Update of CD antigens, 1996.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Zola.
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The B1 subset of B lymphocytes is associated with the production of low-affinity, polyspecific antibodies. B1 cells are generally recognized by their expression of CD5, and comprise the majority of neonatal B cells. The neonate responds to a restricted range of antigens, and generally makes low-affinity IgM antibody. Published data suggest that antibodies against the blood group antigens A and B are found occasionally in cord blood, and develop rapidly in infants as a result of cross-reactivity with bacterial carbohydrate antigens. This suggests that CD5+ B1 cells may be specialized to make antibodies against such carbohydrate antigens. In this study we evaluated the appearance of antibodies against the blood group (ABO) antigens in human infants, using reagents which specifically distinguish between IgM (made by the infant) and IgG (mainly of maternal origin) and immunofluorescence to detect low levels of antibody. Having established that antibody is always detectable by 8 months of age, and frequently much earlier, we developed a plaque assay to examine the phenotype of cells making antibody against blood group antigens. At 8 months of age, CD5+ and CD5- cells were both capable of making anti-blood group antibody.
The human infant is a major subject of immunization to prevent infectious disease. A better understanding of immune responses in human infants could lead to more effective immunization. Analysis of individual mechanisms is a prerequisite to understanding the whole response. We have examined the mutation and selection of immunoglobulin genes, mechanisms required for the maturation of antibody affinity. Mutations were rare in cord blood and were not detected in peripheral blood of infants under 10 days of age. Mutations were detected in most blood samples from infants aged 10 days to 2 months but the number of mutations was generally low compared with adults and there was limited evidence of selection. The ability to make and select mutated Ig increased over the 2-8 months period, but did not reach adult levels. Neonates differ from adults in the expression of several components of the immune system that may take part in affinity maturation, including cytokine receptors, antigen receptor and co-stimulator molecules. Thus, the mechanisms required to make high-affinity antibody develop gradually during the first year of life. Possible evolutionary reasons for this are discussed.
The antibody response in the young infant is limited in several ways; in particular, responses generally are of low affinity and restricted to IgM. This raises the question whether the affinity maturation process, consisting of somatic mutation of immunoglobulin genes coupled with selection of high-affinity variants, is operative in the neonate. Re-arranged V(H)6 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from cord blood and from peripheral blood of infants. Heteroduplex analysis detected mutation in only 2/18 cord blood samples, while mutations were seen from about 10 days of age onwards. Cloning and sequencing of mutated neonatal V(H)6 genes showed that mutated sequences contained relatively few mutations (one to three mutations per sequence) compared with published values of about 10 in adult IgM sequences. Selection was not evident in the majority of neonatal samples. Thus mutation can occur in the human neonate, but is minimal and generally not accompanied by selection. The age at which affinity maturation develops effectively is yet to be defined.
The neonatal immune system responds to a restricted range of antigens, producing largely IgM antibody of low affinity. Comparison of the components of the B-cell antigen receptor complex shows significantly elevated membrane levels of IgM in neonatal B cells, compared with adult cells. CD79, which acts as the signal transducer for membrane immunoglobulin, is elevated in parallel with IgM, while IgD is elevated to a lesser degree. CD19, CD21, CD22 and CD81, which are all involved in transmitting activation signals when immunoglobulin is engaged, are not elevated. CD32, which is involved in negative regulation of activation, is present at reduced levels on cord B cells. The elevation of B-cell membrane IgM persists during infancy. Neonatal B cells respond in vitro to interleukin-4 (IL-4) by further elevation of membrane IgM levels. The elevated level of membrane IgM may make neonatal B cells easier to trigger by low concentrations of antigen, but in vitro activation and immunoglobulin modulation experiments did not show significant differences between cord and adult B-cell responses to anti-IgM.
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When cord blood is separated using standard methods based on Ficoll-Hypaque, the mononuclear fraction is contaminated with erythrocytes and also with nucleated cells that do not express the leucocyte marker CD45. The contamination with CD45-negative cells can exceed 50%, and will interfere with phenotypic, mRNA or functional analysis. A large proportion of these cells are erythrocyte precursors. The contaminating cells may be removed by lysis with hypotonic ammonium chloride; when the cells are required for studies which are adversely affected by ammonium chloride (such as antigen processing), high purity can be attained by two rounds of density separation.
