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IgE dependent autoimmune response. Effect of Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

The autoimmune response to mouse accessory glands (MAG) was investigated in male BALB/c mice immunized with different doses of chemically modified mouse accessory glands (MMAG) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). This autoimmune response was studied at several time intervals using the skin test with MAG. It was found that 5 mg of MMAG induced on the day 15 an autoimmune response detected by specific skin test at 20 min., 3 h and 24 h. The results of the immediate type hypersensitivity (ITH) were higher than those with the other skin tests. In order to study the type of immunoglobulin involved, the ITH was also analyzed by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) at different time intervals with treated and untreated sera at 56 degrees C. The findings suggest the presence of reaginic antibodies, IgE being the major antibody as detected by enzime linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The MAG was subsequently fractionated using Sephandex G-100 and the fractions thus obtained (FI,FII and FIII) were used to challenge mice immunized with MMAG. It was found that FI was the only fraction which revealed an ITH similar to that revealed by MAG. The effect of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi on the autoimmune response to MAG was analyzed with different mouse groups intraperitoneally treated with 2 x 10(3) blood trypomastigotes/animal at several time intervals: namely, on days -5, 0, +5 and +10 with respect to the immunization with MMAG. The autoimmune response to MAG showed suppression when the animals received the parasites on the same day as the autoantigen.

Adjuvants, Immunologic

Antigen induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: role of thymocytes on the efferent phase of the suppression.

In the present study, we report that Cy-sensitive, MRAG-adherent spleen mononuclear (SpM) inductor-phase T suppressor (Ts) cells obtained from rats pretreated with low doses of a purified fraction (FI) of rat male accessory gland antigens (RAG) are mainly OX19+ and W3/25+. Furthermore, thymocytes from rats pretreated with FI of RAG restore the suppression of the autoimmune response to RAG autoantigens in irradiated recipients of SpM inductor-phase Ts cells. In contrast, thymocytes from rats pretreated with rat heart saline extract (unrelated antigen) did not recuperate the suppression of the autoimmune response detected by macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and delayed-type hypersensitivity. The suppressor thymocytes did not directly exert their inhibitory effect because they were not effective to suppress the autoimmune response to RAG autoantigens when irradiated recipients did not receive SpM inductor-phase Ts cells. The effect of these thymocytes was found in PNA--but not in PNA+ thymic cell population. The perithymic injection of Toxoplasma gondii did block their suppressor activity. The present report clearly shows an active participation of thymus in the efferent phase of the suppressor circuit that controls the autoimmune response to MRAG. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Animals

Role of suppressor T cells in autoimmune responses induced by polyclonal B cell activators.

In order to investigate a possible role of suppressor T cells in the maintenance of self tolerance, we compared the autoimmune response induced by LPS in cultures of untreated spleen cells with the one of anti-theta treated spleen lymphocytes. It was constantly found that T cell depletion never resulted in an increase in the number of plaques directed against autologous albumin coupled SRBC. The same finding was also apparent when the autoimmune response given by spleen cells of old, normal or thymectomized and young untreated animals was compared. In order to exclude the possibility that lack of increase of the autoimmune response in animals with T cells deficiency was due to long-lived suppressor functions, cells or factors, we compared the response to autologous albumin, as induced by LPS, in spleen cells of nude mice with the one given by their normal littermates. Since even in this instance no significant increase could be detected, we conclude that suppressor cells do not play an active role in the maintenance of self tolerance.

Animals

Effect of aging on the autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: deficit of I-E-positive peritoneal cells capable of inducing suppression.

