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R Solana

Publications and source records attributed to R Solana.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Threonine 80 on HLA-B27 confers protection against lysis by a group of natural killer clones.

Recognition of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on target cells by natural killer (NK) cells inhibits NK cell-mediated lysis. Although it is known that this inhibitory effect is regulated by MHC polymorphism, the precise structural determinants remain undefined. Based on the capacity of different HLA-C and HLA-B motifs specifically to inhibit cytotoxicity of some NK clones, three different NK cell specificities (NK1, NK2 and NK3) have been described. In this study, the recognition of HLA-B27 by NK clones has been analyzed using C1R cells transfected with different HLA-B27 subtypes as target cells. Cytotoxicity was inhibited by the HLA-B*2705, -B*2701 -B*2703, -B*2704 and -B*2706 alleles, but not by -B*2702. This subtype is distinguished from the other B27 subtypes by the presence of isoleucine instead of threonine at position 80. Direct involvement of this residue was assessed by showing that site-directed mutagenesis of Thr80 to Ile80 in HLA-B*2705 reverted the NK protective effect of HLA-B*2705. Based on these data, we suggest that Thr80 could act as a single residue conferring target cell protection from lysis by a group of NK clones, tentatively designated NK4.

Adult↗

Calcitriol effect on natural killer cells from hemodialyzed and normal subjects.

Patients with chronic renal failure have a decreased secretion of calcitriol (CTR). They also show an impaired cellular immune response including a defective natural killer (NK) cell-mediated activity. The aim of this study was to analyze, in vivo and in vitro, the effect of CTR on NK cell cytotoxicity in healthy control subjects and in hemodialyzed (HD) patients. Our results show that HD patients had baseline-depressed NK cell activity when compared with controls (P < 0.001), which increased significantly after 1 month of oral CTR treatment (0.5 microgram/day) (P < 0.001). Calcitriol treatment also induced a significant increase in CTR serum levels (P < 0.001) and a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in total parathyroid hormone (PTH). In vitro CTR treatment (10(-7) M) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) increased NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity after 24 hours of incubation with a maximum at 48 hours (P < 0.001). In vitro CTR treatment at doses of 10(-11) and 10(-9) M did not significantly increase NK cytotoxic activity. The enhanced NK activity after CTR treatment was not the consequence of increased numbers of CD56 positive cells, nor to lymphocyte activation, as tested by the expression of the interleukin 2 receptor p55 alpha chain (CD25) on their surface. In vitro treatment of PBMC from HD patients with CTR (10(-7) M, during 48 hours) also induced a strong increase in NK cell cytotoxicity (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Downregulation of Fc gamma receptor IIIA alpha (CD16-II) on natural killer cells induced by anti-CD16 mAb is independent of protein tyrosine kinases and protein kinase C.

Downregulation of functionally relevant surface molecules has been shown to be a powerful regulatory mechanism of Ag surface expression that seems to be of general significance in vivo. CD16-II (Fc gamma RIIIA alpha) is the transmembrane form of the low-affinity receptor for IgG which is expressed on monocytes and NK cells. Occupancy of CD16-II receptor on NK cells induces expression of activation antigens, synthesis of cytokines, and lysis of antibody-coated target cells. Furthermore, after activation the receptor is downregulated from the cell surface. This downregulation could play a physiological role in the NK activation process via CD16 by releasing the antibody-coated target cell and halting signal transduction. The participation of PKC and PTKs in the activation of NK cells via CD16 is clearly established. Thus, we have considered of interest to study the mechanism of CD16-II downregulation in NK cells and the role played by these kinases in the process. The results show that 1,10-phenantroline, a specific inhibitor of Zn(2+)-dependent metalloproteases, inhibits CD16 downregulation induced by CD16 crosslinking, thus suggesting that this process requires the activation of a Zn2+ dependent metalloprotease as it occurs in PMA mediated CD16 downregulation by shedding. Our results also demonstrate that CD16-II downregulation induced by CD16 crosslinking is independent of PKC and PTK activation. In contrast other NK cell activities induced by CD16 crosslinking, such as the induction of activation markers or the production of TNF-alpha, were dependent of PTK activation. The fact that PKC inhibitor staurosporine blocks PMA- but not CD16-induced downregulation suggests that CD16 downregulation can be achieved via two different pathways: one that is PKC dependent and one that is not. The characterization of the Zn(2+)-dependent metalloproteases and the analysis of the regulatory mechanisms involved in its activation will be of interest in order to clarify the physiological relevance of CD16-II release from NK cells as part of the NK activation process.

