CD86 (B7-2) can function to drive MHC-restricted antigen-specific CTL responses in vivo. (9/1355)

Activation of T cells requires both TCR-specific ligation by direct contact with peptide Ag-MHC complexes and coligation of the B7 family of ligands through CD28/CTLA-4 on the T cell surface. We recently reported that coadministration of CD86 cDNA along with DNA encoding HIV-1 Ags i.m. dramatically increased Ag-specific CTL responses. We investigated whether the bone marrow-derived professional APCs or muscle cells were responsible for the enhancement of CTL responses following CD86 coadministration. Accordingly, we analyzed CTL induction in bone marrow chimeras. These chimeras are capable of generating functional viral-specific CTLs against vaccinia virus and therefore represent a useful model system to study APC/T cell function in vivo. In vaccinated chimeras, we observed that only CD86 + Ag + MHC class I results in 1) detectable CTLs following in vitro restimulation, 2) detectable direct CTLs, 3) enhanced IFN-gamma production in an Ag-specific manner, and 4) dramatic tissue invasion of T cells. These results support that CD86 plays a central role in CTL induction in vivo, enabling non-bone marrow-derived cells to prime CTLs, a property previously associated solely with bone marrow-derived APCs.  (+info)

Enhanced expression of CTLA-4 (CD152) on CD4+ T cells in HIV infection. (10/1355)

CTLA-4 (CD152) is a surface molecule of activated T cells with sequence homology to CD28. Both molecules bind to the same ligands, B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86) but have antagonistic functions. While CD28 is an important costimulator, CTLA-4 has an essential inhibitory function in maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system. Down-regulation of CD28 predominantly on CD8+ T cells has been described in HIV infection, but analysis of CTLA-4 is complicated by its low expression levels. Here we have used potent signal enhancement to study CTLA-4 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during HIV infection. CTLA-4 was expressed only on T cells. Expression levels were significantly increased selectively on CD4+ T cells during all stages of HIV infection, while CTLA-4 expression on CD8+ T cells was always low. In contrast, after stimulation with the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), CTLA-4 levels were strongly increased on T cells from controls but in T cells from HIV patients this response was severely impaired. Our data suggest that in HIV infection CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may be less responsive to B7 costimuli due to two different mechanisms: increase in CTLA-4 expression by CD4+ cells and down-regulation of CD28 by CD8+ cells.  (+info)

B7-2 is required for the progression but not the initiation of the type 2 immune response to a gastrointestinal nematode parasite. (11/1355)

T cells require CD28/CTLA-4 costimulatory molecule interactions in addition to Ag-specific signals through the TCR for in vivo effector Th cell function. Some studies have suggested that the ligands for these costimulatory molecules may differentially influence effector T cell function with B7-2 favoring a type 2 response and B7-1 favoring a type 1 response, while other studies have suggested that these molecules may be redundant. The recent development of B7-2-deficient mice permits the direct analysis of the requirement of B7-2 during a type 2 immune response to an infectious pathogen. We have examined, in B7-2-deficient mice, effector Th cell function and the associated type 2 immune response following infection with Heligmosomoides polygyrus, a natural murine parasitic nematode. Elevations in cytokine gene expression and protein secretion were pronounced and comparable in inoculated B7-2-/- and B7-2+/+ mice at day 8 after H. polygyrus inoculation. However, by day 14 after infection, increases in T cell cytokine expression were markedly inhibited in H. polygyrus-inoculated B7-2-/- mice. Furthermore, elevations in serum IgE and germinal center formation were inhibited at later stages of the immune response, while elevations in serum IgG1 persisted. These findings suggest that certain T-dependent components vary in their B7-2-dependency during the type 2 immune response. They further demonstrate that B7-2 interactions are not necessary for the initiation of the type 2 immune response, but are instead required for its progression after the development of effector T cells.  (+info)

Autoantibodies to T cell costimulatory molecules in systemic autoimmune diseases. (12/1355)

To determine whether antilymphocyte Abs to T cell costimulatory molecules are generated in patients with autoimmune diseases and, if they exist, to clarify the mechanism of their production and pathological roles, we investigated the presence of autoantibodies to CTLA-4 (CD152), CD28, B7-1 (CD80), and B7-2 (CD86) in serum samples obtained from patients with various autoimmune diseases and from normal subjects using recombinant fusion proteins. In ELISAs, anti-CD28, anti-B7-1, and anti-B7-2 Abs were rarely seen, whereas anti-CTLA-4 Abs were detected in 8.2% of the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 18.8% of those with rheumatoid arthritis, 3.1% of those with systemic sclerosis, 31.8% of those with Behcet's disease, 13.3% of those with Sjogren's syndrome, and 0% of healthy donors. This reactivity was confirmed by immunoblotting. More importantly, the purified anti-CTLA-4 Abs reacted with CTLA-4 expressed on P815 cells by flow cytometry. In addition, we found at least three epitopes on the CTLA-4 molecule. Furthermore, among the patients with Behcet's disease, uveitis was seen significantly less frequently in the anti-CTLA-4 Ab-positive patients. Taken collectively, these data indicate that anti-CTLA-4 autoantibodies are generated in systemic autoimmune diseases by an Ag-driven mechanism and may modulate the immune response in vivo by binding to CTLA-4 on T cells.  (+info)

Host B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory molecules contribute to the eradication of B7-1-transfected P815 tumor cells via a CD8+ T cell-dependent mechanism. (13/1355)

