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D H Sachs

Publications and source records attributed to D H Sachs.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Selective breeding of miniature swine leads to an increased rate of acceptance of MHC-identical, but not of class I-disparate, renal allografts.

Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated that tolerance to MHC-identical or class I-disparate renal allografts develops in approximately one third of miniature swine without exogenous immunosuppression. A back-cross study indicated that rejection of MHC-identical transplants due to minor Ag was controlled by one or possibly two non-MHC-linked, autosomal dominant Ir genes. According to this hypothesis, and assuming complete penetrance, graft acceptors would be homozygous recessive at the relevant Ir loci, as would their offspring. Alternatively, if the gene(s) were incompletely penetrant, then two acceptors could give rise to a rejector. However, a high rate of MHC-identical graft acceptance would still be expected in the offspring of acceptors even if the Ir gene(s) were incompletely penetrant. To test this hypothesis and to obtain a higher frequency of acceptor animals for studies of tolerance, a program of selective breeding of renal allograft acceptors was begun. In the present paper, we assess the effect of selective breeding on renal graft acceptance. The analysis indicates a marked increase in the rate of MHC-identical graft acceptance, from 27.3% (n = 24) for the earliest of the four chronologic subgroups assessed to 64.5% (n = 33) for the most recent subgroup (p less than 0.0001). Calculations of kinship revealed that the increased acceptance of MHC-identical grafts was not the result of differences between acceptors and rejectors in donor/recipient consanguinity. Class I-disparate grafts (n = 128) were similarly stratified chronologically and compared. Unlike MHC-identical grafts, the rate of acceptance of class I-disparate grafts has not changed over time. We conclude that rejector/acceptor status with respect to class I MHC incompatibility is determined by genetic factors in addition to those that control responses to minor antigen incompatibilities only.

Animals

Structure and expression of class II alpha genes in miniature swine.

Two overlapping genomic clones corresponding to the swine DRA class II gene were isolated and characterized. Restriction mapping and partial sequence data of the exon-containing fragments allowed identification and orientation of the five exons encoding the alpha chain. Two full length cDNA clones corresponding to the transcribed DRA gene from two different haplotypes of the swine MHC were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence alignments revealed that the two swine DRA cDNA were very similar and closely related to the human DRA equivalent. An additional glycosylation site, compared with those of human DRA, was found in the second external domain of the protein. Northern analyses showed that porcine DRA and DQA genes were the only two class II alpha genes expressed in the spleen, despite the presence of DPA and DZA genes in the genome. In addition to transfected cells expressing homologous pairs of alpha and beta chains from SLA-DR, stable transfectants expressing nonhomologous pairs of alpha and beta chains from DR and DQ loci were obtained, suggesting that such associations may contribute to the functional heterogeneity of class II products.

Animals

Mechanism of protection from graft-versus-host disease mortality by IL-2. III. Early reductions in donor T cell subsets and expansion of a CD3+CD4-CD8- cell population.

Reducing the graft-vs-host disease (GVHD)-promoting capacity of allogeneic T cells while maintaining alloengraftment and graft-vs-leukemia effects remains an important but elusive goal in clinical bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We have recently demonstrated that a short course of high dose IL-2 administered at the time of BMT has a powerful protective effect against GVHD mortality in mice. This short course of IL-2 is able to protect mice from both acute and chronic GVHD without sacrificing alloengraftment or graft-vs-leukemia effects of allogeneic T cells. Because the early administration of IL-2 seems to be crucial for this effect, we have studied the early lymphoid repopulation events after lethal irradiation and allogeneic BMT. These studies show that there are consistent delays in splenic repopulation by allogeneic cells after BMT in IL-2-treated animals compared with their untreated cohorts. Even greater percent reductions were seen in donor splenic T cell populations in the first few days after BMT in IL-2-treated animals. Splenic cells with the CD3+CD4-CD8- phenotype were increased in IL-2 treated animals at days 3 and 4 after BMT. This phenotype resembles that of bone marrow-derived cells which have been previously shown to inhibit GVHD, suggesting a possible mechanism for the protective effect of IL-2.

Animals

Characterization of a polymorphism of CD4 in miniature swine.