Human leucocytes from peripheral blood and tonsil were examined for the presence of the IL-3 receptor using monoclonal antibodies directed to epitopes of the alpha and beta chains of the receptor. We found that the beta chain, common to IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF, was either present at low levels or not detected on the majority of peripheral blood and tonsil B lymphocytes, while the alpha chain showed a distinct but restricted distribution. In peripheral blood the IL-3R alpha chain was limited to a subpopulation of peripheral B lymphocytes and a population of cells which lack lineage-specific markers. Dimly staining cells were identified as B lymphocytes as they coexpressed CD19, CD20, CD22, CD24, and HLA-DR. A brightly staining population lacks T and B lymphocyte, NK specific, and macrophage lineage markers but expresses CD9, CD45RO, CD26, and, in a proportion of cells, CD36 and CD60. This population remains unclassified. In tonsil tissue IL-3R alpha chain expression was strongest on B lymphocytes present in the T cell rich areas of tonsillar tissue. The IL-3R alpha bearing B tonsil cells included cells in both CD23 and IgD positive and negative populations. The phenotype of the IL-3R alpha positive B cells defines them as a population of B lymphocytes distinct from previously characterized cells in the lymphoid architecture. Lymphoblastoid cell lines with a corresponding phenotype were also identified.
The expression of CD95 antigen was examined on adult and cord blood lymphocytes using a highly sensitive immunofluorescence/flow cytometric procedure. CD95 was expressed by the majority of circulating blood T cells in adults, and by a smaller proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in cord blood. The majority of circulating B cells did not react with seven CD95 antibodies, but three antibodies did stain B cells. In tonsil sections, CD95 was expressed throughout the tissue but germinal centres showed generally stronger staining than the surrounding follicular mantle and interfollicular areas. This was confirmed by flow cytometry, which showed expression preferentially on B cells with a germinal centre phenotype. Because different antibodies stained different proportions of B cells, CD95 epitopes were examined by inhibition, additive binding and protease susceptibility studies using a panel of ten CD95 antibodies. B cells apparently reacting selectively with CD95 antibodies were sorted and CD95 mRNA was reverse transcribed to cDNA and analyzed, in order to confirm the presence of CD95 in cells which reacted selectively and to explore the possible existence of CD95 isoforms. The major cDNA band was identical in the two populations. Inhibition of N-glycosylation suggested that the epitopes detected differentially could not be accounted for by differential N-glycosylation.
AIMS: To study the expression of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) and interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); to correlate the level of expression of these receptors with SLE disease activity. METHODS: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied by a high sensitivity flow cytometry technique using monoclonal antibodies directed against CD25 (IL-2R alpha chain), CD122 (IL-2R beta chain), CD124 (IL-4R), and CD126 (IL-6R). SLE disease activity was scored using the SLE Disease Activity Index, C3 and C4 concentrations, anti-dsDNA level, and absolute lymphocyte count. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, PBL from patients with SLE had a higher percentage of CD25+ cells (median 20.8% v 16.5%) and a lower percentage of CD122+ cells (median 13.1% v 22.4%). The difference in CD122+ cells was greater in the CD122weak population than the CD122strong (natural killer cell) population. The percentages of CD124+ and CD126+ PBLs in patients with SLE and controls were similar. On CD25+ cells, the relative antigenic level of the IL-2R alpha chain was significantly higher in patients with SLE (median 2.01 v 1.81). The relative antigenic levels of CD122+, CD124+ and CD126+ cells were similar in patients and controls. Neither the percentages nor the relative antigenic levels of all of these cytokine receptors were correlated with any of the parameters of disease activity. CONCLUSION: Lymphocyte activation in patients with SLE was evident from the increase in CD25 expression on PBL, with a reciprocal decrease in CD122 expression. As the expression of IL-2R, IL-4R, IL-6R did not correlate with disease activity, it seems that these cytokine/receptor systems do not play a direct role in disease activation in SLE.
