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Biomedical subjects

C W Pierce

Publications and source records attributed to C W Pierce.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Soleus stretch reflex during cycling.

The modulation and strength of the human soleus short latency stretch reflex was investigated by mechanically perturbing the ankle during an unconstrained pedaling task. Eight subjects pedaled at 60 rpm against a preload of 10 Nm. A torque pulse was applied to the crank at various positions during the crank cycle, producing ankle dorsiflexion perturbations of similar trajectory. The stretch reflex was greatest during the power phase of the crank cycle and was decreased to the level of background EMG during recovery. Matched perturbations were induced under static conditions at the same crank angle and background soleus EMG as recorded during the power phase of active pedaling. The magnitude of the stretch reflex was not statistically different from that during the static condition throughout the power phase of the movement. The results of this study indicate that the stretch reflex is not depressed during active cycling as has been shown with the H-reflex. This lack of depression may reflect a decreased susceptibility of the stretch reflex to inhibition, possibly originating from presynaptic mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of the epitope recognized by a mAb that reacts differentially with murine suppressor T cells.

Although reliable antibodies are available that distinguish human suppressor T (Ts) cells from CTL and other T cells, few are available for murine Ts cells. We have developed a mAb (984D4.6.5) that, in the presence of complement, depletes alloantigen-specific Ts cells but not CTL. This antibody recognizes activated Ts cells but not their precursors. In these studies, flow cytometric analysis demonstrates that 984D4.6.5 reacts with several Ts cell hybridomas, cloned Ts cell lines and WEHI-3 (a myelomonocytic tumor cell line). Reactivity was not detected with BW5147, Th cell hybridomas, cloned Th cells, CTL lines and hybridomas, B cell lines, thymocytes, splenocytes, bone marrow cells nor a variety of tumor cells. Among 984D4.6.5 positive lines, expression is heterogeneous and the number of cells expressing high levels of the epitope is increased when the hybridomas are maintained at a relatively high cell density. Neuriminidase and pronase deplete the epitope recognized by mAb 984D4.6.5. Protein synthesis and glycosylation inhibitors also reduce expression of this epitope. These observations suggest that the epitope recognized by 984D4.6.5 is a carbohydrate linked to a polypeptide. This antibody was tested by ELISA for binding to a large panel of carbohydrates and glycolipids coupled to BSA. The only one that bound 984D4.6.5 was LS tetrasaccharide c (NeuNAc alpha 2-6Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc), an O-linked carbohydrate. Comparative analysis shows that both the sequence and the linkage of these sugars are essential to the reactivity with the 984D4.6.5 antibody. This epitope is expressed by a glycoprotein of approximately 200 kDa, as shown by Western blots. The identity of this glycoprotein remains to be determined, but indirect evidence suggests that it is not CD45.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Presentation of antigen by B cells subsets. I. Lyb-5+ and Lyb-5- B cells differ in ability to stimulate antigen specific T cells.

We have examined the antigen presenting cell (APC) function of different B cells. Resident, peritoneal B cells from normal mice were more efficient than splenic B cells in presenting antigen to CD4+ T cell lines. Peritoneal B cells from X-linked immunodeficient (Xid) mice, by contrast, stimulated no detectable responses. Xid splenic B cells were much less efficient APC than normal splenic B cells. B cells from neonatal mice also were very poor APC until the mice were 3 to 4 weeks old. Xid B cells presented antigen to T cell hybridomas as well as normal B cells showing that they process antigen normally. Thus, the defect is most likely in providing secondary signals. The ability of B cells to present antigen efficiently correlates with the percentage of B cells reported to express the Lyb-5 antigen. Anti-Lyb-5 serum and complement abrogated the APC activity of B cells suggesting that Lyb-5+, but not Lyb-5- cells are efficient APC. We also found that activated and resting normal splenic B cells, separated by buoyant density, presented antigen equally. Both populations also contained Lyb-5+ B cells although they were a larger fraction of the activated cells. Lyb-5 is now thought to be an activation antigen rather than a differentiation antigen. If this idea is correct, then our data indicate that anti-Lyb-5 more cleanly separates activated and resting B cells than buoyant density techniques.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Extrathymic T cell maturation. Phenotypic analysis of T cell subsets in nude mice as a function of age.

T cell maturation in an extrathymic environment has been studied using as a model the congenitally athymic nude mouse. Phenotypic analyses as a function of age were conducted on lymphocytes obtained from the spleens and lymph nodes of nude mice through use of mAb recognizing T cell surface markers and multiparameter flow cytometry. The data show that nude mice accumulate increasing numbers of lymphocytes bearing Thy-1, CD3, CD4, and CD8 with age characterized by a progression from heterogeneous dim to more homogeneous bright expression. In contrast, the expression of heat-stable Ag (HSA), a marker of immature thymocytes, decreases with age. By analogy to intrathymic maturation, spleens and lymph nodes in nude mice contain T cells defined as immature, transitional, and mature based on the expression of these markers. Although the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells associated with bright CD3 expression increases with age, at no age are significant numbers of CD4+8+ cells observed, in contrast to intrathymic T cell maturation. In addition to the frequently observed inversion in the ratio of CD4 to CD8, the CD8 T cell subpopulation in older nude mice contains mainly mature cells (CD8+, CD3+, HSA-) whereas only 50% of CD4+ T cells express the mature (CD4+, CD3+, HSA-) phenotype. At any age, the spectrum of phenotypes observed indicates that lymph nodes contain more mature T cells than spleen, suggesting a role for environmental Ag in driving extrathymic maturation, a process occurring most efficiently among CD8+ T cells. Because extrathymic maturation mirrors some but not all aspects of the intrathymic pathway, we propose that the nude mouse may be a useful model for further dissecting those interactions crucial to establishing the T cell repertoire in euthymic individuals as well as elucidating the contribution of extrathymically derived T cells to the peripheral immune system.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

CD8+ alpha/beta or gamma/delta T cell receptor-bearing T cells from athymic nude mice are cytolytically active in vivo.

Phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes that mature extrathymically in congenitally athymic nude mice has revealed a large population of CD3+ CD8+ T cells that express gamma/delta-TCR. In euthymic mice, significant numbers of cells with this phenotype are found only in the intestinal epithelium. Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes have been shown to be cytolytically active in vivo, as measured by the redirected lysis assay. In this communication, freshly harvested T cell subsets obtained from pooled nude mouse spleen and lymph nodes and separated by flow cytometric cell sorting were assayed for their ability to lyse FcR+ P815 targets in the presence of mAb to the epsilon-chain of the CD3 complex. CD8+, but not CD4+ or CD4- CD8-, T cells in nude mice were cytolytically active. CD8+ alpha/beta- and gamma/delta-TCR-bearing T cells from the spleen and lymph nodes of nude mice demonstrated similar cytolytic activity. No cytolytic activity of purified cell subsets was apparent in the absence of anti-CD3 mAb, even when NK-susceptible target cells were used. These data indicate that, in contrast to euthymic mice, a large proportion of CD8+ cells from the spleen and lymph nodes of nude mice are cytolytically active in vivo. In addition, these results suggest that the intestinal epithelium is not the only anatomical location where constitutively cytolytic CD8+ alpha/beta- or gamma/delta TCR-bearing T cells may be found.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Involvement of two distinct regulatory T cell populations in the antigen-specific suppression of cytolytic T cell generation.

Alloantigen-specific, radiation-resistant T cells generated in mixed-lymphocyte cultures inhibited the generation of allospecific CTL responses in vitro. This regulatory T cell population was studied using mAb generated to Ag-specific suppressor factors that regulate the response to the synthetic terpolymer L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). Both monoclonal 984 D4.6.5 and a pool of four mAb 2441, when added in the presence of complement, eliminated alloantigen-specific inhibition of the CTL response. When separate cell cultures treated with mAb 984 or 2441 plus complement were recombined, inhibition was reestablished, suggesting that two or more populations of cells are required for active inhibition. Furthermore, neither the mAb 984 nor the mAb 2441 plus complement had any effect on any stage of CTL development. This suggests that the inhibition of the CTL response was not the result of cytolytic activity via the regulatory T cells. Experiments in which these antibodies were added without complement treatment showed that the mAb 2441 neutralized the inhibitory activity, whereas mAb 984 augmented inhibition. It is concluded from these studies that regulatory T cells originally identified in humoral immune responses also regulate cell-mediated immune responses. Suppressor epitopes are displayed on the surface of these cells that allow them to be distinguished from other T cells. These data also show the utility of the mAb 984 and 2441 raised against specific suppressor T cell products in different experimental models of immunity. These studies suggest that phenotypically distinct Ts cell populations can play a normal regulatory role in both cell-mediated and humoral immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

T cell receptor expression by T cells that mature extrathymically in nude mice.

