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Biomedical subjects

M Kamoun

Publications and source records attributed to M Kamoun.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

A longitudinal study of the T cell activation marker CD26 in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.

Activated T cells are implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Serial measurements of T cell activation molecules and T cell subpopulations were performed over 12 months in patients with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis and healthy controls, and correlated with clinical indices of disease progression measured by standardized disability scores. Of the markers studied, the activation molecule CD26 appeared to exhibit a more consistent pattern and to be elevated in MS patients; therefore we concentrated our attention on this marker, especially in view of recent evidence of its role in T cell activation. In this small patient group, the elevation of CD26 in the MS patients did not reach statistical significance, when compared to the level in the controls. Interestingly, the percentage of CD26 but not CD25 or HLA-DR correlated with the MS patients' disability scores. However, the clinical significance of this observation as an indication of disease activity in chronic progressive MS remains to be demonstrated in studies of larger patient populations.

Adult↗

Genetic polymorphism of the human tumor necrosis factor region in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Linkage disequilibrium of TNFab microsatellite alleles with HLA haplotypes.

The TNF region within the MHC includes a number of immunologically important genes. Microsatellites TNFa and TNFb adjacent to TNF exhibit extensive polymorphism. Employing a PCR-based technique, we identified TNFab haplotypes and defined their distribution in 97 controls and 48 diabetics of Caucasoid origin in a search for other genes within the MHC potentially associated with IDDM. Twenty-five different TNFab haplotypes were identified. A significant difference (p < 0.0005) in frequency between patients and controls was found for TNFa1b5 (relative risk 53). However, no other TNFab microsatellites demonstrated significantly different frequencies. Among diabetics TNFa1b5 was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-DR3-B18, a haplotype known to be associated with IDDM. Thus the increased frequency of TNFa1b5 among diabetics could reflect a linkage disequilibrium with a gene within the TNF region or with other genes, including the HLAs, which characterize this haplotype. In both controls and diabetics TNFa2b3 and TNFa7b4 were in linkage disequilibrium with DR3-B8 and DR7, respectively. Among diabetics, TNFa2b1 and TNFa6b5 were in linkage disequilibrium with DR4-B62 and DR4-B44, respectively. It is intriguing that TNFab haplotypes, represented by a short piece of about 200 nucleotides in the untranslated region upstream of TNF beta gene, maintain strong linkage disequilibria with different HLA haplotypes extending over 1 million base pairs. The identification of TNFab microsatellites exhibiting a high polymorphic index in a region lacking known polymorphic markers may provide potentially important information regarding the association of HLA haplotypes with autoimmune diseases, as they are in close proximity to other genes of immunologic importance.

Alleles↗

Clinical and subclinical neurological involvement in children of conjugal multiple sclerosis patients.

We report the occurrence of clinically definite multiple sclerosis in an offspring of a couple with conjugal multiple sclerosis. Extensive investigation of all members of this family, which includes two additional asymptomatic children, eliminated the possibility of alternative neurological diagnoses. All family members were studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), evoked potentials, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. An asymptomatic child had subtle white matter abnormalities on MRI, suggesting subclinical neurological involvement. This study documents the third case of multiple sclerosis in the child of conjugal multiple sclerosis patients and provides the first report of MRI lesions in an asymptomatic offspring of the same parents. Neurodiagnostic and immunogenetic investigations of such rare family clusters may contribute to the elucidation of the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Adolescent↗

Transfection of an Fc gamma receptor cDNA induces T cells to become phagocytic.

The human receptor Fc gamma RIIA for the Fc portion of IgG (Fc gamma) was expressed in a human T-cell line and conferred on these cells the ability to perform IgG antibody-stimulated phagocytosis. Crosslinking Fc gamma RIIA with anti-Fc gamma RII monoclonal antibody also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins including Fc gamma RIIA, ZAP-70, p72SYK, and phospholipase C gamma 1 subunit and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The T cell receptor-associated zeta-chain was not tyrosine-phosphorylated after crosslinking of Fc gamma RIIA, suggesting that the Fc gamma RIIA-mediated signals were independent of CD3. Fc gamma RIIA-mediated signal transduction was defective in a transfected mutant T-cell line exhibiting reduced expression of the tyrosine kinases LCK and FYN. These studies indicate that certain T cells can assume phagocytic properties after transfection of cDNA encoding an Fc gamma receptor with the capability of inducing a phagocytic signal.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Interleukin 12 synergizes with B7/CD28 interaction in inducing efficient proliferation and cytokine production of human T cells.

