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C O Elson

Publications and source records attributed to C O Elson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

New perspectives in mucosal immunity with emphasis on vaccine development.

In this review, we have purposely focused on five areas that are currently receiving extensive research attention and will be of major importance for development of mucosal and systemic immunity to oral vaccines. These five areas include the following: (1) helper T-cell (Th) subsets and cytokines for mucosal IgA responses; (2) Th1- and Th2-type subsets in regulation of mucosal IgA responses; (3) antigen uptake and presentation in the mucosal immune system; (4) the importance of memory in mucosal immunity to vaccines; and (5) the determination of whether oral immunization alone induces immunity in all mucosal effector tissues. It is now established that the mucosal immune system can be divided into discrete mucosal inductive sites where vaccines/antigens are encountered and taken up, processed, and presented to B and T cells, and separate areas where immune cells actually function (mucosal effector tissues). Further, through the help provided by Th cells and cytokines, the B cells respond to antigen and undergo expansion including memory cell formation. Following the migration of memory B cells to mucosal effector tissues, the cells rapidly develop into IgA plasma cells, and the prevalence of the latter cell type represents a major characteristic of mucosal effector tissues. It also appears that antigen-specific Th cells and perhaps even CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes can make this circular journey (along with memory/activated B cells) from inductive to mucosal effector sites, and this is termed the common mucosal immune system (CMIS). The major implications of the CMIS for development of vaccines would include each of the five components that are discussed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

Cholera toxin as a mucosal adjuvant: effects of H-2 major histocompatibility complex and lps genes.

In previous studies we found that cholera toxin (CT) can act as a mucosal adjuvant; i.e., it can stimulate an intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) response to an unrelated protein antigen when both are fed together to mice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mucosal adjuvanticity of CT is restricted by either H-2 major histocompatibility complex or lps genes by using congenic inbred strains that differ at only a single genetic locus. Groups of five mice each were fed saline, CT (10 micrograms), keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (5 mg), or both CT and KLH on four different days, and samples of intestinal secretions and plasma were obtained 1 week after the last feeding. In the mice fed both CT and KLH, the intestinal S-IgA anti-KLH response was higher in H-2b congenic strains than in H-2k congenic strains, and in addition there was a highly significant positive correlation between the intestinal S-IgA anti-KLH and S-IgA anti-CT responses in the intestinal secretions of individual mice. Similarly, in the lps congenic strains, mice of the endotoxin-responsive strain that were fed both CT and KLH had substantially higher S-IgA and plasma IgG responses to KLH than did mice of the endotoxin-unresponsive strain. The effect of CT on the induction of oral tolerance to KLH in the H-2 congenic strains was also examined. In contrast to the results above, the abrogation of oral tolerance to KLH by CT occurred in all strains regardless of H-2 haplotype. Similarly, the adjuvant effect of CT on plasma IgG anti-KLH responses after both were given together intraperitoneally was not restricted by H-2. I conclude that the mucosal adjuvanticity of CT is influenced by both the H-2 and lps genetic loci and that it appears to depend on a vigorous mucosal immune response to CT itself.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1992

Cells and cytokines in mucosal immunity and inflammation.

The mucosal immune system consists of a number of compartments that are populated with a different assortment of cells and serve different functions. The cytokines produced by the cells in each of these compartments are currently being defined. This is best understood in relation to B cells, whose proliferation and maturation is guided by a sequence of cytokines. PP are inductive sites that preferentially stimulate IgA production. At least in part, this preference seems to be due to the T cells located in PP, which have been shown to stimulate switching to IgA production by cognate interactions and production of TGF-beta. Postswitch B cells expressing surface IgA respond to IL-5, a cytokine produced by T cells in GALT. Terminal differentiation to IgA-producing plasma cells in the lamina propria may be driven by IL-6, which can be produced by a variety of cells in the lamina propria and by epithelial cells. T cells in the lamina propria have an assortment of surface markers consistent with both activation and memory and appear to produce a variety of cytokines in the local environment that presumably act in normal host defense. IEL consist mainly of CD8+ T cells. They have been shown to produce IFN-gamma and, very likely, other cytokines that presumably act in a paracrine fashion on local enterocytes. How these cells and cytokines are perturbed during intestinal inflammation is currently being defined. A certain assortment of cytokines are greatly increased in IBD. This assortment, including IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, is elevated in a wide variety of chronic inflammatory states in other tissues as well. A critical requirement for cytokines to exert their effects is the expression of specific receptors on target cells. Virtually nothing is known about this aspect of mucosal immunity, but receptor expression on mucosal cells must be defined before we will be able to understand the complex interactions among lymphoid cells, the cytokines they produce, and the local stromal and epithelial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Activation of cholera toxin-specific T cells in vitro.

