The human major histocompatibility complex class Ib molecule HLA-E binds signal sequence-derived peptides with primary anchor residues at positions 2 and 9

Human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) and mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen, Qa-1, share the same substitutions at two normally conserved positions 143 and 147, which are likely to affect binding of the C terminus of peptides. Qa-1 is able to bind a peptide derived from the leader sequence of H-2 D and H-2 L molecules. We developed a peptide binding assay in vitro to compare the binding specificity of HLA-E with the mouse MHC class Ib molecule Qa-1. We demonstrate that HLA-E binds, although poorly, the peptide which binds to Qa-1 and that it also binds nonamer signal sequence-derived peptides from human MHC class I molecules. Using alanine and glycine substitutions, we could define primary anchor residues at positions 2 and 9 and secondary anchor residues at position 7 and possibly 3.     

Human Renal Allograft Rejection Despite the Absence of Allogeneic Passenger Leukocytes

Passenger leukocytes have been suggested to be both pro-tolerant and immunogenic. The opportunity to evaluate the role of allogeneic passenger leukocytes in humans was presented by a 47-year-old man who donated bone marrow to his HLA-identical leukemic sister. Eleven years later he developed renal failure. The sister's marrow was noted to be 100% XY karyotype and free of malignancy. She donated a kidney to her brother. Immunosuppression was tapered following transplantation. After 6 months, the recipient was on monotherapy sirolimus, 1 mg every third day. A surveillance biopsy was normal and sirolimus was stopped. Eight weeks later, he presented with severe rejection that reversed with Thymoglobulin. Renal function returned to baseline and has been stable on conventional immunosuppression.     

The pancreas in acute graft versus host disease in man

Twenty-six bone marrow transplant recipients, 14 of whom had evidence of acute graft versus host disease at autopsy, were studied. The pancreas in four of these patients exhibited changes thought to be due to acute graft versus host disease. Pathognomonic findings were in exocrine ducts which showed marked epithelial cellular atypia associated with a mild lymphocytic infiltrate. This was accompanied by ulceration and intraluminal haemorrhage in severe cases. In three of these four cases ductal epithelium showed marked hyperexpression of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex molecules. By contrast islets were not inflamed, showed no evidence of endocrine cell damage and no abnormalities of major histocompatibility complex expression were seen.     

Absence of donor-type major histocompatibility complex class I antigen-bearing microglia in the rat central nervous system of radiation bone marrow chimeras

Localization of bone marrow-originated cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of the rat was investigated by using bone marrow chimeras. In order to do this, Lewis rats which carry major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens haplotype 1 (RT1.Al) were reconstituted with (Lew X PVG)F1 (RT1.Al/c) bone marrow cells after lethal irradiation. Transferred bone marrow cells were detected by immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antibody, OX27, specific for haplotype c of rat MHC class I antigens (RT1.Ac). The spleen and thymus of chimeric rats were fully reconstituted with transferred F1 cells 4 weeks after bone marrow transplantation. At this stage, mononuclear cells in the subarachnoid space of the CNS expressed OX27 antigen indicating that they were of bone marrow origin. A few OX27-positive blood cells were scattered in the CNS parenchyma 4-12 weeks after reconstitution. Ramified microglia, however, remained OX27-negative. Bone marrow-derived microglia were not observed throughout the period of examination until 24 weeks. In addition, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in chimeric rats in order to augment the expression of MHC class I antigens on microglia. Even under this condition, no OX27-positive microglia were observed. Taken together, ramified microglia might be of neuroectodermal origin and there is little possibility that the microglia are derived from the bone marrow. However, if the ramified microglia are derived from blood cells, the microglia may be expected to have characteristic cell kinetics from the following points: (1) the precursor cells of the microglia may enter the CNS only at the perinatal stage; and (2) even under the condition in which lymphocytes and macrophages enter the CNS as observed in EAE, the precursor cells of the microglia are not supplied from the blood.     

Monocytes in active multiple sclerosis: intact regulation of HLA-DR density in vitro despite decreased HLA-DR density in vivo

HLA-DR expression on circulating monocytes varies as a function of disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a putative immunopathological demyelinating disorder. Specifically, monocytes isolated from subjects with active MS exhibit reduced HLA-DR antigen density, and immunoregulatory aberrations such as impaired T lymphocyte-mediated suppression correlate strongly with this quantitative defect. To address the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we compared in vitro regulation of HLA-DR by interferon beta (IFN beta), interferon gamma (IFN gamma), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in monocytes from patients with stable and active MS and normal individuals. Interferon-gamma and LPS enhanced monocyte expression of HLA-DR equally in both MS patient groups, suggesting that underexpression of HLA-DR in active MS was not explained by impaired in vivo monocyte responsiveness. Furthermore, interferon regulation of HLA-DR in normals and stable MS subjects was indistinguishable, indicating that aberrant interferon-mediated regulation of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on circulating monocytes does not appear to be a characteristic of the MS disease state.     