Alkaloids↗

Regulation of CD69 expression on human natural killer cells: differential involvement of protein kinase C and protein tyrosine kinases.

Human peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells (CD56+, CD16+, CD3 epsilon- lymphocytes) express CD69 after their stimulation by interleukin-2 (IL-2) or interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). This activation antigen represents a triggering surface molecule in NK cell clones as its stimulation triggers the cytolytic machinery of these cells. However, the mechanisms regulating the expression of CD69 in NK cells are unknown despite the functional relevance of CD69 in NK cell activation. Thus, we have analyzed the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) in the expression of CD69 on purified NK cells activated by IL-2, IFN-alpha, anti Fc gamma RIII (CD16) monoclonal antibodies or by K562 target cells. We found that CD69 is induced on NK cells not only by IL-2 and IFN-alpha but also by activation of the CD16 pathway, the interaction with NK target cells and the direct activation of PKC by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), indicating that CD69 induction is associated to different NK activation pathways. The treatment with the PKC inhibitor staurosporine abolished the induction of CD69 induced by PMA or K562. However, it did not significantly affect CD69 induction by IL-2, IFN-alpha or CD16 cross-linking. This demonstrates that whereas PKC can play a central role in the regulation of CD69 expression in some instances (response to K562 cells or PMA), it does not participate in others (response to IL-2, IFN-alpha or anti CD16 monoclonal antibodies). On the other hand genistein, a competitive inhibitor of PTK enzymes, blocked the expression of CD69 induced by activation of NK cells via IL-2 or IFN-alpha receptors, CD16 and K562 receptor(s), indicating that stimulation of PTK is a common step in the signal transduction events leading to the induction of CD69 antigens after the activation of NK cells via these receptors.

Antigens, CD↗

HLA antigen familial study in complete Behçet's syndrome affecting three sisters.

Behçet's disease is a multisystemic disease affecting most organs. Although a tendency towards an association with a certain genetic type and with HLA-B51 is suspected, the incidence of several siblings with Behçet's disease in a single family is rare. A family, in which three sisters were affected with Behçet's disease, uveitis being the most severe manifestation, was studied. In this family all siblings were B51 positive. Only the female siblings, however, with a positive identical HLA phenotype: A2, A11, B51, B44, Cw6, Cw5, DR4, DRw13, DRw53, DRw52, DQw7, DQw6, developed the disease symptoms, whereas none of the male siblings was affected.

Adult↗

HLA molecule expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas: an immunopathological study and clinical-immunohistopathological correlations.

A correlation between the lack of MHC class I gene expression on murine tumor cells and their ability to grow and metastasize has recently been established. This paper studies HLA-ABC and HLA-DR antigen expression in tumor cells and mononuclear infiltrate of 26 cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Our results showed a heterogeneous expression of HLA class I molecules in these tumors. No significant correlation between the degree of HLA class I molecule expression and anatomical-clinical parameters was found. Class II antigen expression was correlated to the histopathological type and to the degree of cell differentiation. Most mononuclear cells infiltrating the tumor were T-lymphocytes. No correlation with anatomical-clinical parameters was found.

Antigens, CD↗

Histocompatibility antigens and natural killer susceptibility.

The central question of the nature of the structure(s) involved in the recognition of targets by natural killer (NK) cells remains unresolved. Although NK-mediated cytotoxicity is not MHC-restricted, it has been suggested that these cells could recognize the targets more effectively in the absence of MHC class I antigens. In this paper we review the contradictory results obtained when studying the NK susceptibility of cell lines which constitutively express different levels of MHC antigens, or which have been induced to express MHC antigens by gene transfection or gamma-interferon treatment. Taken together, the results indicate that MHC antigens play a differential role in NK lysis depending on the nature of the target cells used; MHC class I antigens play a role in the NK resistance of cells from a hematopoietic lineage, but this does not extend to cells from other origins. The data reviewed also support the hypothesis that MHC class I antigens induced NK resistance by interfering with target structures, and that multiple NK molecules are involved in NK-mediated lysis as part of a possible advanced recognition system.

Animals↗

Mechanisms involved in NK resistance induced by interferon-gamma.