Several receptors and counter-receptor pairs on T cells and on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) deliver costimulatory signals to T cells during antigen presentation. The CD28 receptor on T cells with its ligand B7 represents one of the best characterized and most important examples of this costimulation. We show here that interleukin 12 (IL-12), a cytokine also produced by APCs (monocyte/macrophages and B cells) and active on T and natural killer cells, has a strong synergistic effect with the B7/CD28 interaction in inducing proliferation and cytokine production in both mitogen-activated and freshly isolated peripheral blood T cells. Together with anti-CD28 antibodies, IL-12 induces proliferation of T cells to levels higher than those obtained with IL-2 stimulation and it is effective at IL-12 concentrations 100- to 1,000-fold lower than effective concentrations of IL-2. The proliferative effect of anti-CD28 and IL-12 is resistant to moderate doses of cyclosporin A and is largely independent of endogenous IL-2, IL-12, in synergy with anti-CD28 or B7-transfected cells, is most effective in inducing interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production, but production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor is also observed. IL-12-induced IFN-gamma production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is inhibited by the chimeric molecule CTLA-4 immunoglobulin, which prevents binding of CD28 to B7, suggesting that endogenous B7 on the mononuclear cells and IL-12 cooperate in inducing IFN-gamma production. IL-10 inhibits both IL-12 production and B7 expression on monocytes. These two effects are largely responsible for the ability of IL-10, acting on accessory cells, to inhibit IFN-gamma production by lymphocytes, because anti-CD28 antibodies and IL-12 can reverse the inhibitory effect of IL-10 on IFN-gamma production. Our results in vitro suggest that the synergy between B7 and IL-12, a surface antigen and a soluble product of APCs, respectively, plays a role in regulating T cell activation and immune response in the microenvironment of inflamed tissues.

Animals↗

Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase activation induced upon Fc gamma RIIIA-ligand interaction.

Induced activation of protein tyrosine kinase(s) is a central event in signal transduction mediated via the low affinity receptor for IgG (Fc gamma RIIIA, CD16) in natural killer (NK) cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation may affect the function of several protein directly, or indirectly by inducing their association with other tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. Here, we report that Fc gamma RIII stimulation induces activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase in NK cells. Phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates from Fc gamma RIII-stimulated NK cells contain PI-kinase activity and PI-3 kinase can be directly precipitated from them. Conversely, a series of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins is coprecipitated with PI-3 kinase from the stimulated, but not from control cells. Analogous results obtained using Jurkat T cells expressing transfected Fc gamma RIIIA alpha ligand binding chain in association with gamma 2 or zeta 2 homodimers indicate that both complexes transduce this effect, although the Fc gamma RIIIA-zeta 2 complexes do so with greater efficiency. Accumulation of phosphoinositide D3 phosphorylated products in stimulated cells confirms PI-3 kinase activation, indicating the participation of this enzyme in Fc gamma RIIIA-mediated signal transduction.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase↗

Diminished tyrosine protein kinase activity in T cells unresponsive to TCR stimulation.

Tyrosine phosphorylation is thought to be one of the earliest steps in antigenic activation of T cells. Three nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, p56lck, p60fyn, and ZAP-70, are known to be involved in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, albeit their functional roles appear to be different. Whereas p60fyn and ZAP-70 are functionally associated with the T cell antigen receptor, p56lck is essential for TCR signaling without being directly coupled to the TCR. We have studied a mutant variant of the Jurkat T cell line (J32-3.2), in which basal activities of p56lck and p60fyn are 2- to 2.5-fold reduced relative to those in its parental line (J32) while basal activity of ZAP-70 remains unchanged, and compared responses of J32-3.2 and J32 to TCR stimulation. We have demonstrated that tyrosine phosphorylation following CD3 cross-linking in J32-3.2 cells was extremely short-lived and thus insufficient for the induction of subsequent physiological responses. This was at least partially due to the diminished tyrosine kinase activity in these cells. A decrease in the activity of src-related kinases was caused primarily by their lower expression, whereas expression of ZAP-70 was unchanged but its response to CD3 cross-linking was diminished, correlating with the deficient tyrosine phosphorylation of the CD3 zeta-chain, recently observed in J32-3.2. These data are consistent with the idea that src-related kinases phosphorylate the zeta-chain, which in turn recruits ZAP-70 required to sustain the signal.

CD3 Complex↗

Coupling of GTP-binding to the T cell receptor (TCR) zeta-chain with TCR-mediated signal transduction.

The zeta-subunit of the TCR binds GTP and is a well characterized substrate for a TCR-activated tyrosine kinase. To examine the possible coupling of GTP-binding to zeta with TCR-mediated signal transduction, a mutant (termed J32-3.2) of the T cell line Jurkat (J32) was used. Anti-TCR/CD3 stimulation of the TCR/CD3+ J32-3.2 cells resulted in a weak stimulation of both the phosphatidyl inositol and tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathways, as measured by changes in the level of free intracellular calcium, tyrosine phosphorylation of TCR-zeta, CD3-epsilon and ZAP-70, p56lck, or p59fyn tyrosine kinase activity and IL-2 gene activation. The impaired responsiveness of J32-3.2 cells to anti-TCR/CD3 mAb correlated with a low basal level of GTP-binding to zeta. Furthermore, in J32-3.2 cells TCR activation by antibody ligation caused a weaker increase in GTP-binding to the zeta-chain, as compared with that of wild-type J32 cells, which indicates for the first time that GTP-binding to zeta can be modulated by extracellular signals and suggest that the role of GTP-binding to zeta is to couple the TCR to intracellular signal transduction mechanisms.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Laboratory medicine education in United States medical schools.

The Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists conducted a survey of US medical schools to examine the current status of laboratory medicine education, estimate the amount of teaching time available in the curriculum, and identify the most effective teaching practices. Questionnaires were sent to department heads and course directors at 126 US medical schools. Replies were received from 120 schools (95%), 83 of which offered a total of 132 courses in laboratory medicine. Only 68 schools (57%) had required courses. Most of the elective courses (35 of 50; 70%) were in general clinical pathology. Lectures remained the most common teaching format, with or without laboratory sessions and workshops. Computer-assisted instruction was used in only 10 schools. Laboratory medicine courses were offered in all 4 years of medical school, with the majority (70 of 132; 53%) in the second year, often integrated with general pathology. Opinion was divided over the relative importance of laboratory medicine instruction in the preclinical versus clinical years.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

Stimulation of Fc gamma RIIIA results in phospholipase C-gamma 1 tyrosine phosphorylation and p56lck activation.

Binding of ligand to the alpha subunit of Fc gamma RIIIA(CD16), expressed at the natural killer (NK) cell membrane in association with homo or heterodimers of proteins of the zeta family, results in phosphorylation of several proteins on tyrosine residues. We have analyzed the role of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the regulation of molecular events induced upon stimulation of Fc gamma RIIIA in NK cells and in T cells expressing the Fc gamma RIII alpha chain in association with endogenous zeta 2 homodimers and devoid of other (CD3, CD2) transducing molecules. Our data indicate that treatment of these cells with protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors prevents not only Fc gamma RIIIA-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation but also phosphatidylinositol 4,5 diphosphate hydrolysis and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, indicating a primary role of tyrosine kinase(s) in the induction of these early activation events. Occupancy of Fc gamma RIIIA by ligand results in phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma 1 tyrosine phosphorylation in NK cells and in Fc gamma RIIIA-transfected CD3-/CD2- T cells, and induces functional activation of p56lck in Fc gamma RIIIA alpha/zeta 2-transfected T cells, suggesting the possibility that the receptor-induced PLC-gamma 1 activation occurs upon phosphorylation of its tyrosine residues mediated by this kinase and is, at least in part, responsible for the signal transduction mediated via CD16 upon ligand binding.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

CD28-stimulated IL-2 gene expression in Jurkat T cells occurs in part transcriptionally and is cyclosporine-A sensitive.

CD28 is a glycoprotein expressed as a homodimer on the surface of a major subset of human T cells. Previous studies have shown that proliferation of peripheral blood T cells involving the CD28 pathway is associated with cyclosporine A (CsA) resistant IL-2 gene expression. This pathway was shown to specifically regulate the stability of mRNA for several lymphokines including IL-2. We have investigated the expression of the IL-2 gene in the Jurkat cell line, J32 clone, induced by CD28 stimulation. Cross-linked anti-CD28 mAb alone was sufficient to induce the release of small amounts of IL-2 (256 U/ml). The CD28-mediated IL-2 release was enhanced with simultaneous engagement of CD28 and CD2 or CD28 and CD3 molecules. Hybrid constructs in which the human IL-2 gene 5' flanking region drives luciferase expression (pIL-2-Luc) were used to help delineate whether the CD28 pathway activates the IL-2 gene transcriptionally. Costimulation of cells with CD28 mAb and either PHA or CD2 mAb induced a 20- to 90-fold increase in the expression of pIL-2-Luc as well as IL-2 release. Costimulation with CD28 mAb plus PMA gave only five- to sevenfold increase in enhancer activity. In contrast, no enhancer activity was detected after stimulation with CD28 or CD2 mAb alone. Both IL-2 release and pIL-2-Luc activity were inhibited by CsA in J32 cells. The degree of CsA inhibition was concentration dependent and was similar in cells stimulated with either CD28 mAb or CD3 mAb. Maximum inhibition was achieved with 1 microgram/ml of CsA. Studies with internal deletion mutations of the IL-2 gene 5' flanking sequence revealed that as with stimulation through the TCR pathway, the CD28 pathway requires 5' flanking sequences located within 500 bp of the transcription start site. These results are the first direct evidence that the triggering of CD28 molecule is sufficient to induce IL-2 release in J32 cells. Furthermore these studies strongly indicate that IL-2 gene expression induced by CD28 stimulation occurs, in part, transcriptionally and is CsA sensitive in these cells.