The present report analyzes the ability to induce suppression to rat male accessory gland (RAG) autoantigens and the characteristics of T suppressor (Ts)-inducer peritoneal cells (PC) in old rats which show increased autoimmune responses. The injection of young rats with a purified fraction (FI) of RAG 10 and 3 days prior to immunization with chemically modified RAG (MRAG) markedly reduced the immune response to RAG autoantigens when compared with young rats which had only been immunized (controls), while the pretreatment of old rats did not block the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to MRAG when compared with control old rats. The study of cell surface markers on PC from rats injected i.p. 2 h previously with FI of RAG (FI-PC) showed an increase of OX-6 (I-A) and a decrease of OX-17 (I-E) in FI-PC of old rats with respect to FI-PC of young animals, which showed a selective increase of I-E+ Ts-inducer PC. The i.p. injection of FI-PC from old rats into young recipients, 10 and 3 days prior to immunization with MRAG in complete Freund's adjuvant, did not modify the autoimmune response when compared with controls. By contrast, the injection of young and old rats with FI-PC from young animals induced a significant suppression of the autoimmune response. The reduced percentage of I-E+ suppressor-inducer PC provides an explanation for the diminished ability to induce suppression to RAG autoantigens in old rats.

Aging

The biologic significance of human natural autoimmune responses: relationship to the germline, early immune and malignant B cell variable gene repertoire.

The potential for autoreactivity that has been well documented in normal individuals implies that natural autoimmune responses must serve some physiologic function. To investigate the genetic mechanisms involved in the emergence of such responses, we have determined the sequences of heavy (VH) and light (VL) chain variable region genes for several human monoclonal autoantibodies and compared these with corresponding sequences reported for other antibodies and autoantibodies. Our data reveal that natural autoantibodies can be encoded by nonmutated germline VH and VL genes which are essentially identical to V genes expressed in early B cell ontogeny as well as in some B-lineage tumors. Taken together with other structural data on human autoantibodies, these findings suggest that natural autoimmune responses originate early in ontogeny and that such antibodies may play a regulatory role in development of the normal immune repertoire and possibly in suppressing pathogenic autoimmune or malignant responses.

Amino Acid Sequence

Antigen-induced inhibition of the autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: bone marrow dependence of the enhancement of IA+ but not IE+ antigen-presenting cells.

IE+ peritoneal cells (PC), involved in the induction of suppression of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands (RAG), are obtained from rats 2 h after i.p. injection of a purified fraction (FI) of RAG (FI-PC2h). In contrast, IA+ PC, involved in the induction of autoimmune response to RAG, are obtained from rats 24 h after FI of RAG injection (FI-PC24h). The present report analyzes the effect of irradiation or irradiation/bone marrow reconstitution on the induction of both populations of PC. Peritoneal cell donor rats were irradiated in a telegamma therapeutic Cs137. Twenty hours later half of them were i.v. reconstituted with 40 x 10(7) bone marrow cells. Six days later rats were i.p. injected with 200 micrograms of FI of RAG and 10(7) resident PC. The PC were harvested 2 h or 24 h later. The ability of resident PC to yield IE+ FI-PC2h involved in the induction of suppression is not impaired by irradiation, but the ability of resident PC to yield IA+ FI-PC24h involved in the induction of a positive response is impaired by irradiation and restored by bone marrow reconstitution of irradiated rats. Culture of normal PC with FI of RAG for 2 h or 24 h shows a selective increase in IE+ cells able to induce suppression to RAG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Autoimmune response to the Ro/SSA particle is directed to the human antigen.

Autoantibodies to defined cellular antigens in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are usually directed to conserved epitopes on ubiquitous macromolecules including histone, Sm + nRNP (URNP particles), DNA, and La(SSB). We report here that the autoimmune response to the Ro(SSA) RNA protein particle is directed to epitopes on the human antigen which are not conserved in evolution. Ro(SSA) from bovine, rat, and mouse Ro(SSA) particles cross-react with human autoantibodies less effectively than does human Ro(SSA), and antigenically active Ro(SSA) is not detectable in chicken thymus extracts with the assays employed. These data suggest a special role for the Ro(SSA) antigen in the initiation and/or perpetuation of the anti-Ro(SSA) response in autoimmune disease.

Absorption

Suppression of efferent limb of testicular autoimmune response by a regulatory CD4+ T cell line in mice.

