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Biomedical subjects

E Payer

Publications and source records attributed to E Payer.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Cytokine pattern of Langerhans cells isolated from murine epidermal cell cultures.

In the present study we demonstrate that supernatants of highly enriched cultured Langerhans cells (cLC) display IL-1, IL-6, granulocyte/macrophage (GM)-CSF, and TNF-alpha, but no IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, and IFN-gamma activities. We further show that IL-6, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha bioactivities can be specifically blocked in the presence of the respective neutralizing mAb. Concerning the IL-1 bioactivity, the combined use of anti-IL-1 alpha and anti-IL-1 beta mAb was needed to completely inhibit the proliferative response of the indicator cell line D10. One of the difficulties in studying the secretory potential of LC is that even highly enriched cLC are contaminated with keratinocytes (KC), which are known to be a rich source of cytokines. To overcome this problem we compared cytokine bioactivities in supernatants of cell cultures consisting of selected cLC:cKC ratios. These cell mixing experiments revealed that cLC are the major source of the IL-6 bioactivity, whereas IL-1, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha are predominantly generated by cKC. In order to determine whether the cytokine bioactivities measured in supernatants of epidermal cell cultures are simply caused by an increased release or by de novo synthesis, we performed molecular biologic studies. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of cLC and cKC revealed that IL-1 beta and IL-6 transcripts are virtually limited to cLC, whereas IL-1 alpha, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha messages are preferentially exhibited by cKC. mRNA coding for IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, and IFN-gamma could neither be amplified from cLC nor from cKC. Furthermore, the quantitative comparison of cytokine transcripts in cLC vs cKC using Northern blot analysis and mRNA detection on the single cell level using in situ hybridization confirmed that cLC generate IL-6, whereas cKC synthesize IL-1 alpha and GM-CSF. Taken together our results demonstrate that cultured murine LC synthesize and secrete IL-1 beta and IL-6, cytokines known to be important accessory molecules in T cell activation.

Animals

Fetal skin: a site of dendritic epidermal T cell development.

Thy-1 Ag and CD3-associated TCR-gamma (V gamma 3)/delta (V delta 1) are coexpressed on virtually all dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) in the adult mouse. In contrast, day 16 fetal mouse skin contains small numbers of CD45+/Thy-1+/CD3- but no CD3+ cells. To see whether the CD45+/Thy-1+/CD3- fetal skin cells can qualify as DETC precursors, we transplanted day 16 fetal skin of C57BL/6 (Thy-1.2) mice onto adult B6Pl-Thy-1a (Thy-1.1) animals. At certain time points after transplantation, grafts were analyzed for the presence of Thy-1 and CD3/TCR Ag. Examination of the grafts, 4 days after transplantation, revealed the presence of few donor-type Thy-1.2+/CD3- and some Thy-1.2+/CD3+ epidermal cells of either round or dendritic configuration. At 10 weeks after transplantation, essentially all CD45+/Thy-1.2+ epidermal cells were anti-TCR V gamma 3 and anti-CD3-reactive, displayed a uniformly dendritic configuration, and, thus, represent DETC. Our assumption that CD45+/Thy-1+/CD3- cells are the only lymphocytes within day 16 fetal skin gained additional support by the observations: 1) that unfractionated as well as anti-CD45 gated single cell suspensions prepared from day 16 fetal skin were consistently devoid of anti-CD3 epsilon and anti-TCR V gamma 3-reactive cells; and 2) that stimulation of these cell suspensions with either Con A plus IL-2 or IL-2 alone regularly resulted in the outgrowth of CD45+/Thy-1+/CD3-/TCR V gamma 3- cells, but never in the appearance of CD45+/Thy-1+/CD3+/TCR V gamma 3+ cells. Our additional finding that Con A plus IL-2- or IL-2-stimulated day 16 fetal skin cells and cell lines derived therefrom contain transcripts of some (CD3 gamma, TCR C beta, TCR C gamma 1, TCR C gamma 4) but not of other (CD3 delta, CD3 epsilon, TCR C alpha, TCR C delta) genes encoding the CD3/TCR complex suggests that Thy-1+/CD3- fetal murine skin cells are of T cell lineage. We therefore propose that the fetal skin microenvironment can provide the stimuli promoting growth and maturation of CD3/TCR V gamma 3/V delta 1-expressing DETC from their CD3- precursors.

