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Biomedical subjects

J Sprent

Publications and source records attributed to J Sprent.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Stimulation of mature unprimed CD8+ T cells by semiprofessional antigen-presenting cells in vivo.

To test whether unprimed CD8+ cells can recognize class I alloantigens presented selectively on non-bone marrow (BM)-derived cells, unprimed parental strain CD8+ cells were transferred to long-term parent-->F1 BM chimeras prepared with supralethal irradiation. Host class I expression in the chimeras was undetectable on BM-derived cells and, in spleen, was limited to low-level staining of vascular endothelium and moderate staining of follicular dendritic cells (a population of nonhemopoietic cells in germinal centers). Despite this restricted expression of antigen, acute blood-to-lymph recirculation of parental strain T cells through the chimeras led to selective trapping of 95% of CD8+ cells reactive to normal F1 spleen antigen presenting cells (APC) in vitro. Subsequently, a small proportion of the trapped cells entered cell division and gave rise to effector cells expressing strong host-specific CTL activity. The activation of host-specific CD8+ cells was also prominent in double-irradiated chimeras, and cell separation studies showed that the effector cells were generated from resting precursor cells rather than from memory-phenotype cells. It is suggested that the non-BM-derived cells in the chimeras acted as semiprofessional APC. These cells were nonimmunogenic for most host-reactive CD8+ cells but were capable of stimulating a small subset of high-affinity T cells. The possible relevance of the data to the prolonged immunogenicity of vascularized allografts in humans is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Two subsets of epithelial cells in the thymic medulla.

Information was sought on the features of epithelial cells in the murine thymic medulla. The expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules on medullary epithelium was defined by light microscopy with the aid of bone marrow chimeras and MHC-transgenic mice. A proportion of medullary epithelial cells was found to show conspicuously high expression of conventional MHC (H-2) class I (K, D, L) and class II (I-A, I-E) molecules. These cells express a high density of the Y-Ae epitope, a complex of an E alpha peptide and I-Ab molecules found on typical bone marrow-derived cells. MHC+ medullary epithelial cells show limited expression of I-O molecules, a class of atypical nonpolymorphic MHC-encoded class II molecules present on B cells. Other medullary epithelial cells express a high density of I-O molecules but show little or no expression of typical MHC class I or II molecules. MHC and I-O expression thus appear to subdivide medullary epithelial cells into two phenotypically distinct subsets. This applies in adults. In the embryonic thymus most medullary epithelial cells express both types of molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Growth of epithelial cells in the thymic medulla is under the control of mature T cells.

Epithelial cells in the thymic medulla are conspicuous in normal adult mice, but sparse in the early fetal thymus and the thymus of adult T cell-deficient SCID mice. To examine whether growth of medullary epithelial cells (MEC) depends upon local contact with mature T cells, we used the finding that the SCID thymus is unusually permeable to mature T cells entering from the bloodstream. When SCID mice received multiple injections of mature lymph node T cells from birth, the thymus accumulated large numbers of mature TCR+ T cells of resting phenotype, but contained virtually no immature (CD4+8+) cells. The injected T cells localized in the medullary region of the thymus and led to marked regeneration of MEC. These and other data suggest that the growth of MEC is under the control of mature T cells. Placing MEC under T cell control might be a device for regulating the size and integrity of the medulla, especially during the phase of rapid thymic growth. Maintaining the cellular components of the medulla in proper balance could be critical for ensuring efficient self tolerance induction.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Thymus-grafted SCID mice show transient thymopoiesis and limited depletion of V beta 11+ T cells.