The physiological importance of cytokines and other factors which control cell and tissue growth and differentiation is widely appreciated. While physiological studies have included the cellular receptors for these factors, studies on their role in disease have concentrated on the measurement of cytokines themselves or soluble receptor components. This reflects in part the technical difficulty of measuring cell surface expression of receptors, which occur at and are functional at very low concentrations. In this review, the potential value of surface-expressed receptors as markers of disease is assessed, and methods are described which allow measurements with standard equipment for flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.
Mutation of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor gamma chain, which also serves as a component of the receptor complexes for IL-4, 7, 9 and 15, results in severe immune deficiency. We hypothesized that the immunological immaturity of healthy neonates might be associated with low levels of expression of this receptor molecule. Using monoclonal antibody and a highly sensitive immunofluorescence method, we showed that IL-2 receptor gamma chain is expressed at significantly lower levels on cord blood cells compared with adult cells. IL-2-dependent T-cell activation in vitro was reduced in cord blood cells compared with adult cells, but B-cell responses to IL-4 were not obviously impaired. The lower level of expression of the gamma chain and some other cytokine receptor chains may contribute to the immunological immaturity of the newborn, by selectively depressing particular immunological mechanisms.
The present studies were designed to further determine whether the CD25 marker could distinguish between cells productively and latently infected with HIV. This was accomplished by combining immunotoxin (IT)-mediated killing of CD25+ cells, highly sensitive indirect immunofluorescence to detect remaining CD25+ cells, and PCR-mediated amplification of proviral DNA in immunotoxin-treated vs untreated HIV-infected cells. Our results demonstrate that: 1) By direct immunofluorescence 3 to 8% of PBMCs are CD25+, whereas by indirect immunofluorescence 30% are CD25+. The increased number of CD25+ cells is due to their detection by the highly sensitive indirect immunofluorescence assay. Up to 60% of the CD25+ cells are CD4+ and 12% are CD8+. 2) Treatment of HIV-infected PBMCs with an anti-CD25 IT for 6 days eliminated both CD25high and CD25low cells and decreased the production of p24 by 99%. 3) Differences in the HIV proviral genome were detected in the unfractionated PBMCs vs PBMCs from which CD25+ cells had been eliminated by IT treatment. Hence, PBMCs containing both CD25+ and CD25- cells express all intermediate proviral species and full-length double-stranded proviral DNA. In contrast, CD25- quiescent cells contain predominantly intermediate species. These results confirm and extend our previous observations that expression of CD25 can distinguish latently infected cells from cells producing virus.
CD44 is a widely distributed cell surface glycoprotein that has been implicated in a number of cellular adhesion processes and signal transduction events. These functional capabilities qualify CD44 as a potential mediator of contact-signaling events underlying the process of antigen-dependent B cell differentiation in secondary lymphoid tissues. We postulated that changes in the expression of CD44 during B cell differentiation reflect the cells' changing requirements for this receptor. It has been reported that germinal center B cells are low to negative for CD44 expression, implying that the receptor is lost upon activation. Correlation of the expression of CD44 with surface immunoglobulin and a number of B cell differentiation markers revealed a trimodal expression pattern. High levels of CD44 are expressed on resting IgD+/IgM+ cells. The receptor is still expressed at the early activation stage defined by the expression of CD23. At the early blast stage, when the blast marker CD38 appears on the cell surface and IgD and CD23 disappear, CD44 is downregulated. The majority of CD38+/IgM+ blasts and CD38+/Ig- centroblasts are CD44 low/negative. The receptor is re-upregulated at the point of transition from the centroblast to the centrocyte level. Centrocytes expressing IgG or IgA comprise CD44high and CD44low fractions. IgG+ or IgA+ cells at the postgerminal center stage express high levels of CD44. The functional implications of this expression pattern are discussed.
