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B T Rouse

Publications and source records attributed to B T Rouse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Herpetic stromal keratitis in the reconstituted scid mouse model.

Infections of the cornea with herpes simplex virus type 1 cause inflammatory lesions which frequently lead to blindness. The disease is suspected to be immunopathological in nature. To establish this point and to study possible mechanisms involved, corneal infections in C.B-17 scid/scid and cell-reconstituted scid mice were investigated. Whereas unreconstituted scid mice failed to develop herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) and died of encephalitis, mice reconstituted with T lymphocytes generated severe lesions. T cells of the CD4+ subset were found to be essential mediators of the HSK lesion, while T cells of the CD8+ subset protected mice from lethality. The results confirm that HSK is an immunopathological disease and that scid mice provide a convenient model that should prove valuable in establishing the biochemical mechanisms by which HSK is mediated.

Animals↗

Induction of primary, antiviral cytotoxic, and proliferative responses with antigens administered via dendritic cells.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play an essential role in recovery from viral infections, but induction of CTL responses with nonreplicating antigens is difficult to achieve. Exogenous antigens, such as viral proteins and peptides, normally induce CD4+ T-cell responses unless appropriately delivered to the major histocompatibility complex class I antigen presentation pathway. In vitro studies performed to address this issue revealed a similar scenario, and primary CTL induction with nonreplicating antigens has rarely been reported. This study demonstrated primary antiviral CTL induction in vitro with exogenous antigens delivered in vivo to dendritic cells. This study also evaluated the efficacy of glycoprotein B peptide (free or encapsulated in liposomes), peptide-tripalmitoyl-S-glyceryl cysteinyl conjugate (acylpeptide), and glycoprotein B protein encapsulated in pH-sensitive liposomes as antigen delivery vehicles. Our results show that higher levels of cytotoxicity against herpes simplex virus type 1 resulted from exposure of dendritic cells to peptide-tripalmitoyl-S-glyceryl cysteinyl in liposomes. Macrophages treated in a similar manner were not effective stimulators for primary CTL induction. Our data have relevance to the understanding of mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation and the design of antiviral vaccines.

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Prolonged survival of thymoma-bearing mice after vaccination with a soluble protein antigen entrapped in liposomes: a model study.

EG7-OVA cells are mouse thymoma EL4 cells stably transfected with the complementary DNA of chicken ovalbumin (OVA) and thus express OVA epitopes as a unique antigen. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific to OVA can be elicited by immunization of mice with OVA osmotically loaded into syngeneic splenocytes or entrapped in liposomes. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes thus induced can specifically cytolyse the EG7-OVA cells in vitro in an antigen-specific and major histocompatibility complex-restricted manner. In the present study, we have examined in this model system whether immunization with liposomal OVA can protect mice against tumors induced by EG7-OVA cells. Vaccination with OVA either entrapped in liposomes or osmotically loaded in the syngeneic splenocytes prolonged the survival of mice which had been challenged with EG7-OVA cells, but not those mice challenged with the parent EL4 cells. The antitumor effect was attributed to the induced OVA-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity, since other forms of acquired immunity such as interaction of tumor cells with specific antibody could not be detected. Our results demonstrate that immunization with antigen incorporated in liposomes could be a useful means of inducing a protective antitumor response.

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Predominance of Th1 cells in ocular tissues during herpetic stromal keratitis.

Herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) appears to represent an immunopathologic response in the cornea of the eye to HSV-1. T cells of the CD4+ subset were shown to be involved in the mediation of HSK, but how they subserve an immunopathologic role is uncertain. In the present report, we have isolated cells from eyes in the active phase of HSK and studied their cytokine profile after culture in vitro or stimulation with Ag or nonspecific mitogens. Inflammatory cells recovered from eyes consist of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, macrophages, and lymphocytes. As reported before, all the lymphocyte recovered were of the CD4+ phenotype. After stimulation in vitro with Ag or mitogen the cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha/beta were produced, but not the cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. Thus, on the basis of cytokine profile, ocular lymphocytes were identified as Th1 cells. Ocular cells were also stimulated with PMA and shown to produce IL-1. The results were discussed in terms of the possible means by which the Th1 cells induce tissue damage in HSK as well as in terms of the possible means by which a preferential accumulation of Th1 cell occurs in the eye.

