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Biomedical subjects

J Hilgers

Publications and source records attributed to J Hilgers.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Epstein-Barr virus: experimental infection of Callithrix jacchus marmosets.

Eight common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) were inoculated with about 10(4) transforming units of B95-8 virus; seven of the marmosets died 50-111 days post inoculation and all seven showed microscopic and/or macroscopic lesions compatible with a diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disease. Low levels of anti-VCA antibodies were detected in plasma from six marmosets. Attempts failed to establish continuous EBV-carrying lymphoblastoid cell cultures by cultivation in vitro of circulating lymphocytes or minced lymphoid tissues obtained at necropsy.

Animals↗

Genetic analysis of mammary tumor induction and expression of mammary tumor virus antigen in hormone-treated ovariectomized GR mice.

Early stages of mammary tumors (EMT) were induced with a combined treatment of progesterone (P) and estrone (E) in ovariectomized adult GRS/A (GR) mice, a strain of European origin and with a high incidence of mammary cancer. The mammary tumors were comparable to the pregnancy-dependent tumors of breeding females of this strain. The hormone treatment did not lead to EMT in a variety of other strains and only occasionally in the RIII an C3H strains. Treatment with P or E alone di not lead to EMT in GR mice, but treatment with the steroid compound 17 alpha-ethynyl-19-nortestosterone (ANT) did mimic the combined effe(t of P and E. Since EMT could be induced by ANT in all ovariectomized adult GR mice within 3 weeks, this tumor-induction method was suitable for analysis of the gene responsible for palpable, pregnancy-dependent mammary tumors of this strain. Another argument for the usefulness of this test for genetic analysis was the fact that, though mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) of the GR strain was introduced into BALB/c and tmas mice by foster-nursing, ANT treatment did not lead to EMT. First and second backcross analyses showed that one gene was responsible for EMT induction. There was a strong (orrelation between the presence of EMT and MuMTV antigens in the mammary glands and milk of several first backcross populations between GR and other strains such as C57BL, BALB/c, DBAf, and C3Hf. This suggested that the expression of MuMTV antigens was also controlled by the EMT gene. Two types of resistance phenomena were observed. Neither type could prevent EMT after hormone treatment; however, they could delay EMT development. One resistance factor for EMT induction was noticeable and dominant in reciprocal hybrids of the GR and DBAf strains, whereas another resistance factor was detected in the backcross population only [i.e., in the C57BL X (C57BL X Gr) ba(kcross] and not in hybrids; therefore, this factor was recessive. Until now, linkage experiments with 18 markers to locate the gene for EMT induction in the map of the mouse were unsuccessful.

Animals↗

Antibody-induced modulation and shedding of mammary tumor virus antigens on the surfaces of GR ascites leukemia cells as compared with normal antigens.

The distribution, antibody-induced redistribution, and shedding of murine mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) antigens and the surfaces of GR mouse ascites leukemia (GRSL) cells were studied by the immunoferritin technique and compared with the same activities of thy 1.2 and H-2.8 antigens. MuMTV antigens were redistributed easily and then largely shed from the cell surface; in contrast, H-2.8 antigen moved easily and probably was partially released from the plasms membrane and Thy 1.2 antigen moved slowly and was some what interiorized. The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test was used to study the possibility of antigenic modulation for these cell-surface antigens from the surface of the GRSL cells could be modulated by preincubation with anti-MuMTV serum, in contrast to H-2.8 and Thy 1.2 antigens. The results obtained with the immunoferritin technique and the cytotoxicity test correlated well and sug-ested that the shedding of MuMTV antigens from the cell surfaces may occur in vivo, providing the tumor a way to escape from the immune defense of the host. Thy 1.2 and H-2.8 antigens were present on the envolope of B and C particles, which suggested that these viruses do not select a Thy 1.2 or H-2.8-negative area of the GRSL cell surface as amaturation site.

Animals↗

An immunofluorescence technique with counterstain on fixed cells for the detection of antibodies to human herpesviruses; antibody patterns in patients with Hodgkin's disease and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

An indirect immunofluorescence (IF) test on fixed cells with Evans' blue counterstain is described for all four human herpesviruses, i.e., herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Comparison with immunodiffusion (ID) for HSV-2 and with ID and complement fixation (CF) for VZV and CMV demonstrated the specificity and high sensitivity of the IF test. Also introduced is a modification of the anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) test for EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA), permitting simultaneous titration of antibodies to this nuclear antigen and of the anti-nuclear factor (ANF). Seroepidemiological studies of these viruses in patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) in the Netherlands revealed the following pattern: (1) in nodular sclerosing (NS) HD there is a 4-fold (significant) elevation in antibody titer to EBV-VAC, but no elevation to EBV-EA and EBNA; (2) in mixed cellularity (MC) HD a 10-fold (significant) elevation to both EBV-VCA and EA, but no elevation to EBNA is found compared to the control groups. These patterns in NS and MC HD are different from the pattern in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) which manifests elevations in antibody titers to EBV-VCA and EA as well as to EBNA. Antibody titers to HSV, VZV and CMV are not significantly elevated in either HD or NPC.

Antibodies, Viral↗

Immunofluorescence and anti-complement immunofluorescence absorption tests for quantitation of Epstein-Barr virus-associated antigens.

Immunofluorescence absorption methods are described which permit quantitative estimation and differentiation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated antigens (virus capsid antigen, VCA, early antigen, EA and EBV-determined nuclear antigen, EBNA) in cell extracts. EBNA was present in all cell lines (producer and non-producer) which carried the EBV-genome, while VCA and EA were present in producer lines only. All the antigens were absent from a lymphoid cell line (MOLT-4) which lacked the EBV-genome, as well as from leukemia cells from peripheral blood. The techniques demonstrated antigenic identity of the various antigens when prepared from different cell lines.