高迁移率族蛋白B1对大鼠脾脏树突状细胞表面共刺激分子表达的影响

目的观察高迁移率族蛋白B1(HMGB1)对树突状细胞(dendritic cells,DC)表面共刺激分子表达的影响,并对其机制进行初步探讨。方法分离正常Wistar大鼠脾脏DC后置于96孔培养板(1×10~5/孔),采用HMGB1刺激,观察HMGB1刺激与DC表面共刺激分子CD80、CD86和主要组织相容性复合物(MHC)Ⅱ表达的时间-效应关系及剂量-效应关系。结果HMGB1刺激后,DC表面共刺激分子CD80、CD86和MHCⅡ表达分别于24～72 h明显上调(P＜0．05,0．01),其中以作用48 h后DC表面共刺激分子表达上调尤为显著(P＜0．01)；0．1μg/ml、1μg/ml、10μg/ml的HMGB1刺激均可诱导DC表面共刺激分子CD80、CD86和MHCⅡ表达增强(P＜0．05,0．01),其中HMGB1的浓度在1μg/ml时,大鼠DC表面共刺激分子CD80、CD86和MHCⅡ的表达增强最明显(P＜0．01)。结论HMGB1能诱导DC表面共刺激分子表达增强,HMGB1可能是诱导DC成熟的免疫刺激信号。     

Flow microfluorometric analysis of murine spermatozoa fails to detect H-2 antigens

The presence of class 1 and class 2 histocompatibility antigens on murine sperm was investigated by flow microfluorometry. Monoclonal anti-H-2Kk (class 1), anti-Iak (specificity 2, class 2) and allo-anti-Iak (class 2) antisera were used in direct or indirect fluorescence labelling experiments to probe the expression of class 1 and class 2 antigens on epididymal mouse spermatozoa. Sperm-specific antibodies were generated by intraperitoneal immunization of both male and female C3H/HeN mice with syngeneic spermatozoa. Sperm-specific antigens were detected in 68-85% of syngeneic mouse sperm and 65-90% of allogeneic mouse sperm examined. Conversely, these antibodies did not stain syngeneic or allogeneic lymphocytes above the background of the negative control. Mouse sperm samples failed to exhibit specific fluorescence above the background of negative control values with antibodies against either class 1 or class 2 MHC antigens. We have established the sensitive, objective and economical assay of sperm membrane antigens with fluorochrome-labelled antibodies by flow microfluorometry. By use of this sensitive and objective technique we have not detected MHC antigens on murine sperm. We conclude that these MHC antigens are not expressed on sperm at a level to be practically detectable.     

Differential generation of class I H-2D- versus H-2K-restricted cytotoxicity against a demyelinating virus following central nervous system infection

Despite the fact that both H-2K and D molecules are up-regulated in the central nervous system (CNS) following Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infection, resistance in this virus model of multiple sclerosis maps exclusively to D. To address this paradox, we examined the ability of the K and D molecules to present viral antigens to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Whereas no virus-specific CTL were detected in the CNS of susceptible B10.Q and B10.S mice 7 days post-infection, D-restricted CTL were identified readily in the CNS of resistant B10 animals. There was no evidence of K-restricted CTL in the CNS of B10 mice at day 7 post-infection. The presence of both K- and D-restricted virus-specific CTL in the spleen of immunized B10 mice demonstrates that the exclusive use of D molecules by CTL in the CNS of mice 7 days post-infection is not due to the inability of the K molecules to present viral peptides to lymphocytes. We conclude that the prominent role of the D locus in determining resistance or susceptibility to TMEV-induced demyelination is determined by factors governing the regulation of the immune response, and not by the presence or absence of CTL precursors capable of recognizing viral peptides presented by the K and D antigen-presenting molecules, or by differences in the ability of the K and D molecules to present viral peptides.     

Epitope Context and Reshaping of Activated T Helper Cell Repertoire

In recent years, a growing interest in the study of peptide antigenicity in relation to the role of flanking sequences and protein topology in processing, presentation, and recognition has been observed. However, the information available on the antigenicity of recombinant fusion proteins and their effect on the selection of antigen receptor repertoires is limited. To analyze the role of molecular topology of T epitopes in a system relevant to human pathology, we have used the bacterially expressed Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S transferase (GST) to construct recombinant antigens containing HIV-1 derived T cell determinants, and human T cell clones specific for these determinants. We found that antigenicity of a given GST—peptide combination was not the same when T cells and antigen presenting cells from different individuals were tested. Our results show that differences in processing and presentation of chimeric proteins are not dictated by the use of diverse restriction elements. We also found that the context in which an antigenic peptide is delivered affects the recruited repertoire as defined according to T cell receptor Vβ usage and fine specificities of selected T cells.