The expression of TCR by T cells that mature extrathymically in nude mice was determined by staining Ig- cells from B10 nude mice that were 5 months of age or older with mAbs specific for CD3, alpha/beta or gamma/delta TCR. Although the majority of Ig- cells in older nude mice express TCR, the distribution of alpha/beta and gamma/delta TCR in relation to CD4 and CD8 expression is markedly different compared to T cells from euthymic mice. Approximately half of the CD3+ T cells found in the spleen and lymph nodes of nude mice express gamma/delta TCR that is equally distributed between CD4-8- double-negative and CD8+ single-positive T cells. These data provide the first quantitative measure of the expression of TCR by T cells that mature in the absence of a thymus and suggest that the extrathymic environment, although not efficient, is permissive for the maturation of T cells that express alpha/beta and gamma/delta TCR.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Control of interleukin 1 (IL-1) activity. I. Inhibition of IL-1 activity by soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS) in vitro.

Soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS), a nonspecific inhibitor of cellular and humoral immune responses and cellular proliferation, reversed IL-1-induced inhibition of autologous rosette formation by thymocytes. In addition, SIRS prevented the IL-1-induced increase in resistance of thymocytes to the lytic action of hydrocortisone. Kinetic experiments showed that the action of SIRS on thymocytes was rapid (less than 15 minutes), although a longer time was required to exert protective effects on thymocytes. SIRS also inhibited the stimulation of thymocyte proliferation induced by Con A and IL-1 a costimulatory assay of IL-1 activity. Moreover, SIRS inhibited the IL-1-stimulated expression of complement receptors on neonatal B cells. The inhibitory effects of SIRS were selectively directed towards IL-1, since SIRS did not interfere with induction of LAK cells by IL-2, and did not reverse inhibition of autologous rosette formation induced by factors other than IL-1, such as IL-4, a proline rich polypeptide and lactoferrin. The results presented in this report demonstrate that SIRS may be a selective inhibitor of IL-1 activity with respect to T and B cells, rendering them unresponsive to IL-1 activation and/or maturation signals.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Structures on T cells and macrophages involved in interleukin 1 (Il-1) secretion by macrophages upon contact with syngeneic thymocytes.

We demonstrate, using a new rosette method of determination of interleukin 1 activity that macrophages secrete Il-1 upon contact with syngeneic thymocytes or with thymocytes homologous in the Ia region of MHC complex. The phenomenon takes place in the absence of foreign antigen. Blocking of class II MHC antigens on macrophages with monoclonal antibodies against structures of the T-cell receptor complex (alpha/beta T-cell receptor-TCR, CD3 and L3T4) inhibits production of Il-1 to the background level. We conclude that secretion of Il-1 from macrophages, upon contact with syngeneic thymocytes, is triggered by a T-cell signal following interaction: TCR-Ia molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Identification of suppressor T cells in virgin non-responder spleen cells responsible for primary unresponsiveness to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT).

T cell subsets that regulate antibody responses to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) in mice that are Ir gene non-responders have been further characterized. We previously defined several T cell subsets in GAT-primed non-responder mice. The Lyt-2+ suppressor-effector T cells suppress responses to GAT and GAT complexed to methylated BSA (GAT-MBSA). The Lyt-1+ cell population is complex and can be separated into I-J- Th cells, which support responses to GAT and GAT-MBSA. After priming, the Lyt-1+, I-J+ cell population contains suppressor-inducer cells that activate precursors of suppressor-effector cells to suppress responses to GAT and GAT-MBSA as well as Ts cells that directly inhibit responses to GAT but not GAT-MBSA. By contrast, the Lyt-1+ cells from virgin mice contain only cells that directly suppress responses to GAT but not GAT-MBSA. The major question addressed in the present studies was whether the Lyt-1+, I-J+ Ts cells in virgin and primed mice and the suppressor-inducer cells in GAT-primed mice were functionally and serologically distinct subsets. The studies used mAb and panning procedures to separate cell populations and inhibition of PFC cell responses to functionally define the activity of the cell populations. We used the following two mAb that were raised by immunizing rats with GAT-specific suppressor factors: 1248A4.10 (known to react with suppressor-inducer cells) and 1248A4.3, another reagent from the same fusion. Lyt-1+ cells from virgin spleens contained Ts cells that were A4.10-, A4.3+ and no suppressor-inducer T cells, whereas Lyt-1+ cells from GAT-primed spleens contained Ts cells that were A4.10-, A4.3+ as well as A4.10+, A4.3- suppressor-inducer cells. Thus, the Lyt1+, I-J+ cell subset can be divided into two functionally and serologically distinct subsets, direct Ts cells (1248A4.3+), which suppress responses to GAT but not GAT-MBSA, and GAT-primed suppressor-inducer T cells (1248A4.10+).