Antigens, CD↗

Antibody and B7/BB1-mediated ligation of the CD28 receptor induces tyrosine phosphorylation in human T cells.

CD28 is an adhesion receptor expressed as a 44-kD dimer on the surface of a major subset of human T cells. The CD28 receptor regulates the production of multiple lymphokines, including interleukin 2 (IL-2), by activation of a signal transduction pathway that is poorly understood. Here we show that ligation of CD28 by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) or by a natural ligand, B7/BB1, induces protein tyrosine phosphorylation that is distinct from T cell receptor (TCR)-induced tyrosine phosphorylation. CD28-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation was greatly enhanced in cells that had been preactivated by ligation of the TCR, or by pretreatment with phorbol esters. Rapid and prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation of a single substrate, pp100, was induced in T cells after interaction with B7/BB1 presented on transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Anti-B7 mAb inhibited B7/BB1 receptor-induced tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that B7-CD28 interaction was required. CD28-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was independent of the TCR because it occurred in a variant of the Jurkat T cell line that does not express the TCR. Herbimycin A, a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, could prevent CD28-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and CD28-induced IL-2 production in normal T cells. The simultaneous crosslinking of CD28 and CD45, a tyrosine phosphatase, could prevent tyrosine phosphorylation of pp100. These results suggest that specific tyrosine phosphorylation, particularly of pp100, occurs directly as a result of CD28 ligand binding and is involved in transducing the signal delivered through CD28 by accessory cells that express the B7/BB1 receptor. Thus, this particular form of signal transduction may be relevant to lymphokine production and, potentially may provide a means to study the induction of self-tolerance, given the putative role of the costimulatory signal in the induction of T cell activation or anergy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Interleukin-4 differentially regulates interleukin-2-mediated and CD2-mediated induction of human lymphokine-activated killer effectors.

Natural killer (NK) cells can be differentiated into lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) effectors following stimulation with interleukin (IL)-2. This induction can be negatively regulated by IL-4. In this study, we demonstrate that the stimulation of NK cells through the CD2 pathway with (9-1 + 9.6) monoclonal antibodies can also induce these cells to secrete tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and to differentiate into LAK effectors. More importantly, our data indicate that, in contrast to the IL-2-induced LAK generation, the anti-CD2-triggered LAK activity was not regulated by IL-4. IL-4 was found to enhance the LAK activity as well as NK cell proliferation following activation with anti-CD2 by a mechanism involving, at least in part, an increased TNF-alpha production. Using immobilized monoclonal antibodies against the Fc receptor (Fc gamma RIII or CD16) for NK stimulation, we also observed that the anti-CD16-induced LAK activity was not inhibited by IL-4. These data further point to a pivotal role of TNF-alpha as a regulatory cytokine in anti-CD2-induced LAK generation, and suggest that IL-4 could serve as a discriminatory factor between two distinct pathways involved in the activation of non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

Age-dependent axonal loss in nerve biopsy of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum.

We describe the histomorphometric changes in the superficial peroneal nerve biopsy from 13 patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). The mean age at time of biopsy was 15 yr (range 2.5-24 yr). The clinical examination was normal in the two youngest patients and showed absence of the deep tendon reflexes, with choreo-athetosis in ten patients. In addition, in the three oldest patients there were cerebellar signs, ataxia and Babinski signs. The nerve biopsy showed an age-dependent decrease of myelinated fibres, which was mild in the youngest and severe in the oldest patients. This was associated with rare acute axonal degeneration, sparse axonal regeneration, rare axonal atrophy and few onion bulb formations. These findings suggest a neuropathic process. This neuronal degeneration seems to be a progressive and stereotyped phenomenon in XP.

Adolescent↗

Induction of HLA class II molecules on human T cells: relationship to immunoregulation and the pathogenesis of AIDS.

Human T cells express HLA class II molecules upon activation. The factors that regulate the induction of expression of these molecules are for the most part unknown. Here we report preliminary results indicating that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) regulates the induction of cell-surface HLA-DR, DO, and DP molecules in human T cells stimulated with PHA. In contrast, recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma), recombinant interleukin-1 alpha (rIL-1 alpha), or rIL-4 appear to have no effect on class II expression. The role of class II molecules on activated T cells is discussed in relationship to immunoregulation and the progression of HIV infection. Three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses are discussed. In the first hypothesis, we consider the role of these class II molecules in antigen presentation of endogenously synthesized HIV envelope by CD4+ cells. The second is a clonal inactivation of virus-specific helper T cells that might occur as a consequence of a direct T cell to T cell interaction and a bypass of the "accessory signal" normally delivered by antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages. The third is a molecular mimicry between HIV envelope proteins and HLA class II molecules, which may lead to the development of autoimmunity against CD4+ T-cell-expressing class II molecules.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