Cholera toxin (CT) and its B subunit (CT-B) are potent oral immunogens in vivo, although both strongly inhibit polyclonal lymphocyte activation in vitro. In order to help understand this paradox, we have studied the activation and proliferation of CT-specific T cells in vitro, by using CT-B-primed lymph node T cells as responders, concanavalin A-stimulated peritoneal macrophages as antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and various forms of CT-B as antigen. The results indicate that in many ways CT-specific T cells respond in a manner similar to that of T cells specific for other protein antigens: the degree of proliferation was proportional to the dose of antigen and APCs in the cultures, was antigen specific, and was H-2 restricted. APCs from genetic high-responder strains to CT stimulated significantly more proliferation in F1 (high x low) responder T cells than did APCs from low responder strains. However, there was a marked difference in the activation of CT-specific T cells when different forms of CT-B were used. Native CT-B stimulated little or no T-cell proliferation, whereas denatured CT-B or CT-B blocked by its ligand, GM1 ganglioside, stimulated T cells well. Addition of native CT-B to cocultures of primed T cells, APCs, and these latter stimulatory forms of CT-B inhibited the specific proliferative response to CT-B to varying degrees, depending on the ratio of the two forms in culture. We conclude that the ability of CT-B to inhibit T cells extends even to T cells specific for CT itself. Because of these inhibitory properties, processing of CT to nonbinding molecular forms or fragments must be an important prerequisite for the immune response to CT to occur in vivo, and such processing is likely to be important in the immune response to a variety of other enterotoxins as well.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Cholera toxin and its subunits as potential oral adjuvants.

Cholera toxin has been shown to have adjuvant effects in multiple different systems. The dose, timing and genetic background of the recipient all seem to be important variables. The role of the two subunits in both the immunogenicity and the adjuvanticity of this molecule remain unclear. The mechanisms of the adjuvant effect likely involves effects on regulatory T cells; there is evidence that the adjuvant effect is due at least in part to inhibition of suppressor T cells. When KLH is used as a model antigen, the adjuvanticity of cholera toxin appears to be related to its immunogenicity in that both properties occur mainly in mouse strains that are high responders to cholera toxin. The genetic engineering of chimeric neoantigens consisting of cholera toxin subunits coupled to antigens of interest has been shown to be technically possible and is an attractive future approach for the generation of effective oral vaccines.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1988

A method of obtaining, processing, and analyzing human intestinal secretions for antibody content.

Human intestinal secretions can be readily obtained using a commercially available intestinal lavage solution. Although such secretions contained abundant protease activity, significant loss of immunoglobulins was prevented by the addition of a mixture of protease inhibitors. The total content of IgA, IgM, and IgG antibody in secretions was measured using sandwich ELISA. In the secretions of ten normal volunteers IgA was most abundant (197 micrograms/ml +/- 103 SD) followed by IgM (12.5 micrograms/ml +/- 6.8 SD) and IgG (0.24 micrograms/ml +/- 0.04 SD). The IgA in secretions was predominantly secretory IgA as shown by sucrose density centrifugation. The effect of intestinal secretions on the sensitivity of the antigen-specific ELISA was tested by adding murine myeloma IgA anti-TNP added to samples of human secretions. IgA anti-TNP activity could be detected as low as 1 ng/ml, and there was no evidence of interference with the ELISA by other constituents in the secretions. Using these methods an antigen-specific secretory IgA anti-cholera toxin B subunit response in the secretions of volunteers given an oral B subunit vaccine was readily demonstrated.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1988

Regulatory activity of the human CD8+ cell subset: a comparison of CD8+ cells from the intestinal lamina propria and blood.

