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Biomedical subjects

E Roussel

Publications and source records attributed to E Roussel.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

A rapid and reliable method for NO quantification and 15NO/14NO determination using isotope ratio mass spectrometry: an application for the detection of NO synthesis in propionibacteria.

For the last decade, numerous studies have focused on the positive or toxic effects of nitric oxide (NO) in procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. This gas has fundamental roles in neurotransmission, vasodilatation, cytotoxicity, and intestinal motility. The ability to produce NO by intestinal microflora or probiotic bacteria is unknown. In this preliminary study, we present a rapid and reproducible procedure for NO quantification and 15NO/14NO determination (based on the reaction between nitrite and acidic potassium iodide) by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Using this method, we have demonstrated for the first time in vitro production of NO by a dietary bacterium (Propionibacterium acidipropionici, Pa 1) under anaerobic culture conditions. Using different sources of nitrogen, we have clearly shown that propionibacteria can synthesize NO from reduction of nitrate or nitrite. In our experimental conditions, NO synthase was not involved in NO production by propionibacteria.

Anaerobiosis

Transendothelial migration induces rapid expression on neutrophils of granule-release VLA6 used for tissue infiltration.

Little is known of the mechanisms allowing neutrophils to infiltrate tissue after transendothelial migration. We postulated that VLA6 might be involved in neutrophil infiltration because it revealed as the most expressed beta1 integrins among VLA5, VLA4, and VLA3, which also appeared to define subsets within the blood neutrophil population. Transendothelial migration up-regulated by threefold (5,000 to 15,000 receptors) VLA6 expression on neutrophils. VLA6 up-regulation was transient, peaking in 6 min and returning to baseline in 1 h when tested in response to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. Neutrophil degranulation experiments revealed a steady correlation between expression of VLA6 and granule content release, notably beta-glucuronidase, indicating that VLA6 molecules were preformed and stored mostly in azurophilic granules. Migration across fibroblast monolayers of neutrophils preactivated for VLA6 up-regulation was blocked when they were preincubated with anti-VLA6. However, anti-VLA6 had no effect on transfibroblast migration of non-preactivated neutrophils. These results indicate that VLA6 was functional only on activated neutrophils that used their up-regulated VLA6 to cross fibroblasts. Activation of neutrophils by transendothelial migration induces rapid expression of granule release VLA6 that appears to be a key adhesion mechanism used by a subset of neutrophils to infiltrate tissue.

Cell Degranulation

Predominance of a type 2 intratumoural immune response in fresh tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes from human gliomas.

Increasing evidence suggests the existence of polarized human T cell responses described as Th1-type (promoting cell-mediated immunity) and Th2-type (promoting humoral immunity), characterized by a dominant production of either interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or IL-4, respectively. Little is known about the intratumoural activation of infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in human gliomas. Therefore, we assessed fresh TIL at cellular and molecular levels to find out if they were activated and polarized into a type 1 or 2 immune response. Flow cytometry analysis of TIL revealed that the major subset was made of T lymphocytes. Double labelling with alpha-CD3 and adhesion/ activation markers revealed T cell subsets expressing CD49a, CD49b, CD54, and CD15, some of which were almost absent in autologous T peripheral blood lymphocytes (T-PBL). Furthermore, the proportions of T-TIL expressing CD56, CD65, or CD25 were several-fold higher than in T-PBL. Intratumoural functional activation of TIL was tested by semiquantitative assessment in relative units (RU) of lymphokine gene activation with mRNA reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All TIL populations except one significantly expressed IL-4 1 to 2 logs of RU above healthy PBL baseline. Similarly, all patients expressed granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in a range comparable to IL-4. However, most TIL populations did not express IFN-gamma, IL-2, and tumour necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta) at higher levels than healthy normal PBL. The increase proportion of T cells expressing activation markers and the consistent detection of significant IL-4 and GM-CSF lymphokine gene activation in TIL populations suggested a predominant type 2 intratumoural immune response that does not promote cell-mediated tumouricidal activity and may contribute to the inefficiency of the antiglioma immune response.