Human tumor cell lines were treated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and then used as target cells in NK assays to measure their ability to form conjugates and stimulate the production of NK cytotoxic factors (NKCF) and to determine their susceptibility to NKCF lysis. K562 and cell lines RS1, RS3, RS7, CAC, and CAP2, obtained from solid brain tumors, were used as targets, and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from normal donors were used as effector cells. IFN-gamma-treated cell lines had a decreased susceptibility to NKCF lysis and a decreased ability to induce the release of these factors without affecting target-effector cell binding. These results were not due to changes in HLA class I antigen expression, given that the level of HLA class I antigens on the tumor cell lines was not affected, the only exception being K562. In an attempt to further clarify the possible influence of HLA class I expression on K562, IFN-gamma-pretreated K562 cells were separated into HLA class I positive and HLA class I negative subsets for the NK assays. The results showed that both populations behaved similarly upon target-effector conjugate formation, whereas the HLA class I positive population showed a reduced susceptibility to lysis by NK cells and NKCF. Thus, these results establish that NK resistance induced by IFN-gamma is mediated by blocking the target cell's ability to activate NK cell triggering and release of NKCF and by blocking its susceptibility to lysis by these factors. This analysis helps to clarify not only the NK process but also the controversial regulatory effect of IFN in NK lysis.

Cell Adhesion↗

MHC class I antigen expression is inversely related with tumor malignancy and ras oncogene product (p21ras) levels in human breast tumors.

MHC class I antigens participate in the immune response by presenting peptides to CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Decreased expression of these antigens in tumor cells may contribute to an evasion of immune system and consequently to enhanced tumor growth. However, not all tumors expressing low levels of HLA antigens show increased malignancy, probably as a result of the differential activity of the oncogenes involved in malignant transformation. The ras family of cellular oncogenes is one of the most frequently detected families of transformation-inducing genes in human solid tumors. The aim of this work is to study the expression of MHC antigens and the ras oncogene product, p21ras, in 60 primary breast tumors in order to define its clinical significance in tumor progression. HLA antigen expression and p21ras levels were measured on breast tumors using immunohistochemistry methods and enzymoimmunoassay, respectively. The results demonstrate that more invasive tumors have both a decreased expression of HLA class I antigens and higher levels of p21ras protein expression than less aggressive tumors. These findings indicate that the capacity of breast cancers to grow and metastasize is related to low levels of MHC class I antigens and enhanced p21ras expression, thus supporting the involvement of MHC and ras oncogenes in breast tumor malignancy.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Sera from patients with colon, breast and lung cancer induce resistance to lysis mediated by NK cytotoxic factors (NKCF).

Natural killer (NK) cells are involved in the antitumoral immunologic mechanism. These cells act through the release of cytotoxic molecules defined as NK cytotoxic factors (NKCF). Inhibitory factors of NK and NKCF mediated lysis have been described in in vitro assays. This study evaluates the induction of resistance to NKCF cytotoxicity by sera from 27 patients with colon, breast and lung cancer. Addition of these sera to the cytolytic assay where K562 cells and concentrated NKCF were used, induced resistance to NKCF mediated cytotoxicity in 21 cases (77%). The sera from the group with metastasis blocked NKCF lysis more markedly than the group with local tumours. However, no differences were observed when the groups with colon, breast and lung cancers were compared. This blocking effect was not found to be related to gamma interferon (IFN) levels. In a previous study, we described a tumour factor (NK-RIF) produced by human cell lines derived from metastatic adenocarcinomas. This factor blocked lysis of tumour target cells by NK cells. Consequently, it is proposed that the release of similar tumour factors with a capacity to induce resistance to NKCF may be involved in tumour growth and metastatic spreading in in vivo.

Breast Neoplasms↗

HLA expression in basal cell carcinomas.

Decreased expression of MHC class I molecules in tumor cells has been reported to be associated with enhanced malignancy both in human and murine tumors. This paper studies HLA-ABC and HLA-DR expression in 56 basal cell carcinomas. Our results show that these tumors have a heterogeneous expression of MHC class I molecules: 11% exhibit uniform staining of most tumor cells; 25% are only partially positive, and the remaining 64% are MHC class I negative. A positive correlation between the level of HLA-ABC molecule expression and the degree of histological differentiation has been found. The expression pattern of tumor cells with anti-class II monoclonal antibodies shows weak homogeneous staining in 5%, staining in only a few areas of the tumor in 32%, whereas 63% has no significant staining for MHC class II antigens. Most mononuclear cells infiltrating the tumor were T lymphocytes (CD-3 positive). Results also show that 68% of the tumors express class II molecules homogeneously in the infiltrate. The expression of class II antigens in infiltrating lymphocytes correlated with the level of class II expression in the tumor cells probably as a consequence of lymphokine production by activated T cells.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

Isolation of a novel tumor protein that induces resistance to natural killer cell lysis.

