIV-ITP marrows had an average of 42.5 +/- 3.7 SEM. Electron microscopy of AIDS megakaryocytes exhibited ballooning of the peripheral zone to an extent not seen by us in any other myelodysplastic syndromes. These observations support the concept that the pathophysiology affecting MK/platelets in HIV-infection should not be equated with the destructive process underlying other immune thrombocytopenias.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

The association of progressive, atrophying, chronic, granulomatous dermohypodermitis with Hodgkin's disease.

The case of a patient with an unusual skin disorder--progressive, atrophying, chronic, granulomatous dermohypodermitis (PACGD)--who developed Hodgkin's disease is reported. A review of the literature revealed only two other cases of PACGD, one of which affected a patient who also was found to have Hodgkin's disease. In an additional report, the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease was made in a patient who may have had the same dermatologic disorder. The case is reported because the association of these two rare diseases is believed to be more than a chance event.

Adult

Unmasking of cryptic natural killer (NK) cell recognition sites on chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes.

The sensitivity of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lymphocytes to attack by natural killer (NK) cells has remained questionable. To clarify this issue, freshly isolated lymphocytes of 37 patients with B-CLL, five with WDLL and two with HCL, were tested with a standard cytotoxicity assay with NK cells from normal donors. All these targets were resistant to cytolysis by the effectors. Freeze-fracture analysis of CLL cell plasma membranes revealed that they have a larger number of intramembranous particles (IMP) associated with the external leaflet (E-face) than have normal lymphocytes. Unlike other neoplastic cells, exposure of CLL lymphocytes to phorbol esters or treatment with neuraminidase did not render them vulnerable to attack by NK cells, nor did 5 days of culture have an effect. Incubation of CLL lymphocytes with anti-Ig-mu (24-72 hr) or with 0.1% pepsin (15 min) resulted in 15% and 27% cytolysis, respectively. B-lymphocytes from the blood of healthy donors were not killed when treated similarly: These data establish that freshly isolated B-CLL lymphocytes are resistant to NK cytolysis but that in contrast to normal B-cells, they possess cryptic NK-recognition structures, which may be uncovered by surface modulation.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic