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Biomedical subjects

E G Engleman

Publications and source records attributed to E G Engleman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparison of primary sensitization of naive human T cells to varicella-zoster virus peptides by dendritic cells in vitro with responses elicited in vivo by varicella vaccination.

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent APC during primary and secondary immune responses. The first objective of this study was to determine whether human DC mediate in vitro sensitization of naive CD4+ T cells to epitopes of the immediate early 62 (IE62) protein of varicella zoster virus (VZV). The induction of CD4+ T cell proliferative responses to eight synthetic peptides representing amino acid sequences of the VZV IE62 protein was assessed using T cells and DC from VZV-susceptible donors. The second objective was to compare in vitro responses of naive T cells with responses to VZV peptides induced in vivo after immunization with varicella vaccine. T cell proliferation was induced by three peptides, P1, P4, and P7, in 71-100% of the donors tested before and after vaccination using DC as APC. Monocytes were effective APC for VZV peptides only after immunization. Two peptides, P2 and P8, induced naive T cell proliferation less effectively and were also less immunogenic for T cells from vaccinated or naturally immune donors. T cell recognition of specific peptides was concordant between naive, DC-mediated responses, and postvaccine responses using monocytes as APC in 69% of comparisons (p = 0.05; chi2); the predictive value of a positive response to an IE62 peptide before immunization for T cell sensitization in vivo was 82%. These observations indicate that primary T cell responses detected in vitro using DC as APC may be useful to characterize the potential immunogenicity of viral protein epitopes in vivo.

Adult

Donor blood monocytes but not T or B cells facilitate long-term allograft survival after total lymphoid irradiation.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed that a combination of posttransplant total lymphoid irradiation (TLI), rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG), and a single donor blood transfusion induced tolerance to ACI heart allografts in Lewis rats. All three modalities were required to achieve tolerance. The objective of the current study was to determine the subset(s) of cells in the donor blood that facilitated long-term allograft survival. METHODS: Lewis hosts received TLI, ATG, and donor cell infusion after heart transplantation. Graft survival, mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR), and intragraft cytokine mRNA were studied. RESULTS: The intravenous injection of 25 x 10(6) ACI peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) significantly prolonged graft survival as compared with that of Lewis hosts given TLI and ATG alone. Injection of highly enriched blood T cells or splenic B cells adjusted for the number contained in 25 x 10(6) PBMC failed to induce significant graft prolongation. Unexpectedly, depletion of monocytes (CD11b+ cells) from PBMC resulted in the loss of graft prolongation activity. Enriched populations of monocytes obtained by plastic adherence were more efficient in prolonging graft survival than PBMC on a per cell basis. Hosts with long-term grafts (>100-day survival) showed evidence of immune deviation, because the MLR to ACI stimulator cells was vigorous, but secretion of interferon-gamma in the MLR was markedly reduced. In situ hybridization studies of long-term grafts showed markedly reduced levels of interferon-gamma mRNA as compared with rejecting grafts. CONCLUSION: Infusion of donor monocytes facilitated graft prolongation via immune deviation.

Animals

CTL response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis: identification of an immunogenic epitope in the 19-kDa lipoprotein.

The successful resolution of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is believed to involve the induction of CTLs that are capable of killing cells harboring this pathogen, although little information is known about the MHC restriction or fine specificity of such CTLs. In this study, we used knowledge of the HLA-A*0201-binding motif and an immunofluorescence-based peptide-binding assay to screen for potential HLA-A*0201-binding epitopes contained in the 19-kDa lipoprotein of M.tb (M.tb19). CD8+ T cells derived from HLA-A*0201+ patients with active tuberculosis (TB) as well as tuberculin skin test-positive individuals who had no history of TB were used as effector cells to determine whether these epitopes are recognized by in vivo-primed CTLs. An in vitro vaccination system using HLA-A*0201+ dendritic cells (DCs) as APCs was used to determine whether these epitopes can sensitize naive CD8+ T cells in vitro, leading to the generation of Ag-specific CTLs. The results show that an HLA-A*0201-binding peptide comprised of residues 88 to 97 of M.tb19 (P88-97) is recognized by circulating CD8+ CTLs from both healthy tuberculin skin test-positive individuals and patients with active TB but not by tuberculin skin test-negative subjects. Moreover, dendritic cells pulsed with this peptide induced class I MHC-restricted CTLs from the T cells of healthy unsensitized persons. Finally, CTL lines that were specific for P88-97 were shown to lyse autologous monocytes that had been infected acutely with the H37Ra strain of M.tb. These results demonstrate that M.tb19 elicits HLA class I-restricted CTLs in vitro and in vivo that recognize endogenously processed Ag. Epitopes of the type identified here may prove useful in the design of an M.tb vaccine.

Alleles

V7 (CD101) ligation inhibits TCR/CD3-induced IL-2 production by blocking Ca2+ flux and nuclear factor of activated T cell nuclear translocation.

Ligation of the V7 (CD101) molecule on T cells with anti-V7 mAb blocks TCR/CD3-induced proliferation by inhibiting IL-2 transcription. To explore the basis for this observation, we analyzed the effects of V7 ligation on CD3/TCR-induced changes in intracellular free Ca2+ and Ca2+-dependent nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT) translocation to the nucleus, which is required for IL-2 transcription. T cells exposed to anti-V7 mAb fluxed Ca2+ transiently, but did not flux Ca2+ in response to subsequent treatment with anti-CD3; however, they recovered the capacity to flux Ca2+ after treatment with pervanadate, indicating that tyrosine dephosphorylation of a critical V7-related substrate is required in the desensitization process. One such substrate, phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma1, becomes tyrosine phosphorylated on CD3/TCR activation and mediates inositol triphosphate-dependent Ca2+ flux. Co-cross-linking of T cells with anti-CD3 and anti-V7 resulted in selective inhibition of PLC-gamma1 tyrosine phosphorylation, which may explain V7-mediated blockade of anti-CD3-induced Ca2+ flux. Moreover, anti-CD3-induced binding of transcription factors to a consensus NF-AT-binding oligonucleotide, which is dependent on Ca2+, was blocked completely by treatment of the cells with anti-V7, whereas binding to a consensus-activating protein-1 oligonucleotide was unaffected. Western blot analysis of cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts confirmed that anti-V7 prevented nuclear translocation of NF-ATc induced by anti-CD3. We conclude that V7 ligation interferes with T cell activation and IL-2 secretion through a Ca2+ and tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway that inhibits PLC-gamma1 phosphorylation and prevents NF-AT translocation to the nucleus.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Isolation and utilization of human dendritic cells from peripheral blood to assay an in vitro primary immune response to varicella-zoster virus peptides.

A human dendritic cell-based assay used to monitor a T cell proliferation response to viral peptides in vitro is described. Dendritic cells and autologous CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood by a series of density-gradient centrifugations or magnetic bead separations (or both). Peptides corresponding to residues of the immediate early protein, IE62, of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were used as stimulating antigens, and persons with no history of varicella and no humoral or cellular immunity to VZV served as naive donors for the assays. Three VZV-susceptible donors were tested, and all demonstrated an in vitro response to multiple VZV peptides. This assay has potential as a screen to establish the immunogenicity of viral antigens in vitro using T cells from naive donors.

Adult

Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with dehydroepiandrosterone: 50 patients treated up to 12 months.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether longterm therapy (up to 1 year) with the weakly androgenic adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is feasible and beneficial in patients with mild to moderate systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: In a prospective, open label, uncontrolled longitudinal study 50 female patients (37 premenopausal, 13 postmenopausal) with mild to moderate SLE were treated with oral DHEA 50-200 mg/day. RESULTS: DHEA therapy was associated with increases in the serum levels of DHEA, DHEA sulfate, and testosterone and, for those patients who continued DHEA, with decreasing disease activity measured by SLE Disease Activity Index score (p < 0.01), patient global assessment (p < 0.01), and physician global assessment (p < 0.05), compared to baseline. Concurrent prednisone doses were reduced (p < 0.05). These improvements were sustained over the entire treatment period. Thirty-four patients (68%) completed 6 months of treatment and 21 patients (42%) completed 12 months. Mild acneiform dermatitis was the most common adverse event (54%). Pre and postmenopausal women experienced similar efficacy and adverse effects from DHEA. CONCLUSION: DHEA was well tolerated and appeared clinically beneficial, with the benefits sustained for at least one year in those patients who maintained therapy.