Genes, Immunoglobulin

Little expression of cytokine mRNA by fresh tumour-infiltrating mononuclear leukocytes from glioma and lung adenocarcinoma.

We investigated whether cytokine genes were activated in human tumour-infiltrating mononuclear leukocytes (TIML) obtained from six lung adenocarcinomas and seven glioblastomas. TIML were extracted by mechanical disruption and isolated by double density gradient of Ficoll. We performed mRNA reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on these fresh (noncultured) TIML and autologous peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) using primers for the cytokines IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-2, IL-4, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma and TNF-beta. In addition, we compared patients' TIML and PBML populations with healthy normal and alpha-CD3 activated PBML as an optimally activated reference population. Gel bands of RT-PCR products were quantitated in relative units (RU) as a function of their size and intensity by computerized image-analysis. Lung and brain patients' TIML showed IL-1 beta and IL-6 cytokine mRNA expressed in the average of 2-log RU but not significantly different from autologous and normal healthy PBML. IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-beta also did not appear expressed in the TIML at higher levels than in autologous or healthy normal PBML. However in two thirds of patients, lung TIML could be distinguished from autologous PBML by specific expression of GM-CSF and from healthy normal PBML by expression of IL-4. Similarly, most brain TIML expressed mRNA significantly above healthy normal PBML for GM-CSF and IL-4. In comparison with alpha-CD3 activated healthy PBML, our results suggest that lung and brain TIML had detectable cytokine mRNA, but they seemed poorly activated in total number of genes and amount of cytokine mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Base Sequence

High expression of adhesion molecules/activation markers with little interleukin-2, interferon gamma, and tumor necrosis factor beta gene activation in fresh tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from lung adenocarcinoma.

Little is known about the activation level of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in human lung adenocarcinoma. We investigated the activation of fresh TIL at cellular and molecular levels and compared it with autologous and healthy normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) for baseline level. TIL were extracted from 12 primary lung adenocarcinomas by mechanical disruption without enzyme use and isolated by double-density Ficoll gradients. Flow-cytometry analysis of TIL subset distribution revealed that the majority was composed of T lymphocytes, and double labeling with alpha-CD3 and adhesion/activation markers revealed T cell subsets expressing CD49a, CD49b, CD54, and CD15, each of which was almost absent in autologous T peripheral blood lymphocytes (T-PBL). Moreover, the proportions of T-TIL expressing CD58, CD65, or CD25 were increased severalfold compared to T-PBL. Lymphokine gene activation in TIL was assessed by mRNA reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and primers for interleukin(IL)-2, IL-4, interferon (IFN) gamma, granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) beta. Semiquantitative comparisons between patients' TIL and PBL and healthy normal and activated PBL were performed by computerized image analysis. RT-PCR gel band products were quantified in relative units as a function of their size and intensity. TIL expressed detectable lymphokine mRNA but seemed poorly activated with respect to the total number of lymphokine genes and the amount of mRNA compared with alpha-CD3-activated healthy PBL. IL-2, IFN gamma, and TNF beta did not appear to be expressed at higher levels in TIL than in autologous or healthy normal PBL. However, two-thirds of the patients had TIL distinguishable from autologous PBL by specific expression of GM-CSF and from healthy normal PBL by expression of IL-4. These results show that lung adenocarcinoma TIL populations had little lymphokine gene activation despite the presence of several T cell subsets expressing different adhesion/activation markers. The lack or deficient combination of lymphokine production may be a factor that prevented efficient activation of TIL in these tumors.

Adenocarcinoma

Comparison of cell adhesion molecule expression between glioblastoma multiforme and autologous normal brain tissue.

