Antigen-specific B and T cells in human/mouse radiation chimera following immunization in vivo

Adoptive transfer of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) into mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) or into lethally irradiated BALB/c mice radioprotected with SCID bone marrow, leads to marked engraftment of human T and B cells. In such chimeras, human serum antibody responses can be stimulated readily by vaccination with recall antigens, but the detection of antigen-specific functional T or B cells has been extremely difficult. In the present study, we were able to detect by Elispot analysis high frequencies of immunoglobulin G (IgG)-secreting B cells and mitogen-responsive interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or interleukin-4 (IL-4)-secreting T cells in peritoneum and spleen of human/BALB/c chimeric mice during the first 3 weeks after PBMC transfer. Moreover, specific memory responses were elicited by vaccination with tetanus toxoid (TT) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface (HBs) antigen of chimeric mice transplanted with PBMC derived from TT- or HBV-immune donors. Substantially higher TT-specific B-cell frequencies were found during the first 3 weeks after vaccination in mice challenged with the specific antigen compared to the levels found in control animals. High numbers of TT-specific IFN-gamma-secreting T cells persisted in the peritoneum of vaccinated, but not of unvaccinated, animals during the entire observation period, but only low numbers of specific IL-4-secreting T cells were found in vaccinated mice. Similar results were achieved following vaccination with HBs antigen of chimeric mice, transplanted with PBMC of HBV immunized donors. Thus, TT or HBsAg-specific antibody responses in our model correlate closely with the existence of specific IFN-gamma-secreting T helper 1/0 cells. Furthermore, these results show that adoptive transfer of human PBMC into lethally irradiated mice provides an efficient approach to generate specific B-cell fusion partners for the production of human monoclonal antibodies and specific T-cell lines for adoptive cell therapy of malignant or infectious diseases.     

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for the pre-S2 region of the hepatitis B virus envelope protein

Monoclonal antibodies (McAb) specific for the pre-S region of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope protein were prepared using HBV particles of hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) as immunogens. The antibodies reacted in Western blot analyses and in ELISA with pre-S2 sequences of the HBV envelope protein. Pepsin or protease V8 treatment of the antigen abolished reactivity. The fine specificity of one of the McAb (F376) was established by immunoassays using synthetic peptides and a pre-S2-beta-galactosidase fusion protein expressed in E. coli. The shortest peptide recognized by F376 is demarcated by residues pre-S(132) at the N-terminal and pre-S(140)-pre-S(145) at the C-terminal. The corresponding amino acid sequence (for HBV subtype adw2) is: QDPRVRGLY(LPAGG). Additional amino acid residues at the N-terminal, and possibly at the C-terminal ends contribute to the binding of McAb, probably due to conformational influences. The McAb was applied to immunoassays of pre-S2 sequences in purified HBsAg and in human sera containing HBsAg.     

Human and monoclonal antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen recognise a single immunodominant epitope

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) synthesized in Escherichia coli. They identified a single immunodominant determinant on both liver-derived and E. coli-derived HBcAg. Cross-inhibition studies demonstrated that HBsAg-containing human sera which contained antibodies to HBcAg (anti-HBc) together with either hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) or its antibody (anti-HBe) essentially only recognised the same single determinant as the murine antibodies. The identification of a single dominant HBcAg determinant may be important if future hepatitis B virus vaccines contain HBcAg.     

Protective antibodies to hepatitis B virus in haemophiliacs.

Haemophilic patients are at increased risk from hepatitis B virus infection because of their need for blood product therapy. They are potentially poor responders to hepatitis B vaccine due to immunological abnormalities resulting from two causes: infection with the human immunodeficiency virus and treatment with clotting factor concentrates. The protective antibody response to hepatitis B virus in vaccinated haemophiliacs was investigated using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which employs a monoclonal antibody, RF-HBs-1, that recognises a virus-neutralising epitope on HBsAg. Serum samples from 55 haemophilic patients were studied at 7, 12, and 24 months after the first injection with HB vaccine. Twenty-four vaccinated normal subjects were used as controls. The level of neutralising antibody was found to correlate with the polyclonal anti-HBs response in the majority of subjects in both the control and patient groups. There was a small but statistically significant reduction in both antibody responses in the patients compared with the normal controls. Treatment with FVIII or FIX concentrate did not influence the antibody response in the patients. Eleven of the haemophilic patients were anti-HIV seropositive. This group had a significantly lower antibody response than anti-HIV negative patients, and this correlated with the duration of anti-HIV seropositivity, rather than with their T4 counts. We conclude that, following vaccination, the majority of haemophiliacs are able to mount a protective antibody response to hepatitis B virus. HIV infection was found to be the sole cause of immunological suppression of this response.     

Human/BALB radiation chimera engrafted with splenocytes from patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura produce human platelet antibodies.

