Thymic stromal cell specialization and the T-cell receptor repertoire

Ten years ago, we proposed a model for thymus function in which thymic epithelial cells are primarily responsible for imprinting major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted specificity, and bone marrow-derived macrophages or dendritic cells are responsible for the induction of self-tolerance. Since then, transgenic and knockout models have allowed for a dissection of thymic stromal components in vivo, leading to a new understanding of their specialized functions. We have determined that with regard to class II-restricted CD4 T-cell development, two distinct subsets of thymic epithelium help shape the repertoire: Cortical epithelium appears solely responsible for positive selection, whereas a fucose-bearing subset of medullary epithelium is specialized for negative selection. This absolute separation of positive and negative selection into two distinct spatial and temporal compartments leads to a much simpler view of the process of repertoire selection. Finally, a novel view of the function of the thymic medulla is discussed.     

不同大鼠胶质瘤抗原致敏的DC体外诱导CTL活性的研究

目的: 比较大鼠骨髓来源的树突状细胞(dendritic cells, DC)体外经由大鼠C6胶质瘤细胞由不同方式制备的不同抗原致敏后,对特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(cytotoxic T lymphocyte, CTL)的诱导作用。方法: 自大鼠骨髓分离DC前体细胞,经重组大鼠粒细胞巨噬细胞集落刺激因子(rrGM-CSF)+白细胞介素4(rrIL-4)诱导培养、扩增;由C6胶质瘤细胞经由反复冻融、煮沸灭活及超声破碎细胞抽提其总蛋白的方法制备各种不同抗原致敏DC,致敏的DC与T淋巴细胞进行共培养诱导CTL;以ELISA法检测CTL诱导过程中淋巴细胞趋化因子(lymphocyte chemoattractant factor)及细胞因子IFN-γ分泌水平:以 -TdR掺入法检测DC诱导T细胞增殖及其特异性CTL杀伤活性。 结果: 体外应用煮沸灭活瘤细胞制备的肿瘤抗原致敏DC,能诱导更强的刺激T细胞增殖的能力、并且可以诱导杀伤活性更强的CTL。结论: 应用煮沸灭活的瘤细胞制备瘤抗原负载DC获得瘤苗可获得更强的抗肿瘤保护作用。     

休克期大面积切痂对严重烧伤大鼠细胞免疫功能影响的研究

目的 观察休克期大面积切痂对严重烧伤大鼠细胞免疫功能的影响，探索改善烧伤后机体免疫功能紊乱的有效方法。方法 将大鼠分成休克期切痂组（A组）、常规切痂组（B组）和正常对照组（C组）。A、B组造成30％TBSAⅢ度烫伤，C组不烫伤。A组伤后第6h、B组伤后第4d切痂，并于伤后第1、5、9d各活杀10只，取材送检，观察其免疫指标的变化。结果 （1）A、B组与C组比较：A、B组烫伤大鼠各时相点CD3^＋T细胞变化不大（P〉0．05），但CD4^＋T细胞、CD4^＋／CD8^＋比值明显下降、CD8^＋T细胞增高（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。NK细胞活性明显下降（P〈0．05或P〈0.01），外周血CD25^＋T淋巴细胞表达及经活化后脾脏CD25^＋T淋巴细胞表达明显下降（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。（2）A组与B组比较：A组CD4^＋T细胞、CD4^＋／CD8^＋比值明显升高、CD8^＋T细胞降低（P〈0．05或P〈0．01），NK细胞活性明显升高（P〈0．05或P〈0．01），外周血CD25^＋T淋巴细胞表达及经活化后脾脏CD25^＋T淋巴细胞表达均明显升高（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。结论 （1）大鼠烫伤后细胞免疫状况发生了明显变化。（2）休克期切痂可以改善烫伤大鼠T淋巴细胞亚群分布，提高NK细胞活性，增加外周血CD25^＋T淋巴细胞的表达。提高经活化后脾脏CD25^＋T淋巴细胞数。从而改善烫伤大鼠伤后机体的细胞免疫功能。     