A polymorphism of CD4 in miniature swine has been identified by failure of cells from some animals to react with mAb 74-12-4. The phenotypic, molecular genetic, and functional characteristics of these animals have been defined. Cells from heterozygous animals bear approximately 50% the number of 74-12-4-reactive molecules on their surface as do cells from animals homozygous for the wild type. Animals of both phenotypes demonstrate similar flow cytometric profiles for CD8+ T cells. Northern blot analysis confirms the presence of mRNA for CD4 among PBL of animals failing to stain with 74-12-4. CD4 allelism is confirmed by Southern blot analysis, revealing RFLP. Function of the CD4 subset in vivo, as demonstrated by antibody production against a T cell-dependent Ag, is similar between animals of both phenotypes. Proliferative responses to PHA and alloantigen stimulation by a full haplotype mismatch or a class II mismatch alone are equivalent for animals of both phenotypes. These data suggest that the allelic form of CD4, designated CD4.2 in contrast to the wild-type CD4.1, is capable of performing normally as an accessory molecule in the generation of immune responses. Furthermore, antixenogeneic responses to C57B10.BR were equivalent, suggesting that both CD4 molecular types may be capable of interacting with xenogeneic class II molecules. Although the polymorphism includes differences in exons 3 and 4, regions thought to encode portions of the molecule interacting with MHC class II, these results imply that this naturally occurring CD4 polymorphism does not affect the interaction with class II molecules.

Animals

Transplantation of bone marrow cells from transgenic mice expressing the human MDR1 gene results in long-term protection against the myelosuppressive effect of chemotherapy in mice.

Many human cancers that are initially responsive to chemotherapy eventually fail to respond to treatment. For some drugs, dose escalation that may be required for a cure cannot be achieved because sensitive tissues such as bone marrow (BM) limit cytotoxic therapy. Approaches to prevent or circumvent BM toxicity are therefore a high priority of research on dose escalation protocols. In this study, we have transplanted BM cells from transgenic mice that constitutively express physiologic amounts of a functional human multidrug resistance (MDR1) cDNA to lethally irradiated C57BL/6 x SJL F1 mice (n = 36). From 6 weeks to 10 months after the transplant, all animals contained MDR1 DNA in spleen and BM specimens as indicated by Southern blot analysis, and expressed MDR1 messenger RNA in BM samples as detected by slot blot analysis. In addition, these animals were resistant to the myelosuppressive effect of doxorubicin, daunomycin, taxol, vinblastine, vincristine, etoposide, and actinomycin D, whereas control animals that were reconstituted with normal BM were drug sensitive. Finally, the chemoprotection afforded by the MDR1 gene could readily be reversed by adding chemosensitizers such as cyclosporin A and R-verapamil to chemotherapy. Hence, it appears that BM cells expressing the human MDR1 gene maintain this function after transplantation to host animals for a minimum of 10 months, and confer multidrug resistance to these BM recipients. This selective advantage conferred by expression of the MDR1 cDNA suggests a strategy for the use of MDR1 gene therapy in cancer chemotherapy and for the introduction of otherwise nonselectable genes into BM.

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In vitro and in vivo effects of recombinant human interleukin-2 in naive miniature swine.

Recent data in mice have shown that early administration of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rIL-2) provides significant protection from lethal graft-versus-host disease. Because of the potential clinical importance of these findings, it will be important to assess the effectiveness of this therapy in a large animal preclinical bone marrow transplantation model. We report here our initial studies of the in vitro and in vivo effects of rIL-2 in miniature swine. In vitro 4-day cultures of pig peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in complete medium containing rIL-2 at 1,000 U/ml resulted in optimal proliferation and generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. A pig-mouse hybridoma cell line was found to be highly sensitive as a LAK cell target. Two naive pigs received 20,000 U/kg and 2 pigs received 100,000 U/kg of rIL-2 intravenously twice a day for 4 days. No clinical symptoms were seen during or after administration at the lower dose while both high dose-treated animals showed generalized erythema from days 2 to 4, and one showed mild diarrhea during this period. The disappearance of IL-2 activity from the serum showed two components: (1) an initial fast component with a half-time of approximately 10 min and (2) a slow component with a half-time of approximately 60 min. LAK cell precursors disappeared from the peripheral circulation by 6 min after rIL-2 administration and began to recover by 6 h in the low dose recipients and only after 12 h in the high dose recipients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Successful induction of long-term specific tolerance to fully allogeneic renal allografts in miniature swine.