Adult

Induction of tissue-specific autoimmune prostatitis with prostatic acid phosphatase immunization: implications for immunotherapy of prostate cancer.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is uniquely expressed in prostatic tissue and prostate cancer. In this study, the immunogenicity of PAP was investigated in a male rat model. We show that immunization with recombinant rat or human PAP in CFA leads to a significant Ab response, but does not generate CTL or result in autoimmune prostatitis. In contrast, immunization with recombinant vaccinia expressing human PAP, but not rat PAP, generates a CTL response and tissue-specific prostatitis in the absence of detectable PAP-specific Abs. These findings suggest that a cellular immune response to PAP, rather than Abs, mediates destructive autoimmune prostatitis. Thus, xenogeneic forms of PAP are a new tool for the induction of prostate-specific immunity and may prove useful for the immunotherapy of prostate cancer.

Acid Phosphatase

Introduction of soluble proteins into the MHC class I pathway by conjugation to an HIV tat peptide.

Protection against most intracellular pathogens requires T cells that recognize pathogen-derived peptides in association with MHC class I molecules on the surface of infected cells. However, because exogenous proteins do not ordinarily enter the cytosol and access the MHC class I-processing pathway, protein-based vaccines that induce class I-restricted CTL responses have proved difficult to design. We have addressed this problem by conjugating proteins, such as OVA, to a short cationic peptide derived from HIV-1 tat (residues 49-57). When APC were exposed in vitro to such protein conjugates, they processed and presented the peptides in association with MHC class I molecules and stimulated CD8+ Ag-specific T cells. Moreover, Ag-specific CTLs were generated in vivo by immunizing mice with histocompatible dendritic cells that had been exposed to protein-tat conjugates.

Animals

Ligation of the V7 molecule on T cells blocks anergy induction through a CD28-independent mechanism.

Previous studies have demonstrated that a mAb that recognizes the leukocyte surface Ag V7 inhibits TCR/CD3-dependent T cell activation. In the current study, we demonstrate that in addition to inhibiting T cell proliferation and IL-2 production, anti-V7 blocks tyrosine phosphorylation of TCR/CD3-associated substrates. PMA overcomes this effect, and both PMA and exogenous IL-2 overcome anti-V7-mediated inhibition of T cell proliferation and IL-2 production. T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 in the absence of CD28 or V7 ligation become unresponsive (anergic) to restimulation with anti-CD3; T cells primed in the presence of either anti-V7 or anti-CD28 retain their ability to respond to restimulation with anti-CD3. When T cells are primed in the presence of optimal concentrations of anti-V7 and anti-CD28 Abs, they proliferate normally, indicating that the costimulatory signals generated through CD28 dominate the inhibitory signals generated through V7. However, as the anti-CD28 stimulus is diluted, the V7 effect becomes dominant and proliferation is inhibited. Thus, although both anti-V7 and anti-CD28 Abs prevent anergy, they induce distinct, competing intracellular signals. Wortmannin, which blocks phosphoinositol 3-kinase-dependent signaling, has little effect on V7-mediated inhibition, while herbimycin, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, synergizes with anti-V7 to inhibit T cell activation. On the basis of these findings, V7-mediated signals appear to inhibit TCR-dependent tyrosine kinases that are required for IL-2 production and cellular proliferation.

Androstadienes

Dendritic cells that process and present nominal antigens to naive T lymphocytes are derived from CD2+ precursors.

