PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S J Dick

Publications and source records attributed to S J Dick.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

In vitro studies on the cell-mediated immune response to human brain tumors. II. Leukocyte-induced coats of glycosaminoglycan increase the resistance of glioma cells to cellular immune attack.

We have examined the ability of cultured human glioma cells to elicit allogeneic cytolytic lymphocyte responses in vitro in order to delineate properties of glioma cells that may contribute to their ability to escape cellular immune attack. When glioma cells were cultured together with allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in mixed lymphocyte-tumor cultures (MLTC), it was observed that cells from eight of 12 glioma lines were surrounded by clear pericellular "halos," which appeared to impede contact between PBMC and the glioma cells. Enzymatic, histochemical, and immunochemical studies indicated that these halos represented glycosaminoglycan (GAG) coats that contained hyaluronic acid (HA) as a major constituent. Electron microscopic studies demonstrated the presence of many thin microvillous processes spanning the width of the halos. The presence of GAG coats around glioma cells in MLTC reduced the generation of cytolytic T lymphocytes specific for antigens on the glioma cells. Likewise, these cell coats decreased the lysis of glioma cells by cytolytic lymphocytes, once generated. The production of thick coats of GAG by glioma cells was induced by interaction of glioma cells with a nondialyzable factor produced by PBMC in culture. This factor did not cause glioma cells to release increased amounts of HA into the medium, but rather increased the production of HA that remained associated with the glioma cell surface. The formation of thick, protective GAG coats by glioma cells as a result of their interaction with the PBMC-derived factor constitutes a nonspecific suppressor mechanism that may contribute to the ability of this class of human solid tumors to evade cellular immune attack.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Lymphoid cell-glioma cell interaction enhances cell coat production by human gliomas: novel suppressor mechanism.

Certain human glioma lines produce mucopolysaccharide coats that impair the generation of cytolytic lymphocytes in response to these lines in vitro. Coat production is substantially enhanced by the interaction of glioma cells with a macromolecular factor released by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in culture. This interaction thus constitutes an unusual mechanism by which inflammatory cells may nonspecifically suppress the cellular immune response to at least one class of solid tumors in humans.

Animals↗

Mechanisms by which human gliomas may escape cellular immune attack.

Whereas substantial evidence indicates that the majority of glioma patients make humoral immune responses to their own tumours, the evidence that glioma patients make significant cellular immune responses is more tenuous and controversial. In order to study those properties of human gliomas that might contribute to their ability to escape cell-mediated immune attack, we have examined the ability of cultured human glioma cells to elicit allogeneic cytolytic lymphocyte responses in vitro. Five of ten glioma lines were unable to elicit allogeneic cytolytic lymphocyte responses in mixed lymphocyte-tumour cultures, despite the presence of serologically detectable alloantigens on the surface of the glioma cells. Analysis of the reasons why certain glioma lines failed to stimulate cytolytic lymphocyte responses revealed three distinct mechanisms by which human gliomas may escape cellular immune attack: 1. a defect in immunogenicity which can be overcome by "help" from an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction, 2. the secretion of a protective mucopolysaccharide coat, and 3. the production of macromolecular immunosuppressive substance(s). The implications of these findings for the immunotherapy of human gliomas are discussed.

Adult↗

In vitro studies on the cell-mediated immune response to human brain tumors. I. Requirement for third-party stimulator lymphocytes in the induction of cell-mediated cytotoxic responses to allogeneic cultured gliomas.

For study of those properties of human gliomas that might contribute to their ability to escape cell-mediated immune attack, cultured human glioma cells were examined for their ability to elicit allogeneic cytolytic lymphocyte responses in vitro. Of 9 glioma lines, 5 were unable to elicit allogeneic cytolytic lymphocyte responses in mixed lymphocyte--tumor cultures although the concentration of stimulating glioma cells was varied over a fortyfold range. However, lymphocytes specifically cytolytic for 4 of the nonstimulatory lines could be generated if irradiated, third-party stimulator lymphocytes were added to cultures containing responder lymphocytes and glioma cells. The specific cytolytic lymphocytes produced in these cultures were inactivated by treatment with the monoclonal anti-T-cell antibody OKT3 plus complement and were thus identified as T-cells. However, nonspecific, non-T-lytic effectors were also generated. The results of these experiments demonstrated that certain cultured gliomas possessed a defect in immunogenicity that can be overcome by "help" from an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. The possible nature of this help and the potential implications of these results for the immunotherapy of human gliomas are discussed.

Astrocytoma↗