B7-1 (CD80)-transfected P815 tumor cells were previously shown to elicit tumor-eradicating immunity that leads to the regression of B7-1+ P815 tumors after transient growth in normal syngeneic (DBA/2) mice. Here, we show that not only the B7-1 molecule but also the B7-2 (CD86) molecule contributed to the eradication of B7-1+ P815 tumors. The B7-1 molecule that contributed to the eradication of B7-1+ P815 tumors was expressed not only on the tumor cells but also on host APCs, including MAC-1+ cells. The B7-2 molecule that contributed to the eradication of B7-1+ P815 tumors was expressed only on host APCs, such as B220+ cells, and not on the tumor cells. In spite of the fact that B7-expressing host APCs contributed to the eradication of B7-1+ P815 tumors, only CD8+ T cells without help from CD4+ T cells were important for tumor eradication. Taken together, these findings indicate that in addition to the ability of B7-1-transfected tumor cells to stimulate CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor-eradicating immunity directly, such tumor cells can also stimulate CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor-eradicating immunity indirectly as a result of cross-priming through B7-expressing host APCs.  (+info)

Human glioma-induced immunosuppression involves soluble factor(s) that alters monocyte cytokine profile and surface markers. (14/1355)

Patients with gliomas exhibit deficient in vitro and in vivo T cell immune activity, and human glioblastoma culture supernatants (GCS) inhibit in vitro T lymphocyte responses. Because APC are essential for initiating and regulating T cell responses, we investigated whether GCS would affect cytokines produced by monocytes and T cells from healthy donors of PBMC. Incubation of PBMC with GCS decreased production of IL-12, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha, and increased production of IL-6 and IL-10. The GCS-induced changes in IL-12 and IL-10 occurred in monocytes, and involved changes in IL-12 p40 and IL-10 mRNA expression. Incubation with GCS also resulted in reduced expression of MHC class II and of CD80/86 costimulatory molecules on monocytes. The immunosuppressive effects were not the result of IL-6 or TGF-beta1 that was detected in GCS. However, it was due to a factor(s) that is resistant to pH extremes, differentially susceptible to temperature, susceptible to trypsin, and has a minimum molecular mass of 40 kDa. Our findings show that glioblastoma-generated factors that are known to suppress T cell responses alter the cytokine profiles of monocytic APC that, in turn, inhibit T cell function. This model indicates that monocytes can serve as an intermediate between tumor-generated immune-suppressive factors and the T cell responses that are suppressed in gliomas.  (+info)

4-1BBL cooperates with B7-1 and B7-2 in converting a B cell lymphoma cell line into a long-lasting antitumor vaccine. (15/1355)

A20 is a B cell lymphoma that constitutively expresses the costimulatory molecule B7-2 yet grows readily as a tumor in syngeneic BALB/c mice. We have compared the tumorigenicity of A20 variants expressing either B7-1 (A20/B7-1) or B7-2 (A20/B7-2) with an A20 variant expressing B7-1 and B7-2 with 4-1BBL (A20/4-1BBL), a costimulatory member of the TNF family. Mice injected with tumors expressing the vector backbone (A20/CMV) or B7-1 developed tumors within 25 days of s.c. injection. In contrast, mice injected with A20/4-1BBL were tumor free for the 150-day follow-up period, while 25% of mice injected with A20/B7-2 developed tumors. Tumorigenicity experiments using nude mice indicated the requirement for T cells for variant rejection. Almost all mice that resisted the initial tumor challenge were resistant to further challenge with the parental tumor. Splenocytes from these mice showed high CTL lytic activity against the parental tumor, A20, as well as the syngeneic BALB/c lymphoma K46J, but showed background levels of lytic activity against the congenic SCID thymoma line ST-D2 or the allogeneic EL4 thymoma. In vitro blocking experiments with anti-B7-1 plus anti-B7-2 and/or soluble 4-1BB receptor showed B7-1, B7-2, and 4-1BBL all contributed to the CTL activity. Thus, the data show that neither B7-1 or B7-2 alone can confer full immunogenicity to the A20 lymphoma but that the addition of 4-1BBL results in a tumor that is highly immunogenic and can confer long-lasting protection against challenge with parental tumor in vivo.  (+info)

Bladder cancer immunogenicity: expression of CD80 and CD86 is insufficient to allow primary CD4+ T cell activation in vitro. (16/1355)

Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the urinary bladder are known to express proteins which can yield potentially immunogenic peptide epitopes for expression in the context of cell surface class I or class II MHC antigens. However, additional costimulatory ligands must also be expressed before such a cell might directly induce full activation and proliferation of resting, antigen-specific T lymphocytes. Intravesical therapy might be used to manipulate T cell costimulation in order to promote specific rejection of TCC cells. This in vitro study examined the potential of such a strategy by transfection of the prototypical TCC line J82 with the important costimulatory molecules CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2). Untransfected J82 cells expressed class I and II MHC antigens, a range of cell adhesion molecules, though did not induce T cell proliferation in a robust, allogeneic co-culture system. Transfected J82 cells expressed CD80 or CD86 at levels comparable to an antigen-presenting B cell line. Furthermore, functional surface expression of CD80 and CD86 was demonstrated in a mitogen-dependent assay of costimulation. However, neither CD80+ nor CD86+ transfectant J82 cells could induce significant proliferation of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. Further analysis showed that bystander J82 cells could inhibit independent T cell activation in an effect dependent on direct cell contact. This inhibitory effect was associated with increased cell death in the responding lymphocyte population and is concordant with surface expression of CD95L by the J82 cell line.  (+info)