The human metastatic tumor cell line CAP-2, produces a soluble factor that induces resistance to NK lysis of K-562 susceptible leukemia cell line, and does not inhibit the cytotoxic capacity of effector cells. The use of sequential HPLC, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and reverse phase chromatography, coupled with cytotoxic assays, resulted in the isolation and separation to homogeneity of a novel protein responsible for this biologic activity. Size estimation studies based on TSK HPLC columns showed that this protein has a mass of 8 to 12 kDa. The amino acid composition analysis of the CAP-2 protein calculated from HPLC chromatograms shows that this protein contains around 108 amino acids. Subsequent gas phase sequence analysis, however, was hampered because the N terminus of this protein was blocked and therefore unsuitable for sequencing by Edman degradation. The functional studies showed that the NK lysis-resistance activity of the CAP-2 protein is mediated by interaction with and nonspecific binding to NK target cells. The lymphokine-activated killer and macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity and mitogen-induced proliferation is not affected. Unexpectedly, the CAP-2 protein appears to be mitogenic to its own cell line. Thus, the induction of NK lysis-resistance and the mitogenic activity showed by CAP-2 protein could contribute to the tumor growth and metastatic establishment.

Amino Acids↗

Analysis of the mechanisms involved in NK resistance induced by a new tumor factor NK-RIF.

The mechanisms involved in susceptibility or resistance of neoplasic cells to lysis by NK cells are not well known. We have recently described a 12-kDa factor (NK-RIF), produced and released by different tumor cell lines, making K562 resistant to NK lysis without affecting the cytotoxic function of NK effector cells. In this paper we further study the mechanism involved in NK resistance of K562 mediated by NK-RIF and its biological implications. The results show that NK-RIF does not affect the binding capacity of target and effector cells nor the levels of HLA class I antigen expression on the target cells, as a proof that resistance to NK-mediated lysis is not always associated with a defect in target effector binding or with an increased MHC class I antigen expression. However NK-RIF-treated K562 loses its capacity to induce NK cell activation and the subsequent capacity to release NKCF and makes K562 resistant to lysis by NKCF. Therefore our results show that induction of resistance to NK cytotoxicity can be the result of the modulation of target structures responsible for inducing effector cell activation without affecting target/effector binding molecules. This indicates that the structures involved in adherence and activation of NK cells have a different nature and that molecules other than HLA participate in NK resistance.

Biological Factors↗

Natural killer susceptibility is independent of HLA class I antigen expression on cell lines obtained from human solid tumors.

The susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity of 20 cell lines obtained from human solid tumors and their class I histocompatibility antigen (HLA) levels were studied in an attempt to determine whether major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products expressed on cells derived from human solid tumors influence NK susceptibility. The effect of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) treatment on these elements was also analyzed. The MHC class I (HLA-ABC, HLA-A and HLA-B) antigen levels and degree of NK lysis were very heterogeneous and no correlation was found on comparison. After treatment with IFN-gamma a marked decrease in NK susceptibility was observed in all the cell lines, including the control line K-562. However, the level of HLA class I expression was not modified in any of the lines with the exception of the K-562, which increased. In some cell lines the expression of HLA class I-like antigens. CDla, b and c, was also measured before and after IFN treatment; however, no correlation was found between CD1 levels and NK susceptibility. Consequently, from our results it is possible to conclude that HLA class I antigens do not play a decisive role in NK susceptibility of cell lines derived from human solid tumors and to suggest that molecules which are not HLA class I antigens but IFN-gamma inducible may confer NK resistance to these lines.

Antigens, CD1↗

The effect of calcitriol on natural killer cell activity in hemodialyzed patients.

We report the effect of calcitriol on natural killer (NK) cell activity in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing long-term hemodialysis. Natural killer cytotoxicity was significantly decreased in these patients when compared to healthy control subjects (13.1 +/- 1.3 vs 38.8 +/- 2.4%, P less than 0.001). These patients also have decreased levels of calcitriol (17 +/- 3 vs 36 +/- 3 pg/ml, P less than 0.001). After 14 days of oral treatment with calcitriol at a dose of 0.5 micrograms per day, a significant increase in NK activity was observed (20.2 +/- 1.6%, P less than 0.001). This increase was maintained after 28 days of treatment (21.1 +/- 2%, P less than 0.001). These results suggest that the decreased serum calcitriol might contribute to the diminished NK activity found in hemodialyzed patients, and suggests a new potential therapeutical utility of calcitriol as modulator of the immune function in these patients.

Adult↗