To clarify the phenotype of memory B lymphocytes, we have determined the frequency of somatic hypermutations in purified tonsil B cell populations. Our particular interest was the controversial question of whether any memory B-cells express IgD. Ig heavy chain gene rearrangements that used the nonpolymorphic VH6 gene were amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced. All eight sequences obtained from the surface IgD (sIgD)-negative fraction contained point mutations, with frequency of one mutation in every 24 bases of sequence. In contrast, only 4 of 12 sequences obtained from the sIgD-positive fraction contained point mutations, with a mutation frequency of one in 600. This frequency was similar to that found for cord blood B cells (one in 550), a population that does not contain memory B cells. These results indicate that although memory B cells are present in the sIgD-negative fraction, no memory cells can be detected in the sIgD-positive fraction of tonsil B lymphocytes.
Mouse monoclonal antibodies to CD19 detect an antigenic determinant expressed exclusively on the surface of B lymphocytes, and have previously been shown to be potentially useful therapeutic reagents for human B cell lymphoma. We report the production and characterization of a mouse/human chimeric antibody, cCD19, with potent in vivo antitumour activity. The genes encoding the variable domains for heavy (VH) and light (VL) chains were subcloned into eukaryotic expression vectors containing human constant region genes (IgG1 and kappa), and co-transfected into non-secreting Sp2/0 mouse myeloma cells. Intraperitoneal administration of cCD19 produced inhibition of growth of subcutaneous CD19+ Sultan human B lymphoma tumours in scid/scid mice. When the antibody was administered 18 and 20 days after subcutaneous tumour inoculation, an approximately 30% reduction in tumour size was noted by day 29. cCD19 faithfully mimicked the in vitro binding characteristics of mCD19 as (a) the chimeric antibody was shown by flow cytometry to bind exclusively to cell lines that expressed CD19, (b) cCD19 was able to inhibit the binding of mCD19 on CD19+ cells completely and (c) the affinity of binding of the two antibodies was not significantly different [Ka = (2.03 +/- 1.5) x 10(8)]. In bio-distribution studies, up to 14.8% of the total injected antibody dose per gram of tissue was localized in CD19+ Sultan tumours at 24 h approximately, 14.4% was present in the tumors at 48 h, and about 13.7% at 72 h. These levels were comparable to mCD19 administered in the same fashion. cCD19 conjugated to idarubicin was specifically and strongly cytotoxic to CD19+ cells cultured in vitro, and demonstrated an IC50 of 0.17 microM, similar to that of mCD19 (0.32 microM) and approximately 14-fold greater than the IC50 of free idarubicin. The specific cytotoxic capacity of cCD19 and its likely reduced immunogenicity suggest that it may potentially be of use in the treatment of refractory B cell lymphoma in humans.
We have analyzed IgE+ cells in peripheral blood of atopic donors, donors hypersensitive to bee venom, and nonatopic control donors with two- and three-color flow cytometry. Although the percentage of IgE+ cells varied among these groups, the overall phenotypic patterns were similar. Most IgE+ cells do not display typical B-cell markers, such as CD19, CD20, and CD21. A significant proportion of these cells stain for CD38, indicating that they are more differentiated. IgE+ cells express Fc gamma RII and CD45RO, an isoform associated with an advanced level of differentiation. The majority of IgE+ cells do not coexpress other surface immunoglobulin isotypes. In the case of bee venom-hypersensitive donors, we have been able to identify a small population of IgE+ cells with a specificity for phospholipase A2, a major immunogenic component of bee venom. The phospholipase A2+ cells display a phenotype similar to that of the IgE+ cells.
Six human subjects who were to receive elective bowel surgery for a variety of diseases were vaccinated with the oral typhoid vaccine, Ty21a. Intestinal tissue (ileum in two, large intestine in four) removed 7-26 days after the first dose of vaccine was examined for the presence and distribution of antigen-specific B cells. This was compared with intestinal tissue derived from two unvaccinated controls. A number of B cell differentiation antigens were also assessed on these cells by immunofluorescence using dual-labelling. Antigen-specific cells were found randomly distributed in the lamina propria of all the vaccinated subjects in low frequency (6 +/- 0.5 to 37 +/- 31 [mean +/- s.e.m.] antigen specific cells/10 mm2 of tissue). The lymphocyte differentiation antigens CD45RA, CD45RO, L-selectin, CD-11a CD-38, CD-44 and VLA-4 were all found on antigen-specific cells, but no particular pattern was recognizable in this small series of six subjects with different disease processes affecting the intestine.