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent APC that, in mature form, can be distinguished from other mononuclear cells on the basis of their distinct morphology, absence of lineage markers, and dense expression of MHC and costimulatory molecules. While comparing different DC preparation methods, we observed that DC derived from cultured PBMC that had been depleted of CD2+ cells before culture were functionally distinct from DC derived from PBMC that had not been depleted of CD2+ cells. Thus, both types of DC stimulated allogeneic T cells to proliferate in the MLR, but only DC derived from CD2+ precursors could sensitize naive T cells to soluble Ags such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin and HIV gp160 glycoprotein. Subsequent studies confirmed the existence of CD2+ and CD2- DC precursor populations among HLA-DRbright, lineage-negative PBMC. Immediately after their isolation, these populations were morphologically similar to one another by light and electron microscopy, and neither had substantial Ag-presenting activity. After culture for 24 to 48 h with supernatant from PHA-activated PBMC, both populations developed dendrites, formed clusters with T cells, and stimulated allogeneic T cell responses in the MLR as well as autologous T cell responses to tetanus toxoid, a recall Ag. However, CD2+ DC precursors alone gave rise to APC that presented soluble Ags to naive CD4+ T cells, a property that could be inhibited by Abs to CD4, CD11a, and CD28 on T cells or CD86 on DC. The expression of CD54 and CD86 on CD2+ DC precursors was increased markedly after their culture and differentiation, while the expression of these molecules on CD2- DC precursors was not remarkably changed. These findings reveal the existence of two functionally distinct populations of DC, each derived from a phenotypically distinct precursor present in monocyte-depleted peripheral blood.

Antigen Presentation

Allogeneic dendritic cell induction of HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses from T cells of HIV type 1-infected and uninfected individuals.

The potential benefit of T cell-based vaccination for HIV-1 infection remains to be determined. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) appear to clear substantial populations of HIV-1 virus in vivo, although CTL activity may contribute to the decline in CD4+ T cell count observed in the course of the disease. To investigate further the role of specific CTL responses in the control of HIV-1 replication, we raised primary CTL lines against a panel of conserved HIV-1 epitopes using blood-derived dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Specific primary human CTL responses were induced against HLA-A*0201-restricted peptides with dendritic cells from HIV-1-seronegative donors. This method of immunization elicited cytotoxic activities capable of recognizing endogenously processed antigen. The CTL induction protocol was extended in order to explore the capacity of HLA-matched allogeneic dendritic cells to evoke novel CTL responses in T cells from an HIV-seropositive asymptomatic individual. Allogeneic peptide-pulsed dendritic cells from a healthy sibling were capable of eliciting a CTL response directed against an HIV epitope (env814: SLLNATDIAV) that was initially not detected in the CTL effector population of the HIV-1-infected patient. The possibility of manipulating CTL specificity directed against multiple conserved HIV-1 epitopes represents a significant step in the evaluation of T cell-based vaccination for treatment of disease.

Antigens, Viral

Differential response of CD4+ V7+ and CD4+ V7- T cells to T cell receptor-dependent signals: CD4+ V7+ T cells are co-stimulation independent and anti-V7 antibody blocks the induction of anergy by bacterial superantigen.

V7 is a novel cell surface glycoprotein that is expressed on 25% of circulating T lymphocytes. This molecule appears to play a critical role in T cell activation based on the observation that a monoclonal anti-V7 antibody inhibits T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and proliferation of T cells. In the current study, CD4+ V7+ and CD4+ V7- T cells were separated from one another and their response to various stimuli analyzed. Although there were only minor differences between the two subsets in the expression of activation/differentiation markers, including CD45RA and R0 isotypes, when exposed to immobilized anti-CD3 or anti-TCR antibodies in the absence of APC, CD4+ V7+ T cells alone produced IL-2 and proliferated vigorously. By contrast, CD4+ V7- cells responded poorly to such stimuli, but they recovered their capacity to respond if antigen-presenting cells (APC) or anti-CD28-antibody were added to the cultures. The enhancement of the V7- T cell response by APC appears to be related to augmentation of TCR signals because the effect could be blocked by antibodies against molecules on APC [major histocompatibility (MHC) class II, CD86] that are known to up-regulate such signals through their interaction with counter-receptors on T cells. To assess the role of V7 in a system independent of co-stimulation, CD4+ T cells were stimulated with the bacterial superantigens, staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B. The cells responded by proliferating and then becoming anergic. Addition of anti-V7 antibody at the initiation of culture with superantigen did not inhibit cellular proliferation but prevented T cells from becoming anergic, while addition of anti-CD28 antibody had no effect on either proliferation or anergy induction. These results indicate that V7 and CD28 mediate distinct intracellular signals and suggest that V7 functions to preserve T cell reactivity whether the stimulus is mitogenic or anergizing.

