The discovery of secretory IgA and the mucosal immune system.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T B Tomasi.
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Interferon (IFN)-alpha inhibits DNA synthesis stimulated by low molecular weight B-cell growth factor (BCGF) in hairy cells in vitro, suggesting that the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-alpha in hairy cell leukemia (HCL) involves growth inhibition of malignant B cells. Evidence that the 16-Kd cell surface protein Leu-13 mediates an antiproliferative signal in T lymphocytes and is IFN-inducible in endothelial cells prompted us to examine the expression and functional role of this molecule in leukemic B cells. Leu-13 density, determined by flow cytometry, was upregulated in vitro and in vivo by IFN-alpha on malignant B cells from patients with HCL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and prolymphocytic leukemia. Monoclonal anti-Leu-13 triggered homotypic aggregation of leukemic B cells via an adhesion pathway that was not inhibited by antibodies to leukocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Moreover, anti-Leu-13 potentiated the inhibitory effects of IFN-alpha on BCGF-stimulated DNA synthesis, assessed by [3H]-thymidine and [3H]-deoxyadenosine incorporation into DNA. These results indicate that Leu-13 is part of a novel IFN-inducible signaling pathway which may modify the growth and adhesive properties of leukemic B cells under physiologic or therapeutic conditions.
This report describes a murine amniotic fluid (MAF) immunosuppressive factor that has properties similar to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). The MAF factor exhibits TGF-beta-like activity in stimulating soft agar colony formation by AKR-2B cells and inhibiting thymidine uptake by Mv1Lu cells. We demonstrate that both the immunosuppressive and TGF-beta-like activities of the MAF factor are completely neutralized by anti-TGF-beta 2-specific antibodies and not by anti-TGF-beta 1-specific antisera. The immunosuppressive factor in MAF is novel in that it appears to be identical or very closely related to TGF-beta 2 and is active in its native state. This active and anti-TGF-beta 2-neutralizable factor chromatographs at approximately 70 kD on Sephadex at neutral pH and appears to be able to complex with alpha-fetoprotein in native amniotic fluid. Chromatography of native MAF under acidic conditions demonstrates a lower molecular mass protein that chromatographs on BioGel in the same position as the mature 25-kD TGF-beta. This protein has the biological properties of TGF-beta and is immunosuppressive. Both of these activities are neutralizable with anti-TGF-beta 2 but not with anti-TGF-beta 1 or other antisera. By Northern analysis, we find high levels of TGF-beta 2 mRNA (with little or no TGF-beta 1) in the pregnant uterus that peak around day 15 of gestation and then fall rapidly by day 19 as birth approaches. The TGF-beta 2-like factor could possibly play a role in maternal immunity, in the retention of the fetal allograft, as well as in regulating fetal and neonatal immunological competence.
CSF-1 and granulocyte/monocyte CSF (GM-CSF) were shown to modulate the levels of Ia gene and protein expression in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM). Recombinant GM-CSF induced high levels of Ia expression, similar to the levels induced by INF-gamma, while IL-3 had no effect. In contrast, recombinant CSF-1 not only suppressed the basal levels of Ia gene and protein expression in BMM, but also inhibited the induction of Ia by IFN-gamma and GM-CSF. Basal levels of Ia were not inhibited by recombinant CSF-1 until after 16-24 h of culture, suggesting an indirect mechanism of suppression. IFN-alpha/beta and PGE2 were shown not to be involved in the CSF-1 inhibition of basal levels of Ia expression. However, the CSF-1-mediated suppression of both the basal levels of Ia expression and the induction of Ia in BMM by IFN-gamma and GM-CSF did correlate with the induction of cellular proliferation. These data imply that in addition to regulating hematopoiesis, CSFs may regulate the initiation of the immune response through their effects on Ia expression in macrophages.
Studies were undertaken to determine a possible structural relationship between the secretory component (SC) and the receptor for IgA (Fc alpha R). An IgA-mediated rosetting technique was used to assess the presence of Fc alpha R+ cells in various lymphoid tissues from normal BALB/c mice and mice bearing an IgA plasmacytoma (MOPC 315). Tissues from the MOPC 315-bearing BALB/c mice were found to have a significantly higher percentage of Fc alpha R+ cells; thus, nonadherent spleen cells from MOPC 315-bearing mice were used as a source of Fc alpha R+ cells in these studies. The cells were preincubated with anti-SC and then assayed for the ability of IgA to bind to the Fc alpha R. Antisera to SC from various species inhibited the formation of IgA-mediated rosettes, although preincubation of the Fc alpha R+ cells with antisera directed against other cell surface molecules (e.g., Thy1.2, Lyt1, Lyt2, Fc gamma R, MHC class I and II) or preimmune sera had no significant effect on IgA-mediated rosette formation. Preabsorption of the anti-SC with secretory IgA or with free SC removed the inhibitory effect; preabsorption with myeloma IgA had no effect. These data suggest that SC and Fc alpha R are related serologically and may be structurally related, possible in the IgA-binding region.