A murine T cell line (designated as C.Ts) as a mediator of suppression of experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) was established. The method of establishment of C.Ts cell line was preparing spleen cells from C3H/He mice hyperimmunized with testicular germ cells (TC) and the repeated selection of the lymphocytes in vitro by stimulation with mouse testicular antigens (mTA). The C.Ts cells were Thy1.2+, surface immunoglobulin-, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8-. The cells could suppress the induction of EAO when transferred into actively EAO-sensitized mice only at the pre-clinical stage of the disease (efferent limb of the autoimmune response). The transferred C.Ts cells significantly inhibited both cellular and humoral immune responses to TC in the recipients in an antigen-specific manner. The disease suppression by C.Ts cells was found to depend upon their cell number, and their suppressive activity was markedly augmented by in vitro stimulation with mTA.

Animals

Humoral autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands. Immunogenicity of different autoantigen moiety for male and female rats.

The efficiency of autoantigen fragments (Fa and Fc) to trigger a memory autoimmune response in rats primed with chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG) was assayed by reimmunizing them with the fragments coupled to human serum albumin (Fa-HSA and Fc-HSA). The humoral immune response assay by ELISA and passive hemagglutination revealed that a high level of antibodies reactive with the autoantigen of accessory glands is triggered by Fa-HSA in male and by Fc-HSA in female rats, whereas Fc in male and Fa in female rats did not stimulate appreciable levels of antibodies. Furthermore, the specificities of male and female antibodies were directed mainly to Fa and Fc epitopes, respectively. Therefore, Fa behaved like a more immunogenic fragment for male rats and Fc for female rats.

Animals

Autoimmune responsiveness to retinal IRBP, S-antigen and opsin in proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was induced in rabbits by intravitreal injection of homologous fibroblasts. During the 8 weeks after injection the immune responsiveness to three purified retinal autoantigens was studied. From 2 weeks after injection, animals that developed serious forms of PVR exhibited definite mitotic responses of their lymphocytes to stimulation by the retinal antigens. These responses could consistently be demonstrated for S-antigen and interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) during the subsequent period of examination. Marked responses were also noted to opsin, however, their occurrence was more variable. In mild forms of PVR or in controls the responses were weak or absent. This showed that the elevated cellular reactivities were induced by the development of PVR and not by some other experimental factor. Humoral immune responses to the three antigens were absent (as assayed by ELISA). The control groups did not exhibit any elevated immune responsiveness. There appears to be accumulating evidence that inflammation may play a role in the development of PVR. The present results indicate that cellular autoimmune responses to photoreceptor antigens are a secondary phenomenon in PVR, nevertheless, they may be an important factor in the subsequent development of severe PVR. This autosensitization may consequently be taken into consideration in the treatment of complicated human PVR.

Animals

Potentiation of autoimmune response in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Inhibition of suppressor system and impairment of thymic cellular populations.

In the present work we studied the influence that an infection with Toxoplasma gondii in thymus proximity produces on the suppression of autoimmune response to autoantigen of rat male accessory glands (RAG). The suppression was achieved injecting syngeneic animals with low doses of autoantigen of RAG previous to the immunization with chemically modified rat male accessory glands (MRAG). Rats were infected in thymus proximity with 3 x 10(3) trophozoites of T. gondii before or after to be suppressed. Controls were rats only infected or only suppressed. The delayed hypersensitivity response against MRAG, (DTH test), was significantly potentiated in rats only infected and in the animals suppressed before the infection (p less than 0.001). The suppression was not inhibited in the animals suppressed after infection. The suppression of humoral response against MRAG studied by ELISA and passive hemagglutination test was prevented in rats infected before as well as in rats infected after the induction of suppression (p less than 0.001). Decrease of CD4+ CD8+ and Ox18+ (class I MHC antigen) and increase of CD4+ CD8- and CD4- CD8- thymocytes was observed in the rats where the DTH response was potentiated. These results indicate that the infection with T. gondii in thymus proximity was able to inhibit the suppression of response to autoantigen of RAG producing selective impairment in thymic suppressor influence.

Animals

Structural aspects of recognition motifs contributing to autoimmune responses.

