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M Feldmann

Publications and source records attributed to M Feldmann.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources

Antibody-mediated suppression of the immune response in vitro. II. A new approach to the phenomenon of immunological tolerance.

Immunological tolerance to H antigens of Salmonella adelaide may be induced in vitro by the exposure of mouse spleen cells for 6 hr to an immunogenic dose of polymerized flagellin in the presence of low concentrations of specific antibody. Such antibody-mediated tolerance requires an optimal antigen: antibody ratio for its induction. A shift in this ratio in favor of the antibody concentration results in failure of tolerance induction and leads to immune suppression commonly known as antibody-mediated feedback inhibition which is not analogous to immunological tolerance. Fragment A of flagellin fails to induce immunological tolerance in vitro. Tolerance to polymerized flagellin may however be induced in vitro, provided the spleen cells are exposed to fragment A in the presence of specific antibody for 6 hr. The results are discussed in the light of current theories of the mechanism of tolerance induction.

Animals↗

Antibody-mediated suppression of the immune response in vitro. I. Evidence for a central effect.

Antibody-mediated suppression of the in vitro immune response to polymerized flagellin of Salmonella adelaide and to sheep erythrocytes was studied at the cellular level. Normal mouse spleen cells, preincubated in vitro with mixtures of antigen and antibody for short periods of time before being washed, did not respond to an optimal antigenic challenge in vitro, whereas similar cells treated with antibody alone gave a normal response. The degree of immune suppression was found to depend on the time of preincubation. Significant immune suppression could be induced in as short a time as 15 min, whereas profound suppression (90%) required the incubation of cells with mixtures of antigen and antibody for 4-6 hr. Mouse spleen cells treated similarly were also unable to respond subsequently to the antigen upon transfer to lethally irradiated hosts, as measured at both the level of the antigen-reactive cell and that of serum antibody production. These results were taken as evidence that in vitro an effect of antibody-mediated suppression occurred at the level of the immunocompetent cell. Similarities between immune tolerance and antibody-mediated suppression in vitro were described, and the significance of the findings discussed in the light of current concepts of the mechanism of antibody-mediated suppression.

Animals↗

Tolerance of T-cell clones is associated with membrane antigen changes.

It is possible to regulate the activity of human influenza virus specific helper T-cell clones either by high concentrations of antigen or by anti-idiotypic suppressor T cells. In the absence of accessory cells, the appropriate peptide antigen recognized by the clones induces specific unresponsiveness. This phenomenon, however, is not the result of cytolysis as responsiveness to IL-2 remained unaltered. This suggests that high-dose immunological tolerance need not involve suppressor T cells, and that peptide antigens can interact directly with the T-cell surface. As recent reports suggest that the T-cell surface antigen T3 is involved in the triggering of T lymphocytes and possibly in antigen recognition we have investigated the expression of T3 and other cell surface antigens following the induction of T-cell tolerance. We report here that when a T-cell clone is exposed to a tolerizing concentration of the appropriate peptide antigen, surface T3 antigen is lost in a dose-dependent manner. As loss of surface T3 induced by anti-T3 antibody also results in unresponsiveness to antigen, we conclude that T3 is involved in the process of T-cell triggering by antigen.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Essential requirement for major histocompatibility complex recognition in T-cell tolerance induction.

The induction of T-cell responses involves the recognition of extrinsic antigen in association with antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), in mice and man, with different T cells recognizing antigen in association with either class I (H-2K/D, HLA-A, B, C) or class II (Ia, HLA-D/DR) MHC antigens. However, the requirement of MHC recognition in the induction of immunological tolerance remains ill defined. With human T helper clones recognizing synthetic peptides of influenza haemagglutinin (HA-1), we have investigated the nature of antigen-induced stimulation, and antigen-induced antigen-specific unresponsiveness, immunological tolerance. Tolerance is not due to cell death, as the cells remain responsive to interleukin-2 and is associated with the loss of T3 antigen from the cell surface. Using monoclonal antibodies to the non-polymorphic regions of human class II antigens to inhibit the induction of T-cell tolerance we report here that induction of tolerance requires the recognition of MHC antigens.

Animals↗

Epithelial cells expressing aberrant MHC class II determinants can present antigen to cloned human T cells.