Major histocompatibility complex class II matching is of overwhelming importance for achieving tolerance to kidney transplants (KTX) in miniature swine. When class II antigens are matched, long-term specific tolerance across complete MHC class I antigen barriers can uniformly be induced by a 12-day perioperative course of cyclosporine. This same regimen is ineffective in fully MHC-mismatched combinations. We hypothesized that initial induction of tolerance to kidney donor class II antigens by bone marrow transplantation might allow tolerance to be induced to a subsequent fully allogeneic KTX in combination with CsA therapy. We report here the results of such fully allogeneic KTX performed in 4 recipients of prior single-haplotype class II-mismatched BMT. All animals received KTX from donors class II matched to the BMT donor and received a 12-day course of intravenous CsA (10 mg/kg/day). All four animals have maintained normal serum creatinine values (less than 2.0 mg/dl) for greater than 200 days posttransplant. Specific hyporesponsiveness to both BMT and KTX donor-type MHC antigens was found in mixed lymphocyte culture and cell-mediated lympholysis assays. Compared with third-party grafts, significantly prolonged survival of BMT donor-specific (P = 0.031) and KTX donor-specific (P = 0.031) skin grafts was observed. These results demonstrate that induction of tolerance to class II antigens by BMT allows a short course of CsA to induce specific tolerance to fully allogeneic renal allografts.

Animals

Humoral tolerance in xenogeneic BMT recipients conditioned by a nonmyeloablative regimen.

We have recently demonstrated that mixed xenogeneic chimerism and donor-specific tolerance can be produced across a species barrier using a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen (1). This regimen involves pretreatment of B10 mice with mAbs against CD4+, CD8+, Thy1+, and NK1+ cells, followed by a low dose (3 Gy) of whole-body irradiation and a higher dose (7 Gy) of local irradiation to the thymus and administration of T cell-depleted (TCD) F344 strain rat BMC. Although initial mixed chimerism and de novo maturation of donor rat T cells can be demonstrated in such animals, chimerism is gradually lost, and is no longer detectable by 6 months following BMT (1). When rat skin was grafted onto such animals 4 months following BMT, however, donor-specific skin graft survival was markedly prolonged, while non-donor type rat skin grafts were rapidly rejected (1). These results suggested that a state of donor-specific T cell tolerance existed, and that loss of chimerism was not due to a T cell-mediated immune mechanism. In order to evaluate the possibility that a humoral mechanism might mediate delayed loss of xenogeneic bone marrow grafts, we have now examined sera at various times for the presence of antibody against donor cells. Groups of animals not receiving the complete tolerizing mAb pretreatment regimen produced antidonor lymphocytotoxic antibody in response to BMT and skin grafting. Flow cytometric studies demonstrated high levels of IgM and of IgG of all subclasses against rat BMC and spleen cells in these control mice immunized by BMT. In contrast, such antibodies were not detectable in sera from animals receiving BMT following pretreatment with the tolerance-inducing mAb regimen. Furthermore, the tolerant animals did not develop cytotoxic antibodies or high levels of IgM or IgG against donor BMC after loss of hematopoietic chimerism. Donor-type skin grafts were eventually rejected, but rejection of these and repeat skin grafts did not lead to a cytotoxic antibody response. Low levels of rat BMC-binding IgM antibody were also detected in sera of tolerant mice, but the intensity of staining of rat BMC was lower than that of control animals receiving conditioning without BMT. These results suggest that a state of tolerance exists among cells responsible for T cell-dependent IgG antibody subclasses and natural IgM antibodies in animals receiving BMT following this nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen.

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Induction of specific tolerance to class I-disparate renal allografts in miniature swine with cyclosporine.

Previous studies in miniature swine have suggested that the mechanism underlying the spontaneous development of tolerance in one third of one-haplotype class I disparate renal allografts (i.e., ag----ad) involves a relative T cell help deficit at the time of first exposure to antigen. If this hypothesis were correct, then one might expect the administration of an immunosuppressive agent capable of inhibiting lymphokine production during this period to lead to the induction of tolerance to class I MHC antigens in two-haplotype class I mismatched renal allografts (i.e., gg----dd), which are otherwise uniformly and acutely rejected. This hypothesis was tested in eight two-haplotype class I disparate, class II matched donor-recipient pairs, in which recipients were treated with cyclosporine 10 mg/kg, i.v. q.d. for 12 days. This protocol led to the induction of long-term (greater than 100 days) specific tolerance in 100% of recipients, as compared with control animals that rejected grafts in 13.7 +/- 0.9 days (P less than 0.0001). The specificity of tolerance was assessed both in vivo with subsequent skin grafts and in vitro by mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) and cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity (CML). Survival of donor-specific skin grafts was prolonged compared with skin grafts bearing third-party class I antigens (19.5 +/- 2.0 versus 11.5 +/- 2.0 days, n = 4, P less than 0.05). Tolerant recipients had markedly diminished or absent anti-donor MLR and CML responses, but maintained normal reactivity to third party. Four of eight CsA-treated recipients showed detectable levels of anti-donor IgM, while none demonstrated the presence of anti-donor IgG, which was found in all rejecting controls.

