Downregulation of T cell responses by antibodies to the T cell receptor

TCR antagonism by peptide requires high TCR expression

Current models of T cell activation focus on the kinetics of TCR-ligand interactions as the central parameter governing T cell responsiveness. However, these kinetic parameters do not adequately predict all T cell behavior, particularly the response to antagonist ligands. Recent studies have demonstrated that TCR number is a critical parameter influencing the responses of CD4(+) T cells to weak agonist ligands, and receptor density represents an important means of regulating tissue responsiveness in other receptor ligand systems. To systematically address the impact of TCR expression on CD8(+) T cell responses, mAbs to the TCR alpha-chain and T cells expressing two TCR species were used as two different methods to manipulate the number of available TCRs on P14 and OT-I transgenic T cells. Both methods of TCR reduction demonstrated that the efficacy of antagonist peptides was significantly reduced on T cells bearing low numbers of available receptors. In addition, the ability of weak agonists to induce proliferation was critically dependent on the availability of high numbers of TCRs. Therefore, in this report we show that TCR density is a major determinant of CD8(+) T cell reactivity to weak agonist and antagonist ligands but not agonist ligands.

Mechanisms of HIV-associated lymphocyte apoptosis

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with a progressive decrease in CD4 T-cell number and a consequent impairment in host immune defenses. Analysis of T cells from patients infected with HIV, or of T cells infected in vitro with HIV, demonstrates a significant fraction of both infected and uninfected cells dying by apoptosis. The many mechanisms that contribute to HIV-associated lymphocyte apoptosis include chronic immunologic activation; gp120/160 ligation of the CD4 receptor; enhanced production of cytotoxic ligands or viral proteins by monocytes, macrophages, B cells, and CD8 T cells from HIV-infected patients that kill uninfected CD4 T cells; and direct infection of target cells by HIV, resulting in apoptosis. Although HIV infection results in T-cell apoptosis, under some circumstances HIV infection of resting T cells or macrophages does not result in apoptosis; this may be a critical step in the development of viral reservoirs. Recent therapies for HIV effectively reduce lymphoid and peripheral T-cell apoptosis, reduce viral replication, and enhance cellular immune competence; however, they do not alter viral reservoirs. Further understanding the regulation of apoptosis in HIV disease is required to develop novel immune-based therapies aimed at modifying HIV-induced apoptosis to the benefit of patients infected with HIV.

Mechanisms of HIV-associated lymphocyte apoptosis

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with a progressive decrease in CD4 T-cell number and a consequent impairment in host immune defenses. Analysis of T cells from patients infected with HIV, or of T cells infected in vitro with HIV, demonstrates a significant fraction of both infected and uninfected cells dying by apoptosis. The many mechanisms that contribute to HIV-associated lymphocyte apoptosis include chronic immunologic activation; gp120/160 ligation of the CD4 receptor; enhanced production of cytotoxic ligands or viral proteins by monocytes, macrophages, B cells, and CD8 T cells from HIV-infected patients that kill uninfected CD4 T cells; and direct infection of target cells by HIV, resulting in apoptosis. Although HIV infection results in T-cell apoptosis, under some circumstances HIV infection of resting T cells or macrophages does not result in apoptosis; this may be a critical step in the development of viral reservoirs. Recent therapies for HIV effectively reduce lymphoid and peripheral T-cell apoptosis, reduce viral replication, and enhance cellular immune competence; however, they do not alter viral reservoirs. Further understanding the regulation of apoptosis in HIV disease is required to develop novel immune-based therapies aimed at modifying HIV-induced apoptosis to the benefit of patients infected with HIV.

Differential expression of protein tyrosine kinases and their phosphorylation in murine Th1 cells anergized with class II MHC-peptide complexes

In resting T cell clones, antigen presentation with immobilized anti-CD3 or anti-T cell receptor (TCR) is known to result in a state of anergy as characterized by unresponsiveness to normal antigenic restimulation. Similarly, T cell unresponsiveness could be induced by immobilized (plate-coated) complexes of purified class II MHC and antigenic peptide. It is not clearly defined whether the engagement of TCR by immobilized anti-TCR or immobilized class II MHC-peptide complexes generates similar or differential signals during the induction of T cell unresponsiveness. In order to address the initial signalling events induced by TCR occupancy with anti-TCR and class II MHC-peptide molecules, the expression of three critical protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) and their phosphorylation were investigated in the present study using a murine T cell clone (HS17) restricted for IAS and myelin basic protein (MBP (91-103)) peptide. The anergic T cells induced by immobilized IAS-MBP (91-103) complex or anti-TCR (H57) showed differential expression of lck (56 kDa) and Zap-70 (70 kDa) proteins. In both systems, however, the induction of T cell unresponsiveness was accompanied by increased level of fyn (59 kDa) expression. When analysed for the total tyrosine phosphorylation of PTK, anergic HS17 T cells induced by both molecules showed increased phosphorylation associated with only the fyn protein. These results suggest that the signal transduction events induced by immobilized class II MHC-peptide complexes and anti-TCR are distinct, although both can initiate signals that lead to increased fyn expression and phosphorylation. In addition, the present study supports the evidence for the important functional association of fyn protein with direct TCR engagement in T cell signalling.