We have previously shown that lethally irradiated normal strains of mice, radioprotected with severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) bone marrow, can be engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The human/mouse radiation chimera can mount marked humoral and cellular responses to recall antigens, as well as primary responses. In the present study, we adoptively transferred splenocytes from patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) into lethally irradiated BALB/c mice, radioprotected with SCID bone marrow. High titres of total human immunoglobulin appeared as early as 2 weeks post-transplant and declined after 6 weeks, while human anti-human platelet antibodies were detected 2-8 weeks after the transfer of splenocytes. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction contained antibodies against glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa (CD41) or GPIb/IX (CD42). The human platelet antibodies showed a low level of cross-reactivity with mouse platelets, and thrombocytopenia in the animals was not observed. Splenocytes from individual ITP patients differed in their capacity to produce either human platelet antibodies or total human immunoglobulin. Furthermore, antibodies produced in the murine system were not always identical to the original antibodies present in the serum of the patients. The study of the serological aspects of autoantibodies against human platelets in an animal model might be useful for the investigation of potential therapeutics in ITP.     

Neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies to hepatitis A virus recovered by phage display

Four human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to hepatitis A virus (HAV) were isolated from a phage-displayed antibody library constructed from the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of HAV-immune donors. The four MAbs showed differences in their affinity: two (HA6, HA9) of them were dominant after four rounds of panning, and showed higher affinity than the other two (HA1, HA12). All four MAbs showed HAV-neutralizing activity in radioimmunofocus inhibition assay and their neutralizing activity was positively correlated with their affinities. Analysis of their epitope specificity by cross-competition binding assays suggested that HA6 and HA9 recognize extensively overlapping epitopes, which overlap with those of HA1 and HA12, although HA1 and HA12 recognize distinct epitopes. In addition, competition assays with known neutralizing murine MAbs suggested that the epitopes of four human MAbs extensively overlap with those of B5B3 and K34C8 which are distinct but reside within the single, immunodominant neutralization site on the HAV capsid. The human MAbs (HA6 and HA9) with highest affinity may be useful in the immunoprophylaxis of HAV infection.     

应用于胶体金免疫层析的MDMA单克隆抗体的制备与鉴定

目的：制备高特异性的抗3,4亚甲二氧基甲基苯丙胺（MDMA）单克隆抗体,用于建立快速检测MDMA的胶体金免疫层析方法。方法：用MDMA人工抗原免疫BALB/c小鼠,将小鼠脾细胞与骨髓瘤细胞SP2/0融合,经亚克隆筛选得到稳定分泌抗MDMA单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞株。制备腹水,辛酸-饱和硫酸铵法纯化得到抗MDMA单克隆抗体（mAb）,并用胶体金免疫层析筛选出适用的抗MDMA单克隆抗体（mAb）,并对其进行特异性、纯度、亚类的鉴定分析。结果：经多次亚克隆后筛选得到4C10、4D10、7D11、8D4 4株分泌抗MDMA单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞株。其中细胞株8D4分泌的抗体适用于胶体金免疫层析。结论：成功筛选出能稳定分泌mAb的细胞株,为MDMA快速检测试剂的研制提供了关键材料。     

戊型肝炎病毒衣壳蛋白特异性人源单克隆抗体的筛选与鉴定

目的:建立从外周血快速筛选戊型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis E virus,HEV)衣壳蛋白特异性人源抗体的方法,从疫苗免疫者外周血中筛选出相应抗体并进行鉴定。方法:采用分选型流式细胞仪获得外周血中HEV 衣壳蛋白特异性的记忆B细胞,通过单细胞RT-PCR 的方法获得抗体序列,并进行重组表达,最后对获得的人源单克隆抗体进行初步性质鉴定。结果:成功筛选到识别HEV 衣壳蛋白的6 株人源单克隆抗体,6 株抗体均具有抗原结合活性,4 株抗体具有中和活性。结论:成功获得HEV 衣壳蛋白特异性人源单克隆抗体序列,并进行真核表达,对抗体的性质进行初步鉴定,为后期研究疫苗免疫的人体内的抗体演化打下基础。     

Intranasal administration of peptide vaccine protects human/mouse radiation chimera from influenza infection.