A monoclonal antibody (RH1-38) which inhibits multiple systems of cell-mediated cytotoxicity--II. Evidence that the epitope recognized is involved in a late step in the cytolytic mechanism

A monoclonal antibody (RH1-38) which blocks multiple systems of cell-mediated cytotoxicity was functionally characterized. RH1-38 specifically blocks, in the absence of complement, natural killer (NK) activity (K562 targets) without any effect on NK-K562 conjugate formation. Kinetic studies suggested that the antibody blocks a step that occurs 30-120 min after effector populations are mixed with target cells. Single-cell cytotoxicity assays in agarose, combined with standard 51Cr release assays and Michaelis-Menten analysis revealed that RH1-38 markedly decreases Vmax and the number of active NK cells, again without any effect on the number of target-binding cells. The maximum recycling capacity was usually decreased, but in some experiments unchanged, in the presence of the monoclonal antibody. RH1-38 inhibited equally well whole peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML), Percoll-fractionated lymphocytes enriched for NK activity, and interferon (IFN)-boosted NK activity. PBML exposed to RH1-38 and then washed mediated depressed NK activity which was partially reversed by subsequent treatment with IFN. These studies are most consistent with the hypothesis that RH1-38 inhibits a step late in the NK cytolytic mechanism rather than through an effect on conjugate formation. The primary effect is probably not on the IFN-generating or boosting mechanism, but a secondary effect on IFN-related mechanisms cannot be ruled out. Inhibition through an effect on a small lymphocyte modulator of NK activity is also unlikely but not rigorously excluded. Thus, RH1-38 appears to inhibit NK activity through a direct effect on NK effector cells, probably by interfering with a cell-surface molecule which is important in the expression of NK activity. The companion paper demonstrates that this monoclonal antibody immunoprecipitates a molecule which is very similar or identical to the LFA-1 antigen. Thus, RH1-38 recognizes either a novel epitope on the LFA-1 molecule or alternatively a distinct, functional killer cell surface molecule. The epitope appears to be involved in a late step in the cytolytic mechanism, possibly part of the effector cell lytic machinery.     

脑出血后的病理改变与T淋巴细胞反应

目的:探讨脑出血血肿周围局部病理改变及细胞免疫机制。方法:用免疫组化方法及组织HE染色法观察20只大鼠尾壳核脑出血24 h,3天、7天血肿周围区域的组织病变及CD3 、CD8 T淋巴细胞的分布形式和表达时程。结果:①在脑出血后24 h血肿周围即可见明显血管源性水肿,大量炎性细胞浸润,以中性粒细胞为主,少量散在淋巴细胞、小胶质细胞、星形细胞、少突胶质细胞弥漫浸润;出血3天、7天以淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞浸润为主,小胶质细胞、星形细胞、少突胶质细胞增生明显,双侧半球皮层下和血管周围出现小胶质细胞结节;②出血灶周围CD3 和CD8 T淋巴细胞浸润在出血后24 h已可见,出血后3天组和出血后7天组,CD3 和CD8 阳性细胞数明显高于出血后24 h组。结论:①脑出血期以中性粒细胞反应为主,以后以淋巴细胞反应为主,胶质细胞反应在出血后24 h已发生,持续一周以上;②CD3 、CD8 阳性细胞的出现提示它们参与了出血后脑损伤的病理过程,在出血7天内, CD3 和CD8-阳性细胞反应呈增强趋势。     

冠心病患者治疗前后血清SOD、ET及T淋巴细胞亚群水平

目的:探讨了冠心病患者治疗前后血清SOD、ET及T淋巴细胞亚群水平。方法:分别应用放免法和单克隆抗体法对42例冠心病患者进行了血清SOD、ET及T淋巴细胞亚群水平检测,并与35名正常健康人作比较。结果:冠心病患者在治疗前血清ET水平显著地高于正常人组(P<0.01),而SOD和CD4/CD8比值明显地低于正常人组(P<0.01),经治疗后一个月则与正常人组比较差异无显著性(P>0.05)。结论:检测冠心病患者血清SOD、ET及T淋巴细胞亚群水平对判断病情及其预后均具有一定的临床实用价值。     