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Characterization of L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10-specific suppressor T cells in responder mice restricted by Igh-C-linked genes.

A Ts cell subset has been identified in the spleens of responder mice 3 to 6 wk after immunization with an optimally immunogenic dose of L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). These Ts were positively selected by panning procedures by using a mAb (1248 A4.10) produced by immunization of rats with semipurified mouse GAT-specific, single polypeptide chain suppressor factor. These Ts cells inhibited the activity of virgin Th cells but not memory Th cells and this activity was genetically restricted by genes which are linked to the Ig H chain (Igh) locus on chromosome 12. Use of the Igh recombination strain, BAB.14, which has a crossover near the VHCH region junction, demonstrated that the genes regulating the Igh restriction map telomeric to the VH genes. The Igh-linked restriction regulated the interaction of A4.10+ Ts cells with virgin T cells and not B cells. However, A4.10+ Ts did not act directly on Lyt-2-Th cells, but required the presence of Lyt-2+ cells for suppression. Suppression by GAT-primed A4.10+-Ts cells also required syngenicity at Igh-linked genes by both Lyt-2- and Lyt-2+ T cells. These results indicated that A4.10+-Ts cells were inducer Ts cells which activated Lyt-2+ effector Ts cells which prevented primary GAT specific Th cell activity. The interaction between A4.10+-Ts inducer and effector Ts cells and/or the interaction of the effector Ts and its target cell were restricted by genes linked to the Igh constant region.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Helper T-cell clones that recognize autologous insulin are stimulated in nonresponder mice by pork insulin.

Murine antibody responses to various species of insulin are under major histocompatibility complex-linked Ir gene control. Beef insulin differs from pork insulin by only two amino acids in the A-chain loop, yet strain C57BL/10 (B10) mice produce insulin-specific antibodies after immunization with beef insulin and fail to produce antibody after stimulation with pork insulin. Nevertheless, pork insulin primes helper T cells in B10 mice that can be demonstrated if insulin-specific Lyt-1-, -2+ suppressor T cells are removed. Not only do the pork insulin-primed helper and suppressor T cells cross-react with autologous insulin, but also rat insulin (the amino acid sequence of which is identical to mouse insulin) elicits functionally identical helper and suppressor T cells. In this report, we demonstrate that in B10 mice the frequency of helper T cells stimulated by pork insulin is equivalent to that stimulated by beef insulin and that helper T-cell clones induced by beef and pork insulin are major histocompatibility complex-restricted T cells that proliferate, produce lymphokines, and provide helper activity after activation. These helper T-cell clones exhibit different antigenic fine specificities: beef insulin-induced clones respond to beef insulin but not pork or autologous insulin, whereas pork insulin-induced clones cross-react with all species of insulin tested, including rat insulin. In addition, the helper activity of cloned pork insulin-specific T cells is abrogated by pork insulin-primed suppressor T cells. These data support the hypotheses that Ir gene control of antibody responses to certain antigens involves mechanisms used for maintenance of self-tolerance.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Establishment of antigen-specific and MHC-restricted B cell hybridoma clones: a model for studying antigen presentation to T cell lines and clones.

Presentation of GAT by GAT-specific hybridoma B cell clones to GAT-specific T cell lines and clones was investigated. B cell clones expressed surface IgG2b, Ia and Fc receptors, and did not secrete immunoglobulins. The clones formed rosettes with GAT-SRBC which could be inhibited by monoclonal antibodies against GAT idiotype. Presentation of GAT by the clones was MHC-restricted and highly efficient, i.e., a few hundred B cells or very low concentration of GAT stimulated proliferation of GAT-specific T cell lines. The fusion partner, M12.4.5.2, clone presented GAT much less efficiently. Although GAT-specific B cell clones presented also heterologous antigen beef insulin to insulin-reactive T cell lines, they were not able to present insulin in the absence of soluble antigen. Presentation of GAT was inhibited by pretreatment of the clones with monoclonal antibodies against I-E, mouse Ig and GAT-idiotype, as well as related antigens GA and GT. The rate of antigen uptake was much shorter compared to resting B cells for cells pulsed with GAT for 4 hours presented the antigen well. The studies suggest that a membrane-associated Il-1 may be required in the presence of antigen presentation by B cells. The results also revealed that antigen-specific hybridomas can present specific antigen in part with association of surface immunoglobulins which may be involved in antigen uptake and focusing to T cells.

Animals↗