To seek direct evidence for the notion that stem cells in the thymus need to be constantly replenished from the bone marrow (BM), fetal (day 15) thymuses from normal BALB/c mice were grafted into T and B cell-deficient C.B-17 SCID mice (both H-2d, I-E+). The thymus grafts in these mice showed normal thymopoiesis for the first 3 wk postgrafting but then developed sudden atrophy with near complete loss of CD4+8+ cells by 4-5 wk. Such atrophy was not seen when the thymus-grafted mice were cotransplanted with normal BM cells. The lymph nodes of SCID mice receiving thymus grafts alone contained mature T cells but virtually no B cells. This lack of B cells was associated with aberrant I-E-restricted V beta deletion: the depletion of V beta 3+ and V beta 5+ T cells was near complete, whereas V beta 11+ cells showed only marginal depletion.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Synergy between encephalitogenic T cells and myelin basic protein-specific antibodies in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an experimentally induced demyelinating disease mediated by CD4+ T cells specific for various myelin proteins including myelin basic protein (MBP) and myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). Although myelin- and other CNS-specific antibodies are produced in EAE, B cells and antibodies are thought by most not to play a decisive role in the induction of EAE. In this report we show that B cells serve as the major antigen-presenting cells (APC) during the T cell activation stage in lymph nodes, and that MBP-specific antibodies can greatly enhance the induction of EAE. The role of B cells as APC is demonstrated in B cell-depleted mice. EAE cannot be induced by antigen/complete Freund's adjuvant immunization unless these mice are locally reconstituted with B cells prior to immunization. The enhancing effect of antibodies is demonstrated in experiments in which EAE is induced by the adoptive transfer of encephalitogenic T cells. The adoptive transfer of large numbers of encephalitogenic T cells induces EAE in 90% of normal recipient mice, but only 33% of B cell-depleted mice get EAE at the same cell dose. The efficiency of EAE induction in B cell-depleted mice can be enhanced if MBP-specific antibodies are simultaneously administered. A similar enhancement is also seen in normal mice when the number of adoptively transferred T cells is limiting. We propose that MBP-specific antibodies enhance the presentation of myelin-derived antigens by APC in the CNS to the adoptively transferred encephalitogenic T cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

An unusual class II molecule.

H-2O is a recently described non-polymorphic mouse MHC class II molecule. Here, Lars Karlsson and colleagues describe the discovery of the H-2Ob and H-2Oa loci and the pattern of expression of H-2O, and speculate on the possible function of this unusual molecule.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Factors influencing the fate of T cells responding to Mls antigens.

Although T cell tolerance to self antigens is primarily a reflection of clonal deletion in the thymus, recent evidence suggests that mature T cells are subject to negative regulation in the post-thymic environment: Extrathymic tolerance is the result of clonal anergy in some studies and T cell deletion in others. The factors controlling the induction of anergy versus deletion of mature T cells are still poorly understood. This article summarizes evidence that exposure of T cells to Mls superantigens in vivo leads to a sequence of T cell proliferation, anergy and deletion; anergy appears to reflect persistence of antigen. The biochemical consequences of exposing T cells to superantigens in vitro are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

T cell tolerance after bone marrow transplantation in mice.

This article provides a brief overview of T cell tolerance induction in the thymus, using parent----F1 bone marrow (BM) chimeras as a model. Although intrathymic tolerance is controlled largely by BM-derived cells, experiments with BM chimeras suggest that thymic epithelial cells can make a major contribution to tolerance induction, especially for high-affinity T cells. Whether extrathymic mechanisms contribute to tolerance induction remains controversial: evidence against this possibility is provided by the finding that transferring normal parental strain T cells to parent----F1 chimeras leads to immunogenicity rather than tolerogenicity. Breakdown of self tolerance is discussed in terms of the phenomenon of "auto-GVHD".

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Lymphoid function in F1 leads to parent chimeras: lack of evidence for adaptive differentiation of B cells or antigen-presenting cells.