A monoclonal antibody (RH1-38) which inhibits multiple systems of cell-mediated cytotoxicity--I. Identification of a novel epitope on a killer cell surface bimolecular complex important in the cytotoxic response

This paper presents the initial characterization of a mouse monoclonal antibody (RH1-38) which blocks, in the absence of complement, three different systems of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This monoclonal antibody markedly inhibits cytotoxicity mediated by human natural killer cells, a monocyte-like cell [phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) stimulated HL-60], and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes generated in a mixed leukocyte reaction. RH1-38 is not nonspecifically toxic to cells since antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity was not inhibited and viability as assessed by trypan blue exclusion was not affected. Inhibition is specific since control hybridoma culture supernatants, parent (NS-1) ascites supernatant, monoclonal anti-HLA and normal mouse IgG were not significantly inhibitory. In the NK system, the inhibitory effect appears to be due to binding of monoclonal antibody to effector cell surface since exposure of targets to antibody followed by washing yielded no inhibition of killing. Inhibition requires the antigen-binding portion of the antibody molecule and thus appears to be related to steric hindrance of an effector cell surface molecule which is important in the expression of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Immunoprecipitation of surface-radioiodinated membranes from PMA-stimulated HL-60 cells and analysis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels revealed a bimolecular complex (195,000 and 125,000 daltons) without significant change under reducing conditions. Control immunoprecipitates yielded no peaks of activity. This monoclonal antibody should serve as a useful probe of the function and biochemistry of a killer cell surface antigen important in the expression of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Since RH1-38 inhibits cytotoxicity mediated by at least three apparently unrelated effector cells, the relevant antigen may be part of a common mechanistic step. As the companion paper demonstrates, this monoclonal antibody does not affect the conjugation step, but appears to block a late step in the NK cytolytic mechanism. Thus, RH1-38 recognizes either an epitope district from previously-described anti-LFA-1 antibodies or alternatively recognizes a distinct functional killer cell surface molecule.     

皖南地区336例恶性淋巴瘤回顾性病理分析

本文根据我国恶性淋巴瘤分类的修订洛阳方案对皖南地区1972-1982年336例恶性淋巴瘤进行了回顾性分析。发现其中非何杰金淋巴瘤325例(96.7％),何杰金氏病11例(3.3％)。非何杰金氏淋巴瘤中滤泡型19例(5.8％),弥漫型306例(94.2％),而弥漫型中以B细胞肿瘤(尤以滤泡中心细胞起源的肿瘤)占大多数(240例,73.8％)。T细胞肿瘤为54例(16.6％)。结果与国内各地的报告大致相同。本文还讨论了在应用修订洛阳方案进行恶性淋巴瘤分类过程中遇到的一些问题,着重指出对类型不同、大小不等起源于滤泡中心细胞的肿瘤如何结合其预后,归入适当的亚型是值得研究的问题。     

The influence of radiation therapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations defined by monoclonal antibodies

We studied the influence of radiation therapy on lymphocyte subpopulations in 17 patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy for primary breast cancer, and eight patients receiving brachytherapy and external beam irradiation for primary cancer of the uterus. Radiation therapy reduced B- and T-lymphocytes in proportion to the total lymphocyte population so that their percentages remained unchanged. Determination of helper and suppressor T-lymphocytes before, during and 6 months after completion of radiotherapy revealed that in both groups of patients suppressor T-lymphocytes were more resistant to and recovered faster after radiotherapy. This resulted in a decline of the "immunoregulatory balance" (helper/suppressor ratio). Although this ratio had been higher in both groups of patients than in healthy age- and sex-matched controls before therapy, it became normal and subnormal during and after radiotherapy. The clinical significance of the differential influence of radiotherapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations remains to be determined.