Cytotoxic immune cells with specificity for defined soluble antigens. II. Chasing the killing cells

Cells from mice immune against soluble antigens were tested for their in vitro cytotoxicity against chicken red blood cells (CRBC) coated with these antigens. In parallel, cells from mice immune against allogeneic P815 mastocytoma cells were tested for their in -vitro cytotoxicity against P815 cells. Before the cytotoxicity test, the immune cell populations were fractionated, using four different types of techniques, to check the impact of the removal of given subpopulations of cells on cytotoxic activity.Fractionation on anti-immunoglobulin coated columns did not affect the anti P815 cytotoxicity, but markedly decreased the cytotoxicity against antigen-coated CRBC. The same results were obtained by incubation on a plastic surface and/or an “ironplus-magnet” technique. Preincubation of the cytotoxic cell populations with homologous anti-θ or heterologous anti-T antiserum, plus complement, abolished both types of cytotoxicity. However, preincubation with anti-θ or anti-T antiserum alone, without complement, also blocked the cytotoxicity against antigen-coated CRBC, but not the anti P815 cytotoxicity. In vivo injection of heterologous anti-lymphocyte gammaglobulin completely abolished the anti P815 cytotoxicity, but not the cytotoxicity against antigen-coated CRBC.These results confirm that T cells (thymus-processed lymphocytes) can kill autonomously in the anti P815 system. They also suggest that, in the cytotoxicity against antigen-coated CRBC, as effector cells, (1) non-T cells are involved, (2) T cells might not be involved.     

未经刺激的静止CD4+T细胞与克隆CD4+T细胞在抗原特异的及主要组织相容性抗原限制的无能诱导中的差异及其意义

在体外克隆T细胞中,T细胞无能可在多种条件下诱导产生,但T细胞在体内条件下的无能诱导仍有很多疑问和争议。由于正常动物体内对单一抗原特异应答的T细胞频率太低,从体内新提取未经刺激的T细胞进行无能诱导研究一直存在技术上的困难。本文利用HNT—TCR转基因小鼠高度单一的针对HA多肽抗原的CD4^ T细胞群体,以T细胞增殖反应作为检测方法,比较研究了克隆CD4^ T细胞和新提取未经刺激的CD4^ T细胞对无能诱导的反应。结果表明,经化学交联剂l—ethyl-3-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide(ECDI)处理的抗原提呈细胞(APC)与流感病毒血细胞凝集素(HA)多肽诱导在克隆CD4^ T细胞中产生了无能,这种无能是依赖于特异抗原和主要组织相容性抗原(MHC)的;而在同样条件下,新提取未经刺激的CD4^ T细胞则不能被诱导产生无能。结果提示,体内T细胞与克隆T细胞存在功能上的不同,体内T细胞的无能诱导可能需要不同的条件。这对体内T细胞免疫耐受产生的机制研究和临床应用都有重要意义。     

Cytotoxic immune cells with specificity for defined soluble antigens. I. Assay with antigen-coated target cells

An in vitro cytotoxic system is described, in which immune cells specific for a given soluble antigen exert a specific cytotoxic effect on target cells to which this antigen has been covalently linked. The nature of the target cell is important in this system. When antigen-coated P 815-X2 mastocytoma cells and antigen-coated chicken red blood cells were incubated for several hours in culture medium at 37 °C, the presence of membrane-bound antigen could still be demonstrated on the latter, but not on the former target cells. This might be the reason why antigen-specific target cell destruction by specific immune cells was observed only with antigen-coated chicken red blood cells as target cells. The specificity of the cytotoxic effect was controlled in each experiment in a criss-cross way by using two non cross-reacting antigens both as immunogens and for coating the target cells. Specific cytotoxicity was demonstrable with both guinea pig and mouse immune cells and with different kinds of antigens: foreign proteins, hapten-heterologous protein conjugates and hapten-autologous protein conjugates.     

Antibody-bearing liposomes improve agglutination of latex particles used in clinical diagnostic assays

Ligand-bearing liposomes are used to enhance the agglutination ‘signal’ of a typical latex assay for the detection of human rheumatoid factor. Heat-denatured IgG, the antigen to which rheumatoid factor binds naturally, was covalently attached to latex spheres. The liposomes were covalently coated with a ‘second ligand’ which also recognizes rheumatoid factor, anti-human IgM Fab′ fragments. In the present test configuration, rheumatoid factor present in a patient's serum binds to the IgG attached to the latex particles. The liposomes, in turn, bind rapidly to rheumatoid factor-sensitized latex, via the second ligand, promoting the formation of large, clearly visible latex aggregates. When latex spheres bearing the same type and density of second ligand were used to replace the liposomes they failed to improve agglutination, suggesting that multivalent presentation of the second ligand is not sufficient to insure the improvement. These results suggest that fluidity of the liposomal membrane is a requirement for the effect. Sensitivity as well as ‘readability’ are improved by the liposomes while specificity remains unaffected. The principle of using ligand-bearing liposomes to enhance particle agglutination is applicable to a wide range of other diagnostic assays.