Influenza virus is characterized by frequent and unpredictable changes of the surface glycoproteins which enable the virus to escape the immune system. Approved vaccines which consist of the whole virus or the surface glycoproteins fail to induce broad specificity protection. We have previously reported that a peptide-based experimental recombinant vaccine which includes conserved epitopes of B and T lymphocytes was efficient in mice, leading to cross-strain, long-term protection. In the present study, this approach was adapted for the design of a human vaccine, based on epitopes recognized by the prevalent HLAs. These epitopes were expressed in Salmonella flagellin and tested for their efficacy in human/mouse radiation chimera in which human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are functionally engrafted. The vaccinated mice demonstrated clearance of the virus after challenge and resistance to lethal infection. The production of virus-specific human antibodies was also higher in this group. Control groups of either non-vaccinated, or vaccinated mice which had not been engrafted with the human PBMC, did not exhibit the protective immune response. FACS analysis showed that most human cells in the transplanted mice are CD8(+) and CD4(+). Hence, it may be concluded: (i) that the protection involves cellular mechanisms, but is most probably accomplished without direct lysis of influenza-infected pulmonary cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, but rather via a cytokine-mediated mechanism, (ii) that the human/mouse radiation chimera model may be of some value in the investigation of new vaccines, as an additional tool prior to clinical trials, and (iii) that the synthetic recombinant vaccine can induce a response in the human immune system and confers protection against influenza infection. Further investigation is needed to establish the efficacy of such a peptide vaccine in human subjects.     

抗甲肝病毒人源基因工程全抗体分子在杆状病毒中的表达

目的 探讨人源抗甲型肝炎病毒全抗体分子在杆状病毒中的表达。方法 将获得的人源抗甲肝病毒中和性抗体Fab段基因克隆入含信号肽及Fc的杆状病毒表达载体中并在杆状病毒细胞中表达。结果 获得了中和性人源抗甲肝病毒全抗体分子的表达产物并进行了纯化，轻重链表达产物位置大小正确，HAFc16抗体能与具有中和活性的鼠抗甲肝病毒单克隆抗体产生竞争抑制反应，并能在体外中和甲肝病毒，另一株HAFc78抗体同样具有体外中和甲肝病毒的活性，但系抗不同位点的抗体。结论 获得的人源抗甲肝病毒全抗体分子表达产物具有很好的体外中和甲肝病毒的活性，且为抗不同位点的抗体，为这些抗体的进一步开发及应用打下了基础，为防止甲型肝炎暴发流行提供应急措施。     

Generation and characteristics of hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies to the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus

An optimal schedule for immunization of BALB/c mice has been found, providing a high yield of hybridoma clones producing monoclonal antibody (MCA) to hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). Fourteen hybridomas of ZHAK series have been prepared. The cells of 9 hybridomas secrete MCA to the common-type determinant a, and of 5 hybridomas, to the subtype determinant y of HBsAg. The capacity of hybridoma cells for clone production and for induction of ascitic tumors in syngeneic animals was studied. In the cells of two clones marker chromosomes were detected not occurring in the original parent cells.     

Transgenic tobacco cells producing the human monoclonal antibody to hepatitis B virus surface antigen

The recombinant human monoclonal antibody (MAb) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) was expressed in tobacco suspension cultures. The parental CL4MAb was produced by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformed human cell line TAPC301-CL4. The CL4MAb cDNA was introduced into tobacco suspension cells by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. The monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), B294 and B303, which were derived from CL4 and subsequently produced in plant cells were selected for study. After purification on Protein A columns, B294 and B303 MAbs had anti-HBs relative affinity constants similar to the parental CL4MAb. B303 MAb interacted with cell surface HBsAgs and showed complement-dependent cytotoxicity in a manner that was similar to anti-HBs human immunoglobulins (HBIg) that are used clinically. The results of this study point to the feasibility of producing MAbs to HBsAg in plants as an alternative to HBIg.     

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3: different antigenic determinants from human B cells

The nonstructural (NS3) region protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) possesses major B-cell epitopes that induce antibodies after infection. To elucidate further the characteristics of these B cells and their role in the immune regulation of HCV infection, T9 (portion of NS3 region, amino acids [a.a.] 1188-1493)-specific monoclonal antibodies were derived and mapped for B-cell antigenic determinants with recombinant proteins. A total of 10 T9-specific hybridomas were generated and tested for B-cell antigenic determinants. To analyze the B-cell antigenic determinants, eight recombinant proteins including NS3-e (a.a. 1175-1334), NS3-a' (a.a. 1175-1250), NS3-a (a.a. 1251-1334), NS3-b (a.a. 1323-1412), NS3-c (a.a. 1407-1499), NS3-a/b (a.a. 1251-1412), NS3-bc (a.a. 1323-1499), and NS3-abc (a.a. 1251-1499) encoded by NS3-region internal clones were expressed and tested for immunoblotting. The data suggested IgG hybridomas recognized NS3-a, NS3-a', or NS3-b protein by immunoblotting. By contrast, the NS3-e protein bears the major antigenic determinant recognized by human sera. Half of the hybridomas were found to react with protein NS3-a', which is not a major B-cell antigenic determinant in humans. These data suggested that conformational epitopes in vivo may be important for B-cell recognition.     

