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T S Halstensen

Publications and source records attributed to T S Halstensen.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The amino acid at position 57 of the HLA-DQ beta chain and susceptibility to develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

In Caucasoids HLA-DQB1 genes encoding amino acids other than aspartic acid at position 57 of the DQ beta chain (non-Asp-57) are associated with susceptibility to develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), while resistance is associated with aspartic acid at this residue (Asp-57). Following amplification of genomic DNA by the polymerase chain reaction, the DQB1 alleles of 87 random Norwegian IDDM patients and 187 healthy controls were investigated with 11 different sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. Of these patients 82% carried DQB1 alleles encoding non-Asp-57 at both of their DQ beta chains, compared to 27% of the controls (relative risk = 12.2, p less than 0.0001). Sixteen percent of the patients (versus 51% of the controls) were heterozygous Asp-57/non-Asp-57. Two percent of the patients (22% of the controls) were apparently Asp-57 homozygous. The results demonstrate that non-Asp-57 DQ beta chains are associated with susceptibility to develop IDDM but also indicate that the protection associated with DQ beta Asp-57 may not be as dominant as reported by others.

Adolescent↗

T lymphocytes in human gut epithelium preferentially express the alpha/beta antigen receptor and are often CD45/UCHL1-positive.

A revived interest in intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) has been elicited by several recent reports suggesting that murine and avian intestinal epithelium contains mainly CD3+CD8+ cells expressing the gamma/delta T-cell receptor (TcR) for antigen; this contrasts with systemically distributed T cells which preferentially employ the TcR alpha/beta. An anatomical dichotomy in the distribution of these two T-cell lineages has hence been proposed. Here we report that this concept does not hold true in man. In situ studies with monoclonal TcR-framework antibodies showed that most (70-90%) human intestinal IEL (which are mainly CD3+CD8+) expressed TcR alpha/beta. Moreover, almost half of the intraepithelial CD3+ cells were positive for the smallest (180 kDa) CD45 molecule (UCHL1); this probably reflected that they are antigen-primed and thus represent traditional CD3+CD8+ alpha/beta+ memory T cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Intraepithelial T cells of the TcR gamma/delta+ CD8- and V delta 1/J delta 1+ phenotypes are increased in coeliac disease.

Expression of the gamma/delta T-cell receptor (TcR) for antigen on CD3+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was studied in situ by two-colour immunofluorescence on jejunal tissue sections from 24 patients with coeliac disease and 17 controls. The proportion of intraepithelial TcR gamma/delta+ cells was significantly increased (P less than 0.002) in untreated (median 20%, range 11-53%) as well as in treated (gluten-free diet) coeliac disease (median 23%, range 16-55%) compared with controls (median 2%, range 0-39%). Although TcR alpha/beta+ IEL dominated both in controls and coeliac disease, T cells expressing the TcR gamma/delta were preferentially located within the epithelium rather than in the lamina propria. Paired staining for TcR gamma/delta and CD8 revealed that most (approximately 90%) intraepithelial TcR gamma/delta+ lymphocytes in coeliac disease were CD8-. A remarkably large fraction (median 67%, range 58-94%) of intraepithelial TcR gamma/delta+ cells expressed the V delta 1/J delta 1-encoded epitope revealed by monoclonal antibody delta TCS1. Our results suggested that increase of the intraepithelial TcR gamma/delta+ CD8- subset of T cells is particularly related to coeliac disease.

Adolescent↗

Deposits of terminal complement complex (TCC) in muscularis mucosae and submucosal vessels in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease of the colon.

Extensively washed, ethanol fixed and paraffin embedded colonic specimens from 15 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and nine patients with Crohn's disease (CD) of the colon, ileal specimens from six patients with CD of the ileum, and histologically normal control specimens obtained from 10 patients operated for colonic carcinoma, were examined by immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody specific for a neoepitope in the C9 part of the terminal complement complex (TCC). The submucosal blood vessels in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) showed significantly more TCC positivity than the controls, and vascular TCC deposition was statistically related (p less than 0.001) to degree of inflammation. Five of the six ileal CD specimens contained likewise vascular TCC deposits. In addition, five UC specimens and one colonic CD specimen contained TCC-positive fibrils in the muscularis mucosae or submucosa. There was no significant difference in vascular TCC deposits between UC and CD. The results suggested that terminal complement activation takes place in the intestinal lesions of IBD.

Adolescent↗

Terminal complement complex (TCC) and S-protein (vitronectin) on follicular dendritic cells in human lymphoid tissues.

Follicular dendritic cells (FDC) present in germinal centres trap considerable amounts of C3-containing immune complexes (IC). Activation of the terminal pathway of complement (C) on biological membranes normally generates C5b-9(m), which is the membranolytic form of the terminal complement complex (TCC). By contrast, when C activation takes place in the extracellular fluid phase, S-protein binds to C5b-7 and the non-lytic soluble SC5b-9 is formed. In this study deposits of C3d, C5, C9 TCC neoepitope and S-protein were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry on FDC in human tonsils, lymph nodes, spleens, appendices and colonic mucosae. TCC and S-protein were likewise observed on FDC in imprints from tonsils. The identical spatial distribution revealed by paired staining suggested that TCC had been generated in situ. The staining intensity for TCC and S-protein varied in parallel, which suggested that the S-protein may be incorporated in the membrane-bound TCC--perhaps rendering it non-lytic. However, the actual mechanism and function of the observed TCC and associated S-protein deposition needs further elucidation.

Complement Membrane Attack Complex↗

Complement S-protein (vitronectin) is associated with cytolytic membrane-bound C5b-9 complexes.

It has been assumed that S-protein (vitronectin) associates with terminal C5b-9 complement complexes only when the latter fail to attach to target lipid bilayers, thereby forming inactive fluid-phase SC5b-9 complexes. Using monoclonal anti-S-protein antibodies, we show here that a minor portion of C5b-9 complexes associated with both homologous and heterologous cells contain S-protein. This conclusion derives from Western blot analyses, from the sedimentation behaviour of solubilized S-protein, and from the fact that the protein co-immunoprecipitates with C5b-9(m). Association of S-protein with C5b-9(m) takes place primarily at the stage of C9-binding. An average of less than or equal to 0.4 moles of S-protein are estimated to be present per mole C5b-9(m). Hence, only a fraction of C5b-9 complexes contain S-protein. The function of cell-bound S-protein is unknown. Haemolytic titrations with purified components failed to demonstrate any protective effect of S-protein on the lysis of sheep or human erythrocytes by C5b-9. S-protein bound to complement-lysed homologous or heterologous cells is readily detectable by conventional immunocytochemical staining. We conclude that differentiation between tissue-deposited fluid-phase C5b-9 and membrane C5b-9 complexes cannot be made on the basis of immunohistological stainings for S-protein alone.

Animals↗