Adult

Dendritic cells: potential role in cancer therapy.

Dendritic cells (DC) are extremely potent antigen presenting cells, uniquely capable of sensitizing naive T cells to protein antigens and eliciting antigen specific immune responses. Studies of human DC isolated from peripheral blood indicate that these cells can be used to stimulate and expand antigen specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in vitro. On the basis of these findings we have initiated pilot clinical studies to investigate the ability of DC pulsed ex vivo with tumor associated proteins to stimulate host anti-tumor immunity when re-infused as a vaccine. In the first such study DC pulsed with tumor derived idiotype protein were infused into patients with low grade malignant B cell lymphoma who had failed conventional chemotherapy. The majority of treated patients developed T cell mediated anti-idiotype immune responses and some of the patients experienced tumor regression. These results suggest that DC based immunotherapy is a potentially useful approach to B cell lymphoma and raises the possibility that the approach may prove useful in the treatment of other tumors as well.

Animals

Role of natural killer cells in the generation of influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T cells.

Recently we reported that natural killer (NK) cells are critical accessory cells required for the differentiation of alloantigen-stimulated CD8+ T cells into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in vitro. In this study we provide evidence that NK cells are also required for the generation of influenza virus-specific CTL. Depletion of NK cells from responder human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or mouse splenocytes abolished the induction of influenza A virus-specific CTL under culture conditions. Treatment of C57BL/6 mice with the NK cell-depleting NK1.1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) before primary or secondary immunization with influenza A virus abrogated the capacity of CTL precursors to differentiate into influenza virus-specific CTL effectors in vivo. These results extend our previous findings and demonstrate that NK cells critically influence the induction of antigen-specific CTL, both in vitro and in vivo.

Animals

B4B, a novel growth-arrest gene, is expressed by a subset of progenitor/pre-B lymphocytes negative for cytoplasmic mu-chain.

We subjected PBMC of normal adults to density fractionation to enrich for an immunoblast fraction that would include early immune lineage precursors. Differential display PCR experiments identified one transcript that is expressed specifically in this immunoblast fraction. This cDNA, designated B4B, encodes a novel gene product containing four putative transmembrane-spanning domains. B4B+ cells, detected with anti-B4B Ig, were found at very low frequency in PBMC (0.01%) and were enriched significantly in intermediate density fractions (0.1-1.0%). B4B+ cells were shown to be CD19+CD45+HLA-DR+ and negative for CD20, cytoplasmic mu-chain, CD3, CD16, CD56, CD34, and CD68 (monocyte), consistent with a progenitor/pre-B lymphocyte subset that does not express cytoplasmic mu-chain and thus may lack productive Ig rearrangement. This phenotypic description of the B4B+ subset agrees with our finding that the frequency of B4B+ cells was greatly increased in bone marrow (3-10%) as compared with PBMC (0.01%). The B4B polypeptide sequence exhibits significant homology to only one known protein, PMP-22/gas-3, a Schwann cell-specific protein that induces cell growth arrest. Transient expression of B4B specifically inhibited cellular proliferation by more than 50%. Based on its antiproliferative effect and pattern of expression restricted to a subpopulation of immature B cells, the B4B gene product may be involved in the elimination of B cells before productive VDJC rearrangement of Ig loci or, alternatively, in the growth arrest of transformed progenitor B cells.

Adult

Vaccination of patients with B-cell lymphoma using autologous antigen-pulsed dendritic cells.

In this pilot study, we investigated the ability of autologous dendritic cells pulsed ex vivo with tumor-specific idiotype protein to stimulate host antitumor immunity when infused as a vaccine. Four patients with follicular B-cell lymphoma received a series of three or four infusions of antigen-pulsed dendritic cells followed, in each instance, by subcutaneous injections of soluble antigen two weeks later. All patients developed measurable antitumor cellular immune responses. In addition, clinical responses have been measured with one patient experiencing complete tumor regression, a second patient having partial tumor regression, and a third patient resolving all evidence of disease as detected by a sensitive tumor-specific molecular analysis.

Adult