Activation-induced T-cell death is cell cycle dependent and regulated by cyclin B

Developing thymocytes and some T-cell hybridomas undergo activation-dependent programmed cell death. Although recent studies have identified some critical regulators in programmed cell death, the role of cell cycle regulation in activation-induced cell death in T cells has not been addressed. We demonstrate that synchronized T-cell hybridomas, irrespective of the point in the cell cycle at which they are activated, stop cycling shortly after they reach G2/M. These cells exhibit the diagnostic characteristics of apoptotic cell death. Although p34cdc2 levels are not perturbed after activation of synchronously cycling T cells, cyclin B- and p34cdc2-associated histone H1 kinase activity is persistently elevated. This activation-dependent induction of H1 kinase activity in T cells is associated with a decrease in the phosphotyrosine content of p34cdc2. We also demonstrate that transient inappropriate coexpression of cyclin B with p34cdc2 induces DNA fragmentation in a heterologous cell type. Finally, in T cells, cyclin B-specific antisense oligonucleotides suppress activation-induced cell death but not cell death induced by exposure to dexamethasone. We therefore conclude that a persistent elevation of the level of cyclin B kinase is required for activation-induced programmed T-cell death.

Induction of anergy in resting human T lymphocytes by immobilized anti-CD3 antibodies

How the T cell receptor (TcR)/CD3 complex mediates not only the induction of T cell activation but also suppressive effects like T cell anergy or apoptosis is not well understood. Here we describe a series of preincubation and restimulation experiments which demonstrate that primary stimulation of resting, unseparated human T cells with mitogenic doses of immobilized anti-CD3 antibodies induces hyporesponsiveness upon restimulation of the cells. Various costimuli can prevent this type of anergy to a variable degree if present during the preincubation period, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) being the most and anti-CD4 antibody the least effective. If employed together with anti-CD3 antibody during the restimulation phase of the assay, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and anti-CD28 antibody break anergy almost completely. Proliferation induced by a submitogenic dose of anti-CD3 antibody supplemented by costimulatory signals (anti-CD2, anti-CD4, anti-CD28, IL-2, IL-4 or PMA) does not result in hyporesponsiveness. Taken together, these results support a modified view of the two-signal model for T cell activation according to which anergy induction in resting T cells occurs if primary proliferation is induced by high density triggering of the TcR/CD3 complex in the absence of accessory signals. We discuss possible implications of these findings for the induction of peripheral tolerance.

Superantigens and their potential role in human disease

In the past few years, there has been a virtual explosion of information on the viral and bacterial molecules now known as superantigens. Some structures have been defined and the mechanism by which they interact with MHC class II and the V beta region of the T cell receptor is being clarified. Data are accumulating regarding the importance of virally encoded superantigens in infectivity, viral replication, and the life cycle of the virus. In the case of MMTV, evidence also suggests that superantigens encoded by a provirus may be maintained by the host to protect against future exogenous MMTV infection. Experiments in animals have also begun to elucidate the dramatic and variable effects of superantigens on responding T cells and other immune processes. Finally, the role of superantigens in certain human diseases such as toxic shock syndrome, some autoimmune diseases like Kawasaki syndrome, and perhaps some immunodeficiency disease such as that secondary to HIV infection is being addressed and mechanisms are being defined. Still, numerous important questions remain. For example, it is not clear how superantigens with such different structures, for example, SEB, TSST-1, and MMTV vSAG, can interact with MHC and a similar region of the TCR in such basically similar ways. It remains to be determined whether there are human equivalents of the endogenous murine MMTV superantigens. The functional role of bacterial superantigens also remains to be explained. Serious infection and serious consequences from toxin-producing bacteria are relatively rare events, and it is questionable whether such events are involved in the selection pressure to maintain production of a functional superantigen. Hypotheses to explain these molecules, which can differ greatly in structure, include T cell stimulation-mediated suppression of host responses or enhancement of environments for bacterial growth and replication, but substantiating data for these ideas are mostly absent. It also seems likely that only the tip of the iceberg has been uncovered in terms of the role of superantigens in human disease. Unlike toxic shock syndrome, other associations, especially with viral superantigens, may be quite subtle and defined only after considerable effort. The definition of these molecules and mechanisms of disease may result in new therapeutic strategies. Finally, it is apparent that superantigens have dramatic effects on the immune system. One wonders whether these molecules or modifications of them can be used as specific modulators of the immune system to treat disease.