A monoclonal antibody specific for the hepatocyte receptor binding site on hepatitis B virus

The sequence of the preS1 region of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope (env) proteins contains a dominant binding site for hepatocytes between residues preS21 and preS47. Purified HBV particles (subtype ad) were used as the immunogen to produce specific monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against three antigenic regions (S, preS2 and preS1) of the HBV env protein. One McAb, F35.25, was found to be specific for the region 32-53 of the preS1 sequence of HBV, which largely overlapped the hepatocyte receptor binding site. The preS1-specific McAb F35.25 reacted with both HBV subtypes, ad and ay, in radioimmunoassays (RIA) and with the large surface proteins, P39 and GP42, as well as with tryptic fragments preS(1-99/103) and preS(1-113) in Western blotting experiments. This McAb F35.25 preferentially recognized, however, the homologous (ad) preS1 sequence in RIA. The ad/ay amino acid substitution within the hepatocyte receptor binding site at position 35 (Gly-Arg) may explain the relative subtype-specificity of F35.25. Finally, the F35.25 epitope was detected in all HBV particles purified from HBeAg-positive human sera, confirming that this preS1 region 32-53 is exposed at the surface of complete virions. Thus, we developed a RIA system allowing us to assess the infectivity of HBV particles by the detection of preS1 sequences associated with the viral hepatocyte receptor. Moreover, it is expected that F35.25 may be a virus-neutralizing antibody by blockage of the attachment of HBV to liver cells.     

In vivo neutralization of duck hepatitis B virus by antibodies specific to the N-terminal portion of pre-S protein.

The neutralization of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection using antibodies directed against the N-terminal portion of the large surface protein was examined in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate here that a monoclonal antibody, directed against an epitope mapped between aa 77 and aa 100 on the DHBV pre-S, exerts a similar neutralizing activity (77%) both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we have found that a polyclonal antiserum raised against the bacterially expressed 131 first amino acids of the DHBV pre-S region abolished the infectivity of DHBV in ducklings. Therefore, antibodies against a peptide representing most of the DHBV pre-S region (1-131) or a monoclonal antibody specific to an epitope within this region neutralizes in vivo DHBV infectivity.     

Detection of antibodies to pre-S2 encoded epitopes of hepatitis B virus by monoclonal antibody-enzyme immunoassay

An inhibition enzyme immunoassay (IEIA) for the detection of anti-pre-S2 antibody has been developed and used to evaluate anti-pre-S2 responses in the sera of patients recovering from acute type B hepatitis and in the sera of healthy recipients of HBV vaccine. In the assay, we used two monoclonal antibodies recognizing the nonoverlapping epitopes (pre-S2a and pre-S2b) of the pre-S2 protein of HBV envelope which compete with human anti-pre-S2 for the limited antibody-binding sites on recombinant HBsAg particles (pre-S and S gene product). Two variants of the method were assayed employing the reference pre-S2 antigen on the solid (IEIA-sp) or in the liquid phase (IEIA-lp). Two McAbs were used to detect antibodies reacting specifically with pre-S2a and pre-S2b epitopes of the pre-S2 sequence. Both variants gave similar results and were successfully used for the determination of anti-pre-s2 in sera. We demonstrated that during HBV infection as well as after vaccination against HBV both pre-S2 epitopes generate specific immune responses. Anti-pre-S2 were detected in 45.3% patients recovering from HBV infection and in 43.7% of healthy recipients of the HBV vaccine licensed in France. Anti-pre-S2a and anti-pre-S2b were detected in sera in dilutions up to 10(-5). IEIA may provide a specific and highly sensitive screening test for monitoring serum anti-pre-S2 levels during HBV infection and after immunization with HBV vaccine.     

Use of monoclonal antibody in a blocking ELISA to detect group specific antibodies to bluetongue virus

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the form of a blocking test is described for the detection of group specific antibodies to bluetongue virus (BTV). The test relies upon interruption of the reaction between BTV antigen and a group specific murine monoclonal antibody against BTV by addition of serial dilutions of bovine or ovine test sera containing specific antibodies to BTV which inhibit binding of the monoclonal antibody to the BTV antigen. This is detected as a reduction in the optical density (O.D.) reading obtained with the monoclonal antibody alone. The test is capable of specific detection of antibodies to all 22 serotypes of BTV but, unlike the agar gel precipitin (AGP) test, does not show cross-reactions with antibodies to epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer (EHD) viruses. Furthermore, antibodies to cellular proteins which complicate interpretation of the AGP test and the indirect ELISA are not detected in the blocking ELISA. The high sensitivity and specificity of the blocking ELISA make it an ideal alternative to the AGP test. The use of a monoclonal antibody would facilitate standardisation of diagnostic testing between laboratories.