Antibodies are currently being explored as highly specific reagents for delivering toxins, drugs or radionuclides to a variety of cell populations including tumors. These in vitro and in vivo antibody techniques are however associated with several problems which must be overcome prior to the routine therapeutic or diagnostic use of antibody reagents. One of the major problems is that cellular Fc receptors can interfere with the specificity of binding. This report describes the use of covalent modification with monomethoxypolyethylene glycol as a method to suppress Fc binding and other non-specific interactions of antibody molecules. The results demonstrate that modification of less than 20% of an antibodies exposed lysine residues with the polymer eliminates Fc-dependent binding to a murine macrophage cell line and prevents non-specific and Fc-dependent binding of fluoresceinated antibodies to mouse splenocytes.
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Secretory immunity. 1. Intense endurance exercise suppresses salivary immunoglobulins. The exercise-induced decrease is specific for the secretory antibodies IgA and IgM. 2. The suppression of secretory Ig is transitory, lasting at least one hour, and returning to pre-exercise levels by 24 hours after a single bout of severe exercise. These results suggest that anecdotal statements by athletes and their coaches of an increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infection after severe exercise could be related to changes in secretory immunity. Natural immunity. 1. Natural killer activity of PBL is suppressed one hour after intense endurance exercise. This effect is transitory, since activity returns to pre-exercise levels by 24 hours after a single bout of exercise. 2. The decrease in NK lytic activity is due to a decrease in the percentage of NK cells (Leu-11a+ cells). When NK cell activity is expressed on a per cell basis, it appears that activity is enhanced after exercise.
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To study the expression of src-related protooncogenes during the development of myeloid cells and the regulation of these genes by the colony-stimulating factors that control myelopoiesis, normal monocytic cells at distinct stages of differentiation were derived from murine bone marrow with the monocytic lineage colony-stimulating factor CSF-1. Protooncogene expression was also examined in uncultured human myeloid leukemia cells. While c-src transcripts were detected in myeloid leukemia cells representative of all stages of differentiation, the highly related gene c-fgr was expressed at high levels only at later developmental stages, both in normal cells committed to the monocytic lineage and in leukemic cells with a differentiated myelomonocytic phenotype. When bone marrow-derived monocytic cells were synchronized and stimulated to proliferate with CSF-1, c-fgr transcripts (but not transcripts from the highly related genes c-src or c-yes) were induced 8 hr after the addition of CSF-1 and decreased to low levels by 20 hr as the monocytic cells entered S phase. The selective induction of c-fgr mRNA by CSF-1 suggests that this tyrosine kinase may have a unique function in normal monocytic cells, distinct from other src-related tyrosine kinases.
Total cellular Poly A+ RNA from TEPC15 myeloma and murine lymphoid tissues was analyzed by denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis and Northern blot hybridization to specific heavy chain constant region cDNAs; mu, gamma 2b and alpha RNA species were identified in each of the tissues and in the IgA producing TEPC15 myeloma. In total Poly A+ RNA from TEPC15 myeloma, alpha-cDNA hybridized predominantly to a 2.3 kb RNA species; 11.5 and 4.1 kb RNA species were evident as well. Successive hybridization of the same RNA to mu- and gamma 2b-specific cDNAs demonstrated the presence of both mu and gamma 2b specific RNA species with electrophoretic mobilities apparently identical to the 11.5 and 2.3 kb RNA species identified by alpha-specific hybridization. These data establish the presence of Poly A+ RNA species containing alpha, mu, and gamma 2b sequences in TEPC15 cells and suggest the transcription of RNA from both CH-containing chromosomes in TEPC15 myeloma (one chromosome in the TEPC15 cell line contains all the CH genes while the other chromosome has deleted all CH genes except alpha). In total Poly A+ RNA from normal mouse tissues (Peyer's patch and spleen) all three cDNA probes hybridized predominantly to an 11.5 kb RNA species. Primer extension experiments demonstrated that alpha cDNA could prime for the synthesis by reverse transcriptase of gamma 2b DNA when Peyer's patch Poly A+ RNA was used as the template. This suggests the existence of a single transcript containing alpha and gamma 2b sequences. Murine lymphoid tissues contained putative mRNAs for mu, gamma 2b and alpha heavy chain proteins, whereas TEPC15 myeloma polysomal Poly A+ RNA contained only alpha mRNA.