Animals↗

Induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo with protein antigen entrapped in membranous vehicles.

Intravenous administration of APC such as splenocytes loaded with a soluble protein Ag has been shown to prime for an Ag-specific CTL response. It is thought that the APC directly presents loaded Ag in a MHC-restricted manner. However, it is demonstrated in this study that allogeneic splenocytes, MHC-free RBC, and even synthetic lipid vesicles (liposomes) after loading with OVA can elicit an OVA-specific and MHC-restricted CTL response. Biodistribution studies of these Ag-associated vehicles showed that the liver, spleen, and lung were the major organs responsible to scavenge these carriers, suggesting that the monocyte-macrophage system was involved in the Ag presentation for CTL. Depletion of macrophages by a specific macrophage killer, Cl2MDP, containing liposomes, abolished the CTL induction by immunization with OVA Ag carried by these vehicles except the induction by syngeneic splenocytes. Thus, the syngeneic splenocytes present Ag directly to the T cells, but other membranous vehicles carry the Ag to the host APC including macrophages, which then present it to the T cells. These results indicate that formulation of an Ag in membranous/colloidal vehicles may be a way to prime for a CTL response.

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Class I restricted CTL recognition of a soluble protein delivered by liposomes containing lipophilic polylysines.

CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes recognize peptides derived from endogenous antigens complexed with class I major histocompatibility complex while CD4+ helper cells recognize peptides from exogenous antigens bound to class II MHC molecules. A soluble protein can be introduced into the class I pathway of antigen processing and presentation using an appropriate vehicle to deliver the antigen into the cytosol. Cationic liposomes containing lipophilic polylysine readily form complexes with an anionic, soluble protein ovalbumin. Mouse thymoma EL4 cells incubated with such complexes can be sensitized for killing by OVA-specific CTL effector cells. This method of target sensitization by a soluble antigen is more sensitive than the osmotic loading method previously reported.

Animals↗

Phenotypic and functional studies on ocular T cells during herpetic infections of the eye.

Herpetic stromal keratitis an inflammatory disease of the eye resulting from herpes simplex virus type 1 infection, is a common cause of blindness. The disease is generally considered to represent an immunopathologic response, but the exact mechanism remains in doubt and is subject to debate. We have investigated the nature of inflammatory cells in the eye and have isolated ocular cells to establish their phenotype and determine some of their functions. By means of immunocytochemistry and cytofluorography, the only T lymphocyte subset detectable at any stage of infection of BALB/c mice were CD4+ cells. However CD8+ T cells were readily detectable in draining lymph nodes (DLN). Assays for cells with HSV-1-specific cytotoxic function of both CD4+ class II restricted and CD8+ class I-restricted activity were performed. Although in DLN both cell types were found, among ocular cells only CD4+ cytotoxic cells were evident. The frequencies of CD4+ CTL-precursor in eyes were determined and found to be at least 8- to 10-fold less than found in DLN. The number of CTL-precursor in an individual eye was estimated to be 20 or less. Our results further support the notion that CD4+ mediate the immunopathology of herpetic stromal keratitis, but on quantitative grounds cast doubt on the idea that cytotoxicity is the principal mechanism involved.

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In vivo cytotoxic T lymphocyte induction with soluble proteins administered in liposomes.

The in vivo induction of a CTL response usually requires that Ag be endogenously synthesized so that appropriate processing can occur. In most of the few examples where successful CTL induction was reported with proteins and peptides, unacceptable adjuvants or means of Ag formulation were used. In the present report, liposomes were used to incorporate the soluble proteins OVA and beta-galactosidase. This simple and convenient to use approach, which requires minimal amounts of Ag, results in priming for a CD8+ CTL response and the establishment of immunologic memory. The liposome approach may not only prove a convenient means of inducing CTL responses in vivo but may also be useful to study the mechanisms of Ag processing.

Animals↗

Soluble proteins delivered to dendritic cells via pH-sensitive liposomes induce primary cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in vitro.