Animals

Patterns of T cell-accessory cell interaction in the generation of primary alloresponses in the pig.

Partially inbred, MHC-homozygous miniature swine provide a unique model for the study of organ transplantation and the induction of tolerance in large animals. Models of both vascularized solid organ transplantation and bone marrow transplantation have previously been established. The availability of monoclonal antibodies reactive with porcine leukocyte subset antigens now makes possible studies of the cellular immunology in this species, affording the opportunity to examine mechanisms of transplant tolerance and graft rejection in increasing detail. Using such antibodies and peripheral blood leukocytes from pigs of recombinant MHC haplotypes, we have examined porcine T cell-accessory cell interactions in vitro with attention to T cell subsets and the class of MHC alloantigen stimulation. Primary allospecific MLR and CML cultures were studied after depletion of accessory cells from responder and/or stimulator populations. Although class II MHC antigens were expressed on the majority of porcine T cells before and after depletion, these cells were insufficient for antigen presentation, since there was an absolute requirement for ACs in the generation of primary alloresponses. Proliferative and CTL alloresponses could be generated provided that ACs of either stimulator or responder type were present. Selective depletion of CD4+ T cells from the responder population demonstrated: (a) that the interaction mediated by self ACs was CD4-dependent; (b) that two pathways exist for interaction involving allogeneic ACs; and (c) that the interaction involving allogeneic class II is CD4-dependent, while that with allogeneic class I is not.

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Mixed allogeneic chimeras prepared by a non-myeloablative regimen: requirement for chimerism to maintain tolerance.

We have recently described a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen permitting engraftment of allogeneic bone marrow in mice which involves administration of anti-CD4 (GK1.5) plus anti-CD8 (2.43) monoclonal antibodies in vivo, 3 Gy whole body irradiation, plus 7 Gy thymic irradiation. B10 (H-2b) mice prepared by this regimen and infused with unmanipulated B10.D2 (H-2d) bone marrow develop permanent mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism and specific tolerance to donor skin grafts. We now demonstrate that mixed chimerism persists longer than 170 days in the lymphoid tissues including spleen, thymus and bone marrow of such animals, and that equivalent levels of donor chimerism are observed in both T and B cell compartments. In addition stable mixed chimeras were found to be unresponsive to host (B10) and donor (B10.D2) stimulator cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction and in cell mediated lympholysis assays, while responses to a third party (B10.BR, H-2k) were intact. Persistent chimerism was found to be necessary for the maintenance of skin graft tolerance in these animals, since in vivo depletion of donor cells by treatment with an anti-H-2d (34-2-12) monoclonal antibody resulted in the subsequent rejection of donor skin grafts. These studies demonstrate that mixed allogeneic chimeras produced using this regimen are specifically tolerant to donor in vitro and in vivo, and that persistence of donor chimerism is critical for the maintenance of tolerance.

Animals

Natural antibodies can inhibit bone marrow engraftment in the rat----mouse species combination.

Specific tolerance can be induced in animals by transplanting hemopoietic cells across concordant species barriers. Despite the fact that the rat-mouse species combination is considered concordant, we have recently demonstrated that normal murine serum contains natural antibodies (nAb), predominantly of the IgM and IgG3 subclasses, with markedly greater binding to rat bone marrow cells (BMC) than to rat splenocytes or thymocytes. Since much greater numbers of rat BMC than of allogeneic murine BMC are required to achieve engraftment in mice, we considered the possibility that these nAbs might be responsible, and that the increased numbers of BMC might be required to absorb these nAb. To evaluate the effect of these nAb on engraftment of rat BMC in mice, we have now performed adoptive transfer studies using T and B cell-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) mice as recipients. Administration of as few as 5 x 10(5) T cell-depleted rat BMC led to induction of stable xenochimerism in SCID mice conditioned with 4-Gy whole body irradiation. Rat T cells developed after a delay of several weeks, and conferred the ability to reject non-donor-type rat skin grafts, whereas donor-type grafts were accepted. Adoptive transfer of 4 ml of normal BALB/c serum led to a marked reduction in the level of rat chimerism in SCID recipients of 2 x 10(6) F344 BMC. The ability of sera to inhibit engraftment of rat BMC correlated with their cytotoxic nAb content, and the inhibitory effect of highly cytotoxic sera could be overcome by administration of large numbers of rat BMC. Thus, normal mouse serum has a limited ability to hinder engraftment of rat BMC, and this degree of resistance can be overcome by adsorption when large numbers of BMC are administered. Eliminating nAb from serum may be more difficult in discordant species combinations in recipients with functional B cells, but may likewise permit the use of BMT as a means of inducing transplantation tolerance.