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The data presented here suggest a model for isotype-specific regulation of IgA synthesis by Fc alpha R+ T cells (Figure 1). Immature mIgM+ +/- mIgD+ B cells are induced by T switch cells to express cell surface IgA (a phenotypic switch). If the T switch cell induces mIgA expression via a long primary RNA transcript from an unrearranged C alpha allele, the hypothetical intermediate switch B cell results (step 1); this may be the mechanism of heavy chain expression in memory B cells that express low levels of Ig. Alternatively, T switch cells may induce a DNA rearrangement in the CH locus of the B cell (a genotypic switch), which results in a deletion of all CH loci except C alpha (step 2). TH inducer cells promote maturation of mIgA+ B cells to IgA-secreting plasma cells. This may involve a DNA switch rearrangement (step 3) or the maturation of previously switched cells (step 4), and appears to be mediated via an IgABF with enhancing activity. Not shown in this figure, but inherent in this model, is a suppressive regulatory arm that may be mediated via IgABF with suppressive activity released from Fc alpha R+ suppressor T cells. Due to the presence of Fc alpha R on a variety of cell types, IgABF may suppress synthesis of IgA by acting not only on mIgA+ B cells but also on regulatory cells (T cells, B cells, and macrophages) bearing IgA bound to Fc alpha R. If the IgA system is analogous with the IgE system, mIgA-bearing B cells may be the direct target of IgABF. Binding of Ig to FcR has been shown to (a) increase the number of Fc receptors per cell, (b) enhance the number of cells expressing Fc receptors, (c) induce the release of IgBF that either suppress or enhance Ig secretion, and (d) effectively convert surface Ig- cells into surface Ig+ cells that are therefore receptive to IgBF. Thus, FcR+ cells may interact with IgBF and Ig via a regulatory network to stimulate or inhibit the immune response in an isotype-specific manner. Cell surface molecules (mIg, FcR) may serve as sensors that allow the cell to detect and respond to fluctuations in the levels of immune mediators that serve to modulate Ig synthesis and secretion. The relationship between IgBF and FcR is not known, nor is it known whether Fc receptors expressed by different cell types are encoded by the same gene and are controlled similarly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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The cellular composition and certain functional characteristics of murine Peyer's patches (PP) were examined and compared with other lymphoid tissues. The composition of PP resembled most closely that of the spleen with the exception of a significant decrease in the number of adherent and phagocytic cells. Very few cells with dendritic morphology could be identified in Peyer's patches. Whole PP (and the nonadherent population) were capable of presenting antigen ovalbumin, human gammaglobulin, and purified protein derivative in a T proliferative assay to sensitized lymph node cells and to an antigen-specific T-cell clone. The antigen-presenting cell in both the spleen and PP was concentrated in the low-density population which floated on 1.080 bovine plasma albumin. However, equal numbers of whole and PP floaters were deficient in their capacity to present antigen compared with similar populations from spleen. Moreover, in PP the antigen-presenting cell appeared in the nonadherent rather than the adherent population as found with other lymphoid tissues. Similar results were obtained with (B6A)F1, CBA, A.TFR-1 and B10.S (12R) mice, suggesting that the inability of adherent cells from PP to present antigen effectively was not genetically determined. Whole and nonadherent PP contained cells capable of stimulating an allogeneic MLR, although again they were generally inferior to those of the spleen when comparable numbers of cells were employed. The adherent population of PP did not elicit an MLR. However, whole PP contained accessory cells needed for mitogen-induced proliferation since passage over nylon-wool columns resulted in a nonadherent fraction which did not respond to concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin and the addition of adherent peritoneal exudate cells restored the lectin response. The differences noted in the accessory cell function in PP and other lymphoid tissues suggest the possibility that quantitative or qualitative differences in the function of these cells may explain some of the previously observed characteristics of PP, such as the inability to detect a primary antibody response in this tissue. The possibility that the development of gut-associated suppressor cells and their migration to peripheral tissues may be involved in the systemic tolerance that follows oral immunization and that these may be related to numerical and/or functional differences in macrophages or accessory cells is discussed.
Long-term cultures of pig aortic endothelial (E) cells secrete plasminogen activator (PA). When these cells were cultured with murine lymphokine(s) produced in response to antigen, mitogen, or allogeneic stimuli, there was consistently increased PA secretion by E cells. The evidence suggests that initiator of plasminogen activator (IPA) is produced by a nylon-wool--nonadherent cell, probably a T cell. The kinetics of this activation of PA suggest that the effect of IPA on E cells is considerably delayed compared with that on phagocytic cells. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of their possible relationship to several immunopathological states.
A model of disseminated histoplasmosis in CBA/J mice was developed. Cultures of Histoplasma capsulatum from the spleens of infected mice suggested almost complete clearance of fungi by week 3. The adherent spleen cells from infected mice showed a 2- to 20-fold increase in fibrinolysis. The increase in activity was maximal around 1 to 2 weeks and disappeared after week 3 of infection, and this paralleled the progressively decreasing number of culturable fungi from the spleen. In vitro coculture of infected spleen cells or nylon wool-purified immune T cells and proteose peptone-induced macrophages resulted in increased fibrinolysis. Peritoneal exudate cells from infected mice also showed increased fibrinolysis. The addition of soluble antigen to an in vitro culture system resulted not only in an increase in fibrinolytic activity of peritoneal exudate cells derived from infected mice but also of proteose peptone-induced macrophages. These observations suggest that spleen and peritoneal macrophages from H. capsulatum-infected mice exhibit increased fibrinolysis which in turn is indicative of macrophage activation. The mechanism of activation occurs as a result of immunologically specific T cell-macrophage interaction and by the action of histoplasma products on the macrophages. The significance of these findings and the role of the plasminogen activator assay in studies of disseminated fungal infection are discussed.