Effective immunity to many infectious agents, particularly viruses, requires a CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. Understanding how to achieve CTL induction with soluble proteins is important for vaccine development since such antigens are usually not processed appropriately to induce CTL. In the present report, we have demonstrated that a potent primary CTL response against a soluble protein can be achieved by delivering antigen in pH-sensitive liposomes to dendritic cells (DC) either in vivo or in vitro. Since the pH-sensitive liposome delivery system is efficient and easy to use, the approach promises to be valuable both in the study of basic mechanisms in antigen processing, and as a practical means of immunization.

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Differential effects of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in acute, systemic murine candidosis.

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) depletion was used to assess contributions of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in resistance to systemic murine Candida albicans infection. Depletion of CD8+ cells did not influence either survival or mean survival time (MST); however, depletion of CD4+ cells significantly enhanced both survival and MST. Combined depletion of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells significantly lengthened the MST but did not enhance survival. A protective influence of CD8+ cells could be deduced but, to be manifested, required depletion of an overshadowing immunopathologic CD4+ response.

Acute Disease↗

Use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction to quantitate cytokine messenger RNA molecules.

A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using an internal control (Standard) RNA was developed for precise quantitation of human cytokine mRNA. The target mRNA and internal control were simultaneously reverse transcribed and co-amplified using the same set of primers. The amount of specific target mRNA is then quantitated by extrapolating against the standard curve generated with the internal standard. The internal control RNA consisted of linearly connected sequences of the 5' primers of multiple cytokine genes followed by the complementary sequences to their 3' primers in the same order. This structure of the internal standard enables one to use the same internal standard for quantitating multiple cytokine mRNAs. Using this approach, we estimated the induced levels of cytokine mRNA, IL2, IL6, and TNF-alpha to be 2.8 x 10(6), 2.4 x 10(5) and 3.4 x 10(8) molecules per 1.0 microgram total cellular RNA of Jurkat, THP-1 and HL 60 cells, respectively. Comparable values were obtained when quantitation experiments were done on another batch of THP-1 and HL-60 total cellular RNA. The excellent sensitivity and reproducibility makes this approach a valuable one in following changes in cytokine gene expression in wide variety of conditions, both in vivo and in vitro.

Actins↗

Herpesviruses--immune escape artists?

Viral persistence depends on the successful avoidance of the host's immunologic surveillance system. This review, which focuses specifically on the herpesviruses, delineates several possible strategies for evading or delaying the immune response. One strategy common to all herpesviruses is the establishment of latency, a state in which the virus may be partially or even completely hidden from the immune system. Other proposed mechanisms of immune evasion include interaction of the virus with components of the humoral immune system, virus-induced modulation of cell-surface recognition structures, and virally mediated interference in antigen processing. Additional strategies include molecular mimicry and the ability of one particular herpesvirus to encode an immunosuppressive cytokine. Although a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of herpesvirus-mediated immune evasion is currently lacking, future studies should identify those critical interactions between host and virus that may prove amenable to therapeutic intervention.

Animals↗

Herpetic stromal keratitis: an immunopathologic disease mediated by CD4+ T lymphocytes.

To investigate the role of T cell subsets in the development of herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) in a well defined model, we used an adoptive transfer approach in which thymectomized and T cell-depleted mice [T(-)] were reconstituted with different numbers of syngeneic immune T lymphocytes after topical corneal challenge with RE strain of herpes simplex virus-1. In vitro stimulated or unstimulated immune T cells obtained from cervical and retropharyngeal lymph nodes of mice with HSK were used in adoptive transfer experiments. Although T(-) mice developed an initial epithelial inflammation, stromal keratitis did not occur. Reconstitution experiments revealed that mice that received 2 x 10(7) or more unfractionated immune T cells could develop HSK lesions with severity comparable to immuno-competent control mice. In mice receiving CD8(+)-depleted populations, even fewer cells (5 x 10(6)/mouse) were able to induce significant HSK. In contrast, mice that received similar or increased numbers of cells depleted of CD4+ T lymphocytes did not develop HSK. Immune T lymphocytes transferred to mice that were mock infected on the cornea did not develop HSK, indicating that the immunopathogenic cells were virus specific and not merely reacting to autoantigens. Histopathologic examination of the diseased corneas demonstrated that the stromal inflammation in euthymic normal and T(-)-reconstituted mice was characterized by extensive polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration. Scattered lymphocytes, and occasional macrophages also were observed. These results provide further evidence that HSK represents an immunopathologic process mediated mainly by CD4+ T cells.

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