Sequence analysis of autoimmune-associated antibodies has suggested a structural relatedness between genes used to encode autoantibodies and those encoding unrelated antibodies without autoreactive specificities. Subsequently, the basis for cross-reactive idiotypes across germ-line lineages, as well as conserved interspecies cross-reactivities of autoantigens among serologically similar antibodies, may result from evolutionary duplication of particular types of recognition motifs. As a first step toward elucidating structural recognition principles underlying possible cross-reactive epitopes involved in autoimmune pathologies, structural features of selected motifs associated with native ligand binding are examined for their inherent occurrence in antibody and T-cell receptor repertoires. This analysis considers the putative recognition features representative of common motif subsets shared with loop structures in CDR2 and FR3 regions of antibodies such as charge-2x-charge-x-charge or hydrogen bond donor (acceptor)-2x-charge-x-hydrogen bond donor (acceptor) type motifs, where x is any residue that can participate in maintaining a loop conformation. Such tracts encoded in the CRD2 and FR3 regions of heavy chains of antibodies and T-cell receptors (TCRs) associated with autoimmune dysfunction, with non-autoreactive antibodies, and with native host proteins. Such evolutionarily conserved motifs may be targets for complementary interactions involving autoantibodies and receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence

Antigen-induced inhibition of autoimmune response to rat male accessory glands: distinct characteristics of I-A- and I-E-positive peritoneal cells.

The present report describes different aspects of two populations of peritoneal cells (PC) obtained from rats injected i.p. 2 h or 24 h previously with a suppressor dose of a purified fraction (FI) of rat male accessory glands (RAG) (FI-PC2h and FI-PC24h, respectively). The FI-PC2h, which are mainly I-E (OX17) positive and can suppress the autoimmune response to RAG autoantigens, have an elevated phagocytic activity against Candida albicans and capacity to reduce the dye nitroblue tetrazolium. In contrast, FI-PC24h, which are mainly I-A (OX6) positive and can potentiate the autoimmunity to RAG autoantigens, have a diminished capacity to reduce the dye and a diminished phagocytic activity. Moreover, the Toxoplasma gondii appear to have a different effect on both populations. The parasites can invade FI-PC2h while FI-PC24h offer resistance to T. gondii aggression. FI-PC2h cultured during 22 h (FI-PC2-24h in vitro), or PC obtained from syngeneic recipients injected i.p. 22 h previously with FI-PC2h (FI-PC2-24h in vivo) show, as FI-PC2h, an increase of the I-E+ cells and capacity to induce suppression of the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to RAG autoantigens when they are injected to syngeneic rats 10 and 3 days prior to the immunization with chemically modified (diazotized arsanilic and sulfanilic acid) RAG in complete Freund's adjuvant. The PC obtained 24 h after injection of irradiated rats with N-PC plus FI show an increase of I-E+ cells whereas an enhancement of I-A+ cells can be observed when the PC are obtained 24 h after injection of irradiated and bone marrow-reconstituted rats with N-PC plus FI. These findings appear to indicate that FI-PC2h and FI-PC24h are functionally different and that the population obtained 24 h after injection of FI of RAG could not originate from either the population present 2 h after injection of FI of RAG injection nor from normal PC. They appear to require bone marrow precursors.

Animals

Molecular mimicry and the autoimmune response to the peripheral nerve myelin P0 glycoprotein.

In the Lewis rat immunisation with the myelin P0 glycoprotein can induce an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system, experimental allergic neuritis (EAN), which has many clinical and histopathological parallels with the human disease the Guillain-Barre syndrome. In view of the reported association of GBS with a number of infectious agents we have investigated whether "molecular mimicry" may occur between microbial antigens and the P0 protein that could possibly trigger a similar pathogenic autoimmune response in man. A computer search of the available protein sequence data bases identified several absolute sequence homologies between P0 and viral proteins that involve five or more consecutive amino acid residues. Four of these sequence homologies involved viral pathogens previously associated with the Guillain-Barre syndrome, namely Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella zoster virus (VZV) and human immunodeficiency virus I (HIV I). Although, sequence homologies were also found between viral peptides and the neuritogenic determinants of P0, residues 56-71 and 180-199, these homologies proved incapable of eliciting EAN in the Lewis rat. These observations are discussed with reference to the role that molecular mimicry between T cell epitopes on pathogen derived antigens and the P0 protein may play in the pathogenesis of the Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Amino Acid Sequence

[Autoimmune response following administration of a protein preparation from the caudate nuclei of cattle brains to rabbits].