Information was sought on whether B cells undergo abnormal differentiation in F1 leads to parent chimeras (irradiated parental-strain mice reconstituted with F1-hybrid bone marrow cells). As assessed by collaborative responses to sheep erythrocytes in vivo, three different types of T cells restricted to interaction with strain a H-2 determinants were shown to collaborate as effectively with heterologous F1 leads to b chimera B cells as with homologous F1 leads to a chimera B cells. This applied to both primed and unprimed B cells, to IgM- and IgG-antibody formation and to production of Ig allotype. Thus, unlike T cells, B cells from F1 leads to parent chimeras behaved indistinguishably from normal F1 B cells. F1 leads to parent chimeras were also examined for their capacity to present antigen to normal F1 T cells in vivo. The results suggested that the antigen-presenting cells in these chimeras were no different than in normal F1 mice. Collectively these data imply that, at least in the situation studied, raising F1 stem cells in a parental-strain environment has a marked effect on T-cell specificity but does not discernably influence the differentiation of B cells or macrophage-like cells.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1979

T-helper function of parent leads to F1 chimeras. Presence of a separate T-cell subgroup able to stimulate allogeneic B cells but not syngeneic B cells.

Parent leads to F1 chimeras were prepared by reconstituting sublethally irradiated H-2 heterozygous mice with marrow cells from one parental strain. Purified parental strain T cells prepared from unprimed chimeras were exposed to sheep erythrocytes in heavily irradiated mice of each of the two parental strains and recovered from thoracic duct lymph of the recipients at either day 1 or day 5 posttransfer. The lymphoborne cells were then tested for their capacity to collaborate in vivo with B cells of the two parental strains. From this approach it was concluded that parent leads to F1 chimera T cells contain two discrete subgroups of T-helper cells, one specific for self H-2 determinants and the other restricted to H-2 determinants of the opposite parental strain. The restrictions mapped to the K-end of the H-2 complex.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Lethal graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation across minor histocompatibility barriers in mice. Prevention by removing mature T cells from marrow.

In two situations, transfer of normal unsensitized bone marrow cells into heavily irradiated H-2-identical allogeneic mice caused a high incidence of lethal chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), i.e. mortality occuring between days of 20 and 80 postirradiation. Minor histocompatibility determinants appeared to be the main target for eliciting GVHD. Removing mature T cells from the marrow with anti-Thy 1.2 serum and complement before injection prevented GVHD. On the basis of adding purified T cells to T-cell-depleted marrow cells, it was concluded that contamination of the marrow with as few as 0.3% T cells was sufficient to cause a high incidence of lethal GVHD in certain situations. No GVHD was found with the injection of non-T cells (Thy 1.2-negative cells) or with tolerant T cells. Irradiated recipients of T-cell-depleted marrow cells remained in good health for prolonged periods. These mice showed extensive chimerism with respect to the donor marrow, normal numbers of T and B cells and were immunocompetent. The data provide no support for the view that chronic GVHD developing after bone marrow transplantation in man is the result of an attack by the progeny of the donor stem cells. The results imply that mature T cells contaminating marrow inocula are probably the main cause of GVHD seen in the clinical situation.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Role of the H-2 complex in induction of T helper cells in vivo. I. Antigen-specific selection of donor T cells to sheep erythrocytes in irradiated mice dependent upon sharing of H-2 determinants between donor and host.

When purified CBA lymph node T cells were mixed with sheep erythrocytes (SRC) and filtered from blood to lymph through irradiated syngeneic mice for 1-2 days, the donor cells lost their capacity to stimulate anti-SRC responses by CBA B cells; the response to a third-party antigen (horse erythrocytes) was unaffected and active suppression was not involved. This process of specific negative selection to SRC also occurred when semiallogeneic mice were used as filtration hosts. By contrast, when allogeneic hosts were used the helper function of the donor cells was not reduced; this applied to both primed and unprimed T cells. Studied with congeneic resistant strains indicated that negative selection to SRC occurred only when the donor and host shared H-2 determinants. Studies with T cells depleted of alloreactive lymphocytes showed that negative selection to SRC in irradiated F1 hybrid mice was followed by a stage of positive selection where the donor cells gave greatly increased responses to the injected antigen. Positive selection did not occur in H-2-different mice, however, and the helper function of the donor cells remained unchanged. By these parameters it was concluded that homozygous T helper cells have no detectable capacity to recognize antigen in an H-2-different environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Restricted helper function of F1 leads to parent bone marrow chimeras controlled by K-end of H-2 complex.

