The Journal of immunology : official journal of the American Association of Immunologists
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The inflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha have been demonstrated in various autoimmune diseases, and are thought to participate in the induction and pathogenesis of disease. TFN-alpha is a cytopathic cytokine that is cytotoxic for oligodendrocytes in vitro and has been implicated in the pathology of multiple sclerosis and its animal model experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). We used reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR to study the kinetics, cellular source, and regulation of cytokine gene expression in the central nervous system (CNS) of SJL/J mice with myelin basic protein-induced EAE at different stages of the disease. ⋯ Microglia could be discriminated by their low expression of CD45. Incubation of freshly derived, adult microglia from normal, uninfiltrated, CNS with activated Th1 supernatant induced the production of TNF-alpha mRNA. Therefore, TNF-alpha is made by both CNS-resident microglia and infiltrating macrophages during EAE, and this production is tightly controlled by cytokines secreted by infiltrating CD4+ T cells.
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Although the steady-state level of the mouse mast cell protease (mMCP) 7 transcript is below detection in the serosal and mucosal mast cells of the BALB/cJ mouse, the IL-3-dependent, bone marrow-derived mast cells (mBMMC) of this strain and four other strains contain a high steady-state level of the mMCP-7 transcript. To further analyze the expression of this mast cell tryptase, a mMCP-7-specific IgG was obtained by immunizing a rabbit with a 19-residue synthetic peptide that corresponds to its unique amino acid sequence at residues 160 to 178 (anti-mMCP-7(160-178). ⋯ In contrast, the ear mast cells of the C57BL/6J mouse do not contain detectable levels of mMCP-7 protein, although the ear mast cells of both mouse strains contain mMCP-5 protein. Because mMCP-7 mRNA and protein also were not detected in mBMMC from the C57BL/6J mouse, the failure of the ear mast cells of this strain to express mMCP-7 is most likely a consequence of an intrinsic abnormality in the mast cell-committed progenitor cells themselves, or in the bone marrow microenvironment that induces its mast cell progenitor cells to express this tryptase.
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Cross-linking of Ly-6 molecules on T lymphocytes leads to IL-2 production, whereas costimulation of T cells via Ly-6A/E and the TCR inhibits IL-2 secretion. This study was initiated to determine whether there are unique structural requirements at the level of the Ly-6 molecule for its capacity to activate or block IL-2 production. Functional studies in which transfected EL-4J cells that expressed various Ly-6 proteins or chimeric Ly-6 molecules were used have demonstrated that direct activation of IL-2 secretion or inhibition of anti-CD3-induced IL-2 production occurred after mAb binding to Ly-6A/E, Ly-6C, and Ly-6G and was independent of whether the mAbs bound to amino- or carboxyl-terminal epitopes of Ly-6. ⋯ Anti-Ly-6A/E also blocked anti-CD3-induced IL-2 production for these cells, although anti-Ly-6A/E failed to directly induce IL-2 secretion. Thus, anti-Ly-6A/E blockade of IL-2 production is independent of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor of Ly-6E. This finding suggests that there may be aspects of signaling via Ly-6 that are solely dependent on the extracellular amino acid sequence of this protein.
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Case Reports
Acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency as a result of an autoantibody to the reactive center region of C1 inhibitor.
An autoantibody that we hypothesize to react with the reactive center of the plasma serine proteinase inhibitor, C1 inhibitor (C1INH), has been found in a patient with acquired C1INH deficiency. The Ab blocks the ability of C1INH to inhibit the hydrolysis of N-carbobenzyloxy-L-lysine thiobenzylester by purified C1s. ⋯ The neutralizing activity of the purified Ab is reversed by a synthetic peptide that corresponds to the amino acid sequence in the P1 to P15 positions of the reactive center of C1INH but not by a 34-amino-acid trypsin peptide or 37-amino-acid elastase peptide derived from the C-terminus of C1INH. Western blot analysis indicated that the Ab is an oligoclonal Ig with kappa light chains.
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Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been postulated to play a role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Additionally, in vitro studies have revealed tight interactions between PAF and the cytokine network, and PAF is considered to be an important stimulator of neutrophil functions. To assess the intermediate role of PAF in the induction of cytokines and neutrophil degranulation in endotoxemia in vivo, 12 healthy adult chimpanzees were i.v. injected with a bolus dose of Escherichia coli endotoxin (4 ng/kg); four animals received endotoxin alone, whereas the other chimpanzees were infused with the specific and potent PAF antagonist TCV-309 (bolus of 100 micrograms/kg, followed by either 100 micrograms/kg/h (n = 4) or 500 micrograms/kg/h (n = 4) for 5 h). ⋯ In contrast, TCV-309 did not affect the neutrophilic leukocytosis elicited by endotoxin, nor did it inhibit endotoxin-induced neutrophil degranulation, as monitored by the plasma levels of elastase-alpha 1-antitrypsin complexes. We conclude that PAF plays a role, either directly or indirectly, in the stimulation of the cytokine network and in the shedding of soluble TNFR in endotoxemia. PAF does not seem to be an important intermediate factor in endotoxin-induced neutrophilia or neutrophil degranulation.