Animals

Expression of a swine class II gene in murine bone marrow hematopoietic cells by retroviral-mediated gene transfer.

As a first step in assessing the efficacy of a gene transfer approach to the induction of transplantation tolerance in our miniature swine model, double-copy retroviral vectors engineered to express a drug-resistance marker (neomycin) and a swine class II DRB cDNA were constructed. Infectious particles containing these vectors were produced at a titer of greater than 1 x 10(6) G418-resistant colony-forming units/ml using both ecotropic and amphotropic packaging cell lines. Flow cytometric analysis of DRA-transfected murine fibroblasts subsequently transduced with virus-containing supernatants demonstrated that the transferred sequences were sufficient to produce DR surface expression. Cocultivation of murine bone marrow with high-titer producer lines leads to the transduction of 40% of granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) as determined by the frequency of colony formation under G418 selection. After nearly 5 weeks in long-term bone marrow culture, virus-exposed marrow still contained G418-resistant CFU-GM at a frequency of 25%. In addition, virtually all of the transduced and selected colonies contained DRB-specific transcripts. These results suggest that a significant proportion of very primitive myelopoietic precursor cells can be transduced with the DRB recombinant vector and that vector sequences are expressed in the differentiated progeny of these cells.

Animals

Natural antibodies against bone marrow cells of a concordant xenogeneic species.

Hyperacute rejection does not occur when vascularized organs are transplanted between rat and mouse, and this species combination is considered to be concordant. Since hyperacute rejection is believed to reflect the presence of pre-existing antibodies (usually of the IgM class), and lymphocytotoxic antibodies against rat cells have not been detected in normal mouse sera, it has previously been concluded that mouse anti-rat natural antibody (NAb) does not exist. However, studies have not been reported in which rat bone marrow cells (BMC) were used as targets for evaluation of normal mouse sera. Because previous work from our and other laboratories has shown that bone marrow chimerism in the rat into mouse species combination can be achieved only by transplanting large numbers of rat BMC, we have evaluated normal mouse sera for the presence of NAb against rat BMC that might explain these in vivo results. Fisher 344 rat BMC and spleen cells were incubated with serum from nonimmunized mice, then stained with fluoresceinated rat anti-mouse subclass-specific secondary reagents and analyzed using flow cytometry. NAb of the IgM and IgG3 classes were found that bound strongly to rat BMC but showed weak or absent binding to spleen cells. A low level of IgG2b binding was observed to both BMC and spleen cells. Cytotoxic activity was detected against rat BMC but not against spleen cells. The environment in which the animals were maintained played a significant role in determining the level of cytotoxic NAb in normal mouse sera. Our results are consistent with the possibility that bone marrow-specific NAb play a role in resisting engraftment of BMC across this species barrier.

Animals

Induction of kidney transplantation tolerance across major histocompatibility complex barriers by bone marrow transplantation in miniature swine.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that permanent lymphohematopoietic chimerism can be induced in MHC-disparate miniature swine by bone marrow transplantation after lethal total-body irradiation. The purpose of the present study was to determine in this large animal model whether such chimerism would lead to permanent tolerance to a vascularized allograft without a requirement for exogenous immunosuppression. Eight miniature swine that had received MHC-mismatched BMT more than five months earlier underwent kidney transplantation (KTx) from a donor MHC matched (n = 5) or MHC mismatched (n = 3) with the BMT donor. All animals had regained in vitro responsiveness to third-party MHC antigens, as measured by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), before KTx but remained nonresponsive to MHC antigens of the BMT donor and self. All three animals that received KTx mismatched for BMT donor MHC rejected promptly (mean survival time 7.0 days). Of the five animals that received KTx matched for BMT donor MHC, four showed no evidence of rejection and have functioning KTx greater than 200 days after KTx. The fifth animal had excellent renal function for 60 days but then developed a slowly rising BUN and serum creatinine, and died 75 days after KTx. The course of this animal's rejection is consistent with that previously described for rejection due to minor antigen disparities. The difference in survival of KTx matched or mismatched for the MHC of the BMT donor was statistically significant (P = 0.0062). The survival of KTx matched for the MHC of the BMT donor was significantly different from that of control animals without BMT receiving KTx mismatched for MHC (P = 0.0018). We therefore conclude that BMT is an effective means for induction of tolerance to an MHC mismatched KTx in this large animal model.

Animals