This study was done to better define the immunoregulatory mechanisms in the human intestinal lamina propria (LP). Peripheral blood (PB) and LP cells were obtained from patients having intestinal resections. CD4+ and CD8+ cell subsets were isolated using hybridoma antibodies in a panning technique. Graded numbers of LP and PB CD8+ cells were added to cultures of autologous fresh B cells plus CD4+ cells plus pokeweed mitogen. After 10 days incubation in vitro, the supernatants were collected, and IgM and IgA synthesis was measured by isotype-specific sandwich ELISA. Both PB and LP CD8+ cells suppressed IgM and IgA synthesis by indicator cultures consisting of 5 X 10(4) B cells plus 5 X 10(4) CD4+ cells to a comparable extent. However, when these same CD8+ cells were added to indicator cultures of 5 X 10(4) B cells plus 10(5) CD4+ cells, PB CD8+ cells still suppressed, but LP CD8+ cells enhanced IgM and IgA synthesis. LP but not PB CD8+ cells also augmented IgM and IgA synthesis in cultures with suboptimal immunoglobulin synthesis. Despite these results, LP CD8+ cells were not able to provide help for B cell immunoglobulin synthesis when these two cell types were cultured together with pokeweed mitogen. The mechanism of immunoglobulin augmentation by LP CD8+ cells appeared to involve antagonism of a CD4+ rather than CD8+ suppressor cells. We conclude that functional heterogeneity is more evident within the LP CD8+ subset, with both suppressor and contra-suppressor activities demonstrable, with the latter representing a major activity in LP but not in PB CD8+ cells.

Antigens, Differentiation↗
PubMed1988

Collagen content and types in the intestinal strictures of Crohn's disease.

The collagen content and the relative amount of collagen types were quantitated in control intestine as well as in both inflamed and strictured intestine resected from patients with Crohn's disease. The major collagen type in control intestine was type I (68%), followed by types III (20%) and V (12%). In strictured intestine both collagen content and the relative amount of type V collagen were significantly increased compared with control intestine. Histologic studies demonstrated that in strictured specimens there was a striking proliferation of smooth muscle cells of the muscularis mucosae associated with an accumulation of collagen in the submucosa. The thickness of the muscularis propria was also increased. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated small amounts of type V collagen in the submucosa of control bowel. In contrast, large amounts of type V collagen were seen in the fibrotic, expanded submucosa of strictured bowel, particularly in the areas where smooth muscle cells of the muscularis mucosae had proliferated. Intestinal strictures in Crohn's disease are therefore characterized by an accumulation of collagen, a proliferation of smooth muscle cells, and an increase in type V collagen, a collagen type produced in relatively large amounts by smooth muscle cells. These changes appear to result in both a loss of the normal compliance of the intestine and a thickening of the intestine wall, resulting ultimately in the intestinal obstruction so frequently seen in patients with Crohn's disease.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1987

Inhibition of murine lymphocyte proliferation by the B subunit of cholera toxin.