Animals

Demonstration of a CD3+ lymphocyte subset in the epidermis of athymic nude mice. Evidence for T cell receptor diversity.

The existence of CD3/TCR-bearing lymphocytes in athymic and thymectomized chimeric mice implies that T cell maturation can occur in the absence of a thymus. Considering the possibility that the epidermis may be one of the organs providing T cell educating stimuli, we attempted to characterize the Thy-1+ epidermal lymphocyte population of athymic mice. Immunohistologic studies of epidermal sheets revealed (1) that Thy-1+ epidermal cells of C57BL/6 nu/nu mice are CD5-, CD4-, and predominantly CD8-, and (2) that a minor subset of these cells displays anti-CD3 epsilon reactivity. Although these CD3+ epidermal cells could hardly be detected at 6 wk of age, they comprised approximately 2% of all Thy-1+ epidermal cells in 12-mo-old athymic mice. Most of these CD3+ cells expressed TCR-gamma/delta, but TCR-alpha/beta+ cells were also present. TCR-gamma/delta+ epidermal T cells of athymic mice preferentially expressed TCR V gamma 2, V gamma 4, and V gamma 5 specificities rather than TCR V gamma 3 as found on DETC of euthymic mice. Using mitogenic stimuli, we have succeeded in establishing cell lines and clones from BALB/c nu/nu and C57BL/6 nu/nu epidermis. Their marker profile corresponds to that seen on resident CD3+ epidermal cells, as well as on a very small subset of CD3+ splenic and lymph node lymphocytes of athymic mice. The ontogenetic relationship, if any, between the epidermal and lymphoid CD3+, CD5-, CD4-, CD8- cells, has yet to be clarified. Cell lines/clones representative of resident CD3+ epidermal cells of nu/nu mice should provide a useful tool in the elucidation of homing patterns and functional properties of extrathymically matured T cells.

Age Factors

Circulating CD3+/T cell receptor V gamma 3+ fetal murine thymocytes home to the skin and give rise to proliferating dendritic epidermal T cells.

The presence of CD3/TCR V gamma 3 moieties on both dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) and fetal murine thymocytes has led to the concept that fetal thymocytes expressing this particular TCR phenotype are the actual DETC precursors. To test this assumption, we injected i.v. thymocyte suspensions prepared from day 16 and day 19 fetal mice as well as from adult animals, into syngeneic and Thy-1-disparate nude mice, the epidermis of which contains only Thy-1+/CD3- lymphocytes. Phenotypic analysis of the recipient epidermis by in situ immunolabeling revealed that injection of day 16 and day 19 fetal, but not of adult, thymocytes resulted in the appearance of distinct clusters of DETC as judged by their dendritic morphology and uniform expression of CD3/TCR V gamma 3 receptors. The presence of CD3+/TCR V gamma 3+ cells in the fetal, but not in the adult, thymocyte population(s) together with the failure to detect DETC after transfer of Thy-1+/CD3- fetal thymocytes strongly suggest that CD3+/TCR V gamma 3+ thymocytes are the DETC precursors. Kinetic studies of the DETC population from 2 to 12 wk after cell transfer revealed a substantial increase in the cell density within the DETC clusters that was not accompanied by an increase in the number of clusters. Thus, it appears that newly arriving DETC undergo proliferative activity in situ. Collectively, our results show that, under the experimental conditions chosen, CD3+/TCR V gamma 3+ fetal thymocytes are actual DETC precursors. Although it is not clear whether these experimental conditions are representative of the in vivo situation, they may serve as a useful model for studying the mechanisms underlying the homing properties of different lymphocyte subsets.

Aging