Absorption↗

In vitro infection of lymphoid cells by thymotropic radiation leukemia virus grown in vitro.

Murine lymphoid cells were infected in vitro with purified leukemogenic radiation leukemia virus (RadLV) produced by virus-induced lymphoblast cell lines. Thymocytes were shown to be highly susceptible to infection by the virus, whereas murine or other fibroblasts were refractory to it. Murine bone marrow and spleen cells were shown to be much less sensitive to infection by this thymotropic RadLV. By comparison, a B-tropic RadLV isolate (RadLV), propagated on a mouse fibroblast cell line, was noninfectious for lymphoid cells but infected fibroblasts. A correlation was shown to exist between in vitro infection of thymocytes, as assayed by immunofluorescence, and in vivo leukemogenicity of the thymotropic RadLV. This constitutes a rapid in vitro test for in vivo leukemogenicity of a natural lymphatic leukemia virus.

Animals↗

Immunologic, virologic, and genetic aspects of mammary tumor virus-induced cell-surface antigens: presence of these antigens and the Thy 1.2 antigen on murine mammary gland and tumor cells.

The distribution of the normal differentiation antigen Thy 1 and the mammary tumor virus (MTV)-induced antigens or antigen complexes MLm and MLr were studied in mouse mammary gland cells, mammary tumor cells, and other cell types, by use of ascites leukemia cells of the GR mouse strain as target cells in the cytotoxicity test. The Thy 1.2 antigen was detected by an AKR antiserum to C3Hf thymocytes. MLm was shown by a homologous C57BL antiserum to GRSL2 leukemia (absorbed in vivo in GR mice); MLr was detected by a rabbit heterologous antiserum (absorbed in vivo in C57BL or GR mice and in vitro with BALB/c milk) prepared against Tween 80- and ether-treated purified B particles. Sera from Sprague-Dawley rats bearing murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-producing syngeneic tumors were not cytotoxic or only slightly cytotoxic for GR leukemias transplanted in vivo, which indicated that MuLV-induced antigens were absent or present in very low quantity in such leukemias. The MLr and MLn antigens or antigen complexes were possibly identical to the mammary leukemia (ML) antigen, since they could be detected not only on GR but also on DBA/2 leukemia cells and since their distribution was exactly the same as that of MTV. Both the MLr and MLm antigens were present in purified B particles, and antigenic activity were present in purified B particles, and antigenic activity was enhanced by destruction of the purified virus particles. The antigens were about eightfold enriched in a preparation of B-particle envelopes, as shown by quantitative cytotoxicity absorption (CYTA) tests. Purified nucleoid fractions of B particles were only lightly positive for the antigen, probably due to envelope contamination. One dominant gene was responsible for the expression of MLr, as shown by CYTA tests with mammary glands of individual animals of segregating crosses between the GR strain with high mammary cancer incidence and strains with low incidence. This gene was closely linked with or was possibly identical to 1) the gene for cytoplasmic MTV gs antigen expression as seen by fixed cell immunofluorescence, and 2) the gene causing mammary tumors in the GR mouse strain.

Animals↗

Distribution and antibody-induced redistribution of a mammary tumor virus-induced and a normal antigen on the surface of mouse leukemia cells.

By means of the indirect membrane immunofluorescence test, the distribution and antibody-induced redistribution (patching and capping) of a mammary tumor virus-induced (MLr) and a normal (Thy 1.2) cell-surface antigen were compared on mouse thymocytes and leukemia cells (GRSL2). At 0 degrees C Thy 1.2 fluorescence was ringlike and more intense on GRSL2 cells than on thymocytes, whereas MLr fluorescence on GRLS2 cells at this temperature was patchlike and brighter than Thy 1.2 fluorescence. At 20 or 37 degrees C, capping of Thy 1.2 on both cell types was readily achieved but MLr capping occurred only in a few GRSL2 cells and was less pronounced. However, after addition of the secondary antibodies, MLr capping was markedly increased by gradual cooling of cells to about 17 degrees C. Conversely, after addition of antibodies at 0 degrees C, gradual warming of cells under the fluorescence microscope resulted in extensive capping both of MLr and Thy 1.2 at approximately 13-14 degrees C. Rapid cooling or rapid warming led to almost instantaneous capping. These results may be explained by the occurrence of phase transitions or phase separations in the particular temperature range. Another difference between capping of Thy 1.2 and MLr was that the former caps were small and eventually were endocytosed, whereas the MLr caps were large and were exfoliated from the cells.

Animals↗

Quantitation of virus-induced (MLr) and normal (Thy.1.2) cell surface antigens in isolated plasma membranes and the extracellular ascites fluid of mouse leukemia cells.

Plasma membranes were isolated by two methods from mouse leukemia cells containing mammary tumor virus-induced (MLr) and normal (Thy.1.2) antigens on their surfaces. A number of chemical components, enzymic activities, and the antigenic contents were determined in subcellular fractions and found to be specifically concentrated in the plasma membrane fractions. The major part of the cellular MLr, in contrast to Thy.1.2, was present in the 105,000 X gmax supernatant of the cell homogenate. This and other results indicate an easy release of the antigen from the plasma membrane. A considerable amount of MLr was also present in the ascites fluid, partly free and partly bound, supposedly in an immune complex that allowed the isolation of three components of similar molecular weights as mammary tumor virus components. The extracellular presence of MLr may illustrate that, by shedding of antigen, the tumor may protect itself against the immunological defense of the host.

Animals↗