Plasma membranes of bovine caudate nuclei were solubilized by means of Triton X-100. Detergent-extracted membrane proteins were separated by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and the affinity adsorbent proposed for the isolation of nicotinic cholinergic receptor protein (N-ChR) from Torpedo electrical organ. Half of the rabbits immunized with purified protein preparation developed a syndrome of myasthenia type. This effect resembled the autoimmune response to N-ChR from fish electrical organs. It is assumed that the N-ChR present in the caudate nucleus has antigen determinants similar to N-ChRs of the electrical organs and skeletal muscles.

Animals

Molecular characterization of the Ro/SS-A autoimmune response.

Human Ro/SS-A (Ro) antibodies (anti-Ro) are frequently seen in the circulation of patients with several subsets of photosensitive cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) and related disorders. Experimental observations have suggested that anti-Ro reacting with Ro antigens that are expressed abberantly within the epidermis might play a causal role in LE-specific skin disorders such as subacute cutaneous LE (SCLE) and neonatal LE. In this article, we will review the progress that has recently been achieved toward gaining a better understanding of the molecular configuration, genetic regulation, and function of the Ro ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antigenic complex as well as the autoimmune response with which it is associated. Work in this area has recently revealed the existence of multiple Ro autoantigen-bearing polypeptides including a 46-kd Ro protein that is virtually identical to calreticulin, a highly conserved, calcium-binding protein that is normally associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. The implications of these observations with respect to the pathogenesis of anti-Ro-associated LE skin lesions are explored.

Antibodies, Antinuclear

Ia-Type alloantigens and humoral autoimmune responsiveness in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

In the search for markers either closely linked to or identical with the hypothetical "diabetogenic major histocompatibility gene," immune region-associated alloantigens were defined in 80 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes and in 107 controls. A close association between the Ia-type alloantigen DRw3 and DRw4 and insulin-dependent diabetes was obtained. DRw3 was found in 36% and DRw4 in 32% of the patients compared to 11% and 16%, respectively, of the controls. In addition, a significant influence of DRw3 and humoral anti-islet-cell autoimmunity could be observed, which was found to be due to a high incidence of DRw3 in those patients with islet cell antibody persistence. Islet-cell antibodies (ICA) were observed in 60% of the DRw3-positive patients compared to only 9% of the DRw3-negatives with longstanding disease (greater than 5 yr). These data show a significant association between insulin-dependent diabetes and the Ia-type alloantigens DRw3 (p uncorr. less than 0.0005) and DRw4 (p uncorr. less than 0.025). Furthermore, they provide direct evidence of an association between an Ia-type alloantigen and persisting humoral autoimmune responsiveness in man.

Antibodies

[Autoimmune response to thyroglobulin. Proliferative response to thyroglobulin fragments in low responder mice].

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is one of the major thyroid autoantigens involved in autoimmune thyroiditis. The immune response of mice to Tg is genetically controlled by H-2-linked genes. To elucidate the regulation mechanism of autoimmune response to Tg in low responder mice, we studied the proliferative response of lymph node cells (LNC) to mouse Tg (MTg) and enzyme-digested MTg fragments. MTg was treated with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease followed by separation of the fragments into 6 fractions (Fr1-Fr6: 264,000-17,000) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), LNC from MTg immunized CBA/N (H-2k) mice, a high responder strain, proliferated in response to MTg and all fractions (Fr1-Fr6) of MTg fragments in vitro. In contrast, LNC from MTg immunized BALB/c (H-2d) and B10 (H-2b) mice, low responder strains, did not respond to native Tg but responded well to some smaller Tg fractions (Fr3, 4, 5). In addition, when BALB/c mice were immunized with MTg Fr4 with a molecular weight of 63,000, LNC from BALB/c mice proliferated in response to MTg as well as MTg Fr4. These findings suggest that T cells which are capable of responding to Tg do exist even in low responder mice and that the activation of these autoreactive T cells is suppressed by a regulatory cell subpopulation in low responder mice.

Animals