Cholera toxin is known to inhibit lymphocyte activation in vitro, an effect attributed to its ability to activate adenylate cyclase and increase intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. In these studies the effects of both cholera toxin (CT) and its purified binding subunit (CT-B) on lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was examined, using a variety of cell activators. We found that both CT and CT-B inhibited mitogen- and antigen-induced T cell proliferation and anti-IgM-induced B cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. However, only CT-inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced B cell proliferation. Neither CT nor CT-B inhibited antigen uptake and presentation by macrophages. The CT-B preparation used was shown not to activate lymphocyte adenylate cyclase, although CT itself was a strong activator of this enzyme. Both molecules had to bind to the lymphocyte surface in order to inhibit. The time course of inhibition of both CT and CT-B was similar in that either could be added up to 24 hr after culture initiation and still inhibit substantially. The addition of excess human recombinant interleukin 2 to the cultures did not affect the inhibition by CT, and had only a partial affect on inhibition by CT-B. Similarly, CT was able to substantially inhibit recombinant interleukin 2-dependent T lymphoblast proliferation, whereas CT-B had only a small inhibitory effect. Inhibition was not major histocompatibility complex-restricted. We conclude that the binding of CT or CT-B to the lymphocyte surface membrane interferes in some way with the activation mechanism leading to proliferation. The inhibition mediated by CT-B does not involve the stimulation of intracellular adenylate cyclase. CT appears to inhibit both by binding via its B subunit and by activation of adenylate cyclase via its A subunit.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1987

Deficiency of the tryptase-positive, chymase-negative mast cell type in gastrointestinal mucosa of patients with defective T lymphocyte function.

The distribution and concentration of human T (tryptase-positive, chymase-negative) and TC (tryptase-positive, chymase-positive) mast cells were examined in Carnoy's-fixed specimens of the gastrointestinal tract of normal individuals, patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, and patients with immunodeficiency disorders. In normal specimens, T mast cells predominated in the mucosa (89%), with a mean concentration of 17,850 +/- 4,998 per mm3 (+/- SD, n = 16), whereas TC mast cells predominated in the submucosa (90%) with a mean concentration of 7,516 +/- 1,227 per mm3 (+/- SD, n = 16). The concentrations of T and TC mast cells in specimens of ileum from five patients with active Crohn's disease and of colon from three patients with active ulcerative colitis were not significantly different (p greater than 0.4) from normal values. Three patients with combined immunodeficiency disorders demonstrated a marked decrease in the concentration of the T mast cells in the intestinal mucosa, to 540 +/- 630, and a corresponding decrease in the percentage of T mast cells to 9%. Concentrations of TC mast cells were unchanged, both in the mucosa and in the submucosa. In three patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a similar deficiency of the T mast cell type was observed in the ileal mucosa, with a mean concentration of 788 +/- 534 T mast cells per mm3, but not in the appendiceal and colonic mucosa of one of the three patients. These findings indicate a role for functional T lymphocytes in the development of the T mast cell type in humans, and suggest divergent pathways for development of T and TC mast cells.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Ir gene control of the murine secretory IgA response to cholera toxin.

In these experiments we examined the genetic control of the secretory IgA (sIgA) response to cholera toxin (CT) after CT feeding. Inbred, congenic and intra-H-2I region recombinant mouse strains were immunized with intragastric application of 10 micrograms CT on days 0 and 14. Samples of intestinal secretions and plasma were collected 1 week after the second dose and antibodies to CT measured in them by antigen- and isotype-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In three different sets of H-2-congenic strains the intestinal IgA anti-CT response clearly depended on the H-2 haplotype rather than on background or IgH genes. H-2b (B10, A.BY/SnJ, C3H.SW) and H-2q (B10.T(6R), DBA/1J) strains were high responders, H-2k (B10.BR, C3H/He), H-2s (A.SW/SnJ) and H-2d (B10.D2) strains were low responders. Within the H-2 complex the intestinal IgA anti-CT response was mapped to the I-A subregion with the use of congenic intra-H-2I region recombinant strains: B10.A(3R) and B10.A(5R) were high responders and B10.A(4R), B10.MBR and B10.GD were low responders. Plasma IgG anti-CT after CT feeding paralleled the sIgA results. Surprisingly, the sIgA and plasma IgG anti-CT responses in individual mice of the various strains tested showed a highly significant positive correlation. We conclude that both the sIgA response and plasma IgG anti-CT response after CT feeding is controlled by the I-A subregion of H-2.

Animals↗