The first step in the induction of immune responses, whether humoral or cell mediated, requires the interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T lymphocytes restricted at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). These cells invariably express MHC class II molecules (HLA-D region in man and Ia in mouse) which are recognized by T cells of the helper/inducer subset in association with antigen fragments. Interestingly, in certain pathological conditions, for example in autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis and diabetic insulitis, class II molecules may be expressed on epithelial cells that normally do not express them. We speculated that these cells may be able to present their surface autoantigens to T cells, and that this process may be crucial to the induction and maintenance of autoimmunity. A critical test of this hypothesis would be to determine whether epithelial cells bearing MHC class II molecules (class II+ cells) can present antigen to T cells. We report here that class II+ thyroid follicular epithelial cells (thyrocytes) can indeed present viral peptide antigens to cloned human T cells.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Functional expression of HLA-DP genes transfected into mouse fibroblasts.

The HLA class II antigens are a highly polymorphic family of dimeric cell-surface glycoproteins, expressed predominantly on the surface of immunocompetent cells. They are intimately involved with the induction of the T-cell response to extrinsic antigen and are important predisposing factors for a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. We describe here the expression of a class II product from the HLA-DP (new WHO nomenclature, formerly SB) subregion after transfer of cloned genes into mouse fibroblasts. The transfected DP antigen is recognized by several HLA class II monoclonal antibodies and, though present in a mouse cell background, is able to function in the presentation of influenza antigen to cloned DP-restricted human T lymphocytes.

Animals↗

HLA class II induction in human islet cells by interferon-gamma plus tumour necrosis factor or lymphotoxin.

HLA class II molecules are surface glycoproteins which are essential in the initiation of immune responses. It has been postulated that induction of class II in epithelial cells such as endocrine cells, which are normally class II negative, may result in autoimmunity. In type I diabetes, islet beta cells, the target of the autoimmune process, selectively express class II antigens. But in contrast to most other cell types, islet beta cells are not stimulated to express class II by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and thus the conditions under which this induction occurs have been particularly elusive. The cytotoxins tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and lymphotoxin (LT) synergize with IFN-gamma in a number of activities. We report here that IFN-gamma in combination with either TNF or LT induces islet cell class II expression. This finding has important implications for the pathogenesis of type I diabetes and the understanding of the differential control of class II expression.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Combination therapy with DMARDs and biological agents in collagen-induced arthritis.

There is increasing interest in the use of combination therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and in the possibility of combining the conventional drug approach with newer biological therapies. Animal models of arthritis provide important tools for evaluating novel forms of therapy and for eludicating mechanisms of drug action. In this paper, we review the results of our own research into combination therapy in collagen-induced arthritis using biological therapies such as anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha, anti-CD4, and anti-interleukin 12 monoclonal antibodies, and small molecular weight compounds such as cyclosporin and the phosphodiesterase IV (PDE IV) inhibitor rolipram.

Animals↗

Upregulation of HLA class II, but not intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) by granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3 (IL-3) in synergy with dexamethasone.

In this study we have compared the effects of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on purified normal blood monocytes, with two other haemopoietic growth factors, Interleukin (IL-) 3 and Macrophage (M-)CSF on HLA class I, class II and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression in the presence and absence of dexamethasone (Dex). IL-3 alone, like GM-CSF, was a weak inducer of HLA class II expression but in combination with Dex markedly enhanced HLA-DR, DP and DQ expression. Similar changes were observed for HLA class I expression. The response to both IL-3 and GM-CSF was not additive in the presence of an optimal concentration of one cytokine and titrating concentrations of the other indicating that they may use common receptors and signal transduction mechanisms. Although IL-3 or GM-CSF alone also enhanced ICAM-1 expression, Dex inhibited both constitutive and the cytokine induced expression of this antigen. In contrast M-CSF, in the presence or absence of Dex, failed to enhance ICAM-1, HLA class I or II expression. These observations further highlight differences between the effects of the haemopoietic growth factors GM-CSF and IL-3 versus M-CSF in the regulation of monocyte function. Finally, the distinct effect of a combination of glucocorticoids with GM-CSF or IL-3 to induce high levels of HLA expression on human monocytes suggests they may have an important role during inflammatory conditions in vivo.

Cell Adhesion Molecules↗

Cytokine networks: do we understand them well enough to facilitate clinical benefits?

Cytokines are chiefly local transmitters. The cloning of these molecules has been driven by the belief that they will be of major therapeutic benefit, despite the problems inherent in their clinical administration systemically, a non-physiological route. This brief review discusses the clinical use of cytokines and the possibilities for clinical benefit of interfering with cytokine function. A major step forward in the past few years has been the realization that shed extracellular domains of cytokine receptors are the most common natural cytokine inhibitors, described for TNF, IFN gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, for example. These natural cytokine inhibitors may offer interesting therapeutic possibilities, as they are enhancing or "replacing" the natural anti-cytokine mechanisms.

Animals↗