F1 leads to parent bone marrow chimeras were prepared by transferring F1 hybrid marrow cells into heavily irradiated parental strain mice. When unprimed, donor-derived F1 T cells from the chimeras were activated to sheep erythrocytes (SRC) for 5 days in irradiated normal F1 mice, high IgM and IgG anti-SRC responses were observed with F1 B cells, and with B cells H-2-compatible with the strain in which the T cells were raised from stem cells. Significantly, however, responses with B cells of the opposite parental strain were either absent or very low. The restriction in T-helper function mapped to the K-end of the H-2 complex and could not be attributed to active suppression.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Restricted helper function of F1 hybrid T cells positively selected to heterologous erythrocytes in irradiated parental strain mice. I. Failure to collaborate with B cells of the opposite parental strain not associated with active suppression.

Unprimed (CBA X C57BL/6)F1 lymph node T cells were transferred with sheep erythrocytes (SRC) into heavily irradiated F1 or parental strain mice and recovered from thoracic duct lymph or spleens of the recipients 5 days later. To study their helper function, the harvested F1 T cells were transferred with antigen into irradiated F1 mice plus B cells from either the two parental strains or from F1 mice. F1 T cells activated in F1 mice gave high IgM and IgG anti-SRC responses with all three populations of B cells. By contrast, F1 T cells activated in mice of one parental strain collaborated well with B cells of this strain, but poorly with B cells of the opposite strain. Active suppression was considered an unlikely explanation for this result since (a) good responses were found with F1 B cells, and (b) addition experiments showed that the poor response with B cells of the opposite parental strain (which was equivalent to that produced by unprimed F1 T cells) could be converted to a high response by a supplemental injection of F1 T cells activated in F1 mice. The phenomenon (a) was specific for the antigen used for activation (criss-cross experiments were performed with horse erythrocytes), (b) was reflected in levels of serum hemagglutinins as well as in numbers of splenic plaque-forming cells, (c) applied also to comparable activation of (DBA/2 X C57BL/6)F1 T cells, and (d) could be prevented by activating F1 T cells in mice of one parental strain in the presence of peritoneal exudate cells of the opposite parental strain. The hypothesis was advanced that F1 T cells contain two discrete subpopulations of antigen-reactive cells, each subject to restrictions acting at two different levels: (a) during T-macrophage interactions and (b) during T-B collaboration. It was suggested that when F1 T cells are activated to antigen in a parental strain environment, radioresistant macrophages activate only one of the two subgroups of T cells, and this subgroup is able to collaborate with B cells of the strain used for activation (and with F1 B cells) but not with B cells of the opposite parental strain. The other subgroup of T cells remains in an unprimed (nonactivated) state.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Restricted helper function of F1 hybrid T cells positively selected to heterologous erythrocytes in irradiated parental strain mice. II. Evidence for restrictions affecting helper cell induction and T-B collaboration, both mapping to the K-end of the H-2 complex.

Studies with H-2-congenic and recombinant strains showed that when F1 hybrid T cells were activated to sheep erythrocytes in irradiated mice of parental strain or related strain, a population of helper cells was generated which collaborated only with B cells sharing the K-end of the H-2 complex with the strain used for activation. No evidence was found that the restriction in helper function (a) reflected a deficiency of appropriate macrophages during T-B collaboration, or (b) was influenced by the Ig allotype of the B cells. It was concluded that the results signified restrictions acting at both the level of helper cell induction (presumed to be a reflection of T-macrophage interactions in the irradiated intermediate hosts) and during T-B collaboration. With (CBA X C57BL/6)F1 cells, the restrictions at each level mapped to the same region i.e. to the left of the I-B subregion. Consequently, one gene (or set of genes) might control restriction at both levels. If so, T-cell recognition of major histocompatibility complex-associated antigen on macrophages and on specific B cells would be either identical or very similar. The fact that genes mapping to the K-end of the H-2 complex also control the restrictive interactions of homozygous T cells implies that F1 T cells behave functionally as a mixture of T cells derived from the two parental strains. Positive selection to antigen in parental strain mice appears simply to alter the ratio of these two populations.

Animals↗