We investigated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) for a pattern of consistent alterations in cell adhesion molecules (CAM) expression that might distinguish tumor from normal autologous brain tissue. We used frozen section immunohistochemistry with anti-CAM and computerized image analysis to quantify staining intensity which we expressed as relative intensity units (RIU). Our results showed that normal brain tissue generally did not express alpha 1 beta 1, intercellular CAM-1 (ICAM-1), and sialylated Lewisx, slightly expressed alpha 2, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 6 beta 1, alpha v beta 3, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3), Lewisx, sialylated LewisLewisx, had a good expression of alpha 3 beta 1 and CD44, and strongly expressed neural CAM (NCAM). GBM expressed alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 6 beta 1, alpha v beta 3, ICAM-1, LFA-3, CD44, Lewisx, sialylated Lewisx, and sialylated LewisLewisx significantly higher (2-11-fold RIU) than normal brain tissue. ICAM-1 and LFA-3 were the most distinctive markers of GBM. The small blood vessel endothelial cells of the normal brain and the GBM showed a few differences. The tumor endothelium expression of alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 4 beta 1, and LFA-3 RIU appeared twice higher than in normal endothelium and alpha 6 beta 1 showed an average of 40% RIU decrease in comparison to normal. These results show that the expression of several CAM is consistently altered in GBM and its microvasculature when compared with autologous normal brain tissue.

Antigens, CD

Loss of alpha 1 beta 1 and reduced expression of other beta 1 integrins and CAM in lung adenocarcinoma compared with pneumocytes.

Alterations in expression of various cell-adhesion molecules have been reported in a variety of malignant tissues. However, little is known about how lung adenocarcinomas differ in CAM expression from the normal lung. We analyzed the expression of integrins alpha 1 beta 1 through alpha 6 beta 1, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and lymphocyte function antigen (LFA)-3, CD44, and the two carbohydrate antigens, Lewisx (Le(x)) and sialosyl-Le-Le(x) of lung adenocarcinoma cells, and compared them with autologous pneumocytes. CAM expression was studied by an immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies, and computerized image analysis was used to quantify the immunoperoxidase-staining intensity. The normal lung alveolar cells strongly expressed the integrins alpha 1 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1, and fairly expressed alpha 2 beta 1, alpha 4 beta 1, alpha 5 beta 1, and alpha 6 beta 1. ICAM-1, LFA-3, and CD44 were strongly expressed, whereas NCAM, the Le(x) and sialosyl-Le-Le(x) antigens, were expressed weakly. In contrast, we did not detect expression of the alpha 1 beta 1 integrin on any autologous lung adenocarcinoma cells, and they showed on average a 50% reduction in labeling relative intensity units for the integrin common chain marker beta 1, the specific integrins alpha 3 beta 1, alpha 5 beta 1, and alpha 6 beta 1, and ICAM-1, and LFA-3. Examination of the adjacent small blood vessel endothelium in malignant lung tissues did not reveal any major alterations in CAM expression, the small vessel endothelium of the normal and malignant lung tissues appeared with a similar CAM profile. These results suggest that lung adenocarcioma cells have a lack of alpha 1 beta 1 expression and significant reduction in some other integrin beta 1 and CAM expression in comparison with their autologous pneumocytes. This aberration in CAM expression by the lung adenocarcinoma cells may be involved in their loss of proliferation control and may interfere with leukocyte adhesion to tumor cells, enabling the tumor to escape immunodestruction.

Adenocarcinoma

Granules of human CD3+ large granular lymphocytes contain a macrophage regulating factor(s) that induces macrophage H2O2 production and tumoricidal activity but decreases cell surface Ia antigen expression.

CTL (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) and LGL (large granular lymphocytes) exocytose cytoplasmic granules on activation after recognition of their target, releasing granule-associated molecules. We have previously suggested that this process could release immunoregulatory molecules. In this study we investigated whether normal human LGL granules contained a factor regulating different macrophage activity. Human CD3+ LGL cells were generated by activating peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) for 10-12 days with recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2), and granules were isolated from disrupted cell homogenate by Percoll gradient fractionation. Solubilized granules were tested for macrophage-activating factor (MAF) activity in three different macrophage assays. When M-CSF-differentiated murine bone marrow-derived macrophages were incubated 9 hr with human LGL granules, they were fully activated to lyse the TNF-resistant P815 tumor cells. The granule-MAF showed a synergistic effect with rhIL-1 beta, rmTNF-alpha, and rmIFN-tau in the cytolytic assay. In addition, proteose-peptone-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages profoundly increased H2O2 production after activation with human LGL granules. However, unlike IFN-tau, no increase in peritoneal macrophage Ia antigen expression was detected after incubation with granules. Moreover, granule-MAF suppressed Ia induction by IFN-tau. These results confirm that human CD3+ LGL granules contain a molecule(s) capable of regulating macrophage function.

Animals

Long-term cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes with recombinant human interleukin-2 generate a population of virtually pure CD3+ CD16- CD56- large granular lymphocyte LAK cells.

It has been reported that lymphocytes from peripheral blood (PBL) cultured with interleukin-2 (IL-2) produce predominantly CD16+ lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. We developed a two-step method to generate LAK cells from human PBL in long-term cultures (10-12 days) with recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) and characterized the evolving LAK cell population by testing its phenotype and cytotoxic activity as a function of time. The starting PBL displayed some natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity but no LAK activity. At day 6, the cells were a mixed population of about 80% CD3+ and 6% CD16+ cells. Little proliferation was evident but strong LAK activity was detected. After 10-12 days, major cell expansion had occurred and they were essentially a pure (greater than 90%) CD3+ CD16- CD56- cell population large granular lymphocyte (LGL) by morphology that displayed strong non-MHC-restricted killing activity (greater than 200 lytic units). Over the same period of time, the CD16+ cells had almost completely regressed in these cultures. This preferential induction of CD+ LAK cells was not an effect of IL-2 concentration as 10 U/ml was as effective as 500 U/ml. Further characterization revealed a major population of CD4+ (60%) and CD8+ (30%) with a smaller fraction (less than 9%) of gamma delta + cells. These results indicate that a virtually pure CD3+ LAK cells population was produced with long-term cultures of lymphocytes from peripheral blood in rhIL-2, in which active proliferation of the CD3+ but not CD16+ cells occurred.

Antigens, Differentiation

Identification of a macrophage-activating factor in granules of the RNK large granular lymphocyte leukemia.

Recent work from our laboratory has shown that NK cells rapidly release preformed factor(s) that stimulate monocyte oxidative metabolism and microbicidal activity. We have hypothesized that such factors could also activate macrophage (M phi) tumor lysis and might be stored in the cytoplasmic granules. Granules were isolated from the RNK large granular lymphocyte leukemias by nitrogen cavitation and Percoll fractionation of the cell homogenate. Utilizing CSF-1 differentiated murine bone marrow-derived M phi and P815 tumor target cells, a M phi-activating factor (MAF) was found. The MAF activity was identified in two peaks, the first was coincident with dense granule enzymes and was 60 times more concentrated per mg protein than a second peak in the cytosol fractions. Solubilization in 2 M NaCl was necessary to recover activity from both peaks. Granule NK-MAF required the simultaneous presence of LPS in order to induce tumoricidal activity. Kinetics of NK-MAF activation peaked after 12 h of exposure. The NK-MAF was short lived in the solubilized granules; however, its heat resistance allowed us to prepare enriched and stable preparations. Treatment of NK-MAF with pepsin but not trypsin completely abrogated its activity. The NK-MAF passed through an ultrafiltration membrane with a nominal cut-off of 10 kDa. This work indicates that NK cell granules contain a small heat-stable peptide capable of activating M phi tumoricidal activity.

Animals

Immunoregulatory leucocyte subset typing and PHA response in relation to the nutritional state in cancer patients with gastrointestinal neoplasia.

Cancer patients are frequently immunodepressed and this could be related to undernutrition, particularly in gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasia. We therefore looked for correlations between different leucocyte subsets' (T11+, T4+, T8+, B1+, and Mo2+) cells in the peripheral blood of these patients and their nutritional state. Significant alterations were found in absolute number/ml of T11+, T4+, B1+, and Mo2+ cells. Malnourished cancer patients were more affected than those appearing well-nourished, exhibiting a decrease of 50% in the number of T11+, T4+, and B1+ cells as compared with healthy controls. The phytohemagglutinin A (PHA) stimulation index (SI) was also significantly decreased in the malnourished group. Linear regression analysis between SI and these leucocyte subsets revealed that only the T4+ cells offered a significant correlation (r = 0.6169 p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the absolute number/ml of T4+ cells reflects the nutritional state of patients bearing GI tumors.

Aged