Inhibition of antiskin allograft immunity induced by infusions with photoinactivated effector T lymphocytes (PET cells). Is in vivo cell transferrable?

We previously reported producing donor-specific tolerance to alloantigens by intravenous exposure to pretreated antidonor T cells. The current study extends that work by adoptively transferring the donor-specific tolerance into naive syngeneic recipients. Eight days after BALB/c mice received histoincompatible CBA/j skin grafts, their splenocytes which included an expanded population of cells mediating rejection were treated with 100 ng/ml 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) photoactivated by 1 Joule/cm2 of ultraviolet A (UVA) light prior to infusion into naive BALB/c recipients. Whereas 8-MOP itself is biologically inert, photoactivated 8-MOP crosslinks DNA by covalently binding to pyrimidine bases. Recipient BALB/c mice which had been previously demonstrated to be hyporesponsive to CBA/j alloantigens in mixed leukocyte culture (MLC), cytotoxicity (CTL) and in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) assays were the donors of spleen cells for the adoptive transfer experiments. Fifty to one hundred million viable spleen cells from these pretreated BALB/c mice were transferred into naive syngeneic recipients which then were tested for DTH response and allograft survival to the relevant and irrelevant antigens. The radiosensitivity of this transferrable suppression was evaluated by exposing the adoptively transferred cell population to 3200 rads of C-irradiation prior to cell transfer. The phenotype of the cells transferring this suppressive response was performed by depleting specific populations of cells with monoclonal antibodies prior to cell transfer. In vivo the DTH response of the pretreated BALB/c mice was specifically suppressed to the relevant alloantigen, correlating with retention of CBA/j skin grafts for up to 42 days post engraftment without visual evidence of rejection, in comparison to control mice complete rejection of the skin graft in less than 8 days. In vitro, splenocytes from BALB/c recipients of pretreated syngeneic splenocytes containing large numbers of BALB/c anti-CBA/j T cells proliferated less in MLC and generated lower cytotoxic T cell responses to CBA/j alloantigens than did controls and suppressed the naive and sensitized BALB/c MLC and CTL responses to CBA/j alloantigen. This specific suppressive response to alloantigen was optimally transferred into syngeneic naive recipients when the adoptive transfer was performed on the sixth day after the last infusion received by the spleen cell donor mice. The adoptive transfer of this suppressive response was abrogated by the prior X-irradiation of the donor spleen cells and significantly abolished by the depletion of Thy-1+, Lyt-2+, L3T4- T lymphocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Activation of polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis in T cells by H-2 alloantigen but not MLS determinants

Murine minor lymphocyte-stimulating (Mls) determinants are cell surface antigens that stimulate strong primary T cell responses; the responding T cells display restricted T cell receptor (TCR) V beta gene usage. Interaction of T cells with mitogens or major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens activated the polyphosphoinositide (PI) signaling pathway, but this pathway was not triggered by Mls recognition. However, interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion and proliferation to all three stimuli were comparable. Thus, although recognition of both allo-H-2 and Mls determinants is thought to be mediated by the TCR, these antigens appear to elicit biochemically distinct signal transduction pathways.

Two subsets of cloned T helper cells exhibit different activation requirements and characteristics

An anti-clonotypic monoclonal antibody (mAb 211G7H) was generated against a T helper cell clone which specifically recognized type II collagen. Besides inhibiting the proliferative response of the immunizing T cell clone to type II collagen, mAb 211G7H (soluble form) also suppressed the antigen-induced proliferation of several other T cell clones which shared similar specificity for antigen and major histocompatibility complex with the immunizing T cell clone. On the other hand, mAb 211G7H did not inhibit the responses of clones exhibiting different antigenic specificities from the clonotype-positive T cell clones. It was also demonstrated that these clonotype-positive T cell clones responded differently to mAb 211G7H when it was immobilized. Based upon their proliferative responses to immobilized anti-clonotype 211G7H mAb, two subpopulations of T cell clones were defined. Collagen-specific T cell clones of the first group proliferated poorly when stimulated with immobilized anti-clonotype mAb, by contrast, T cell clones belonging to the second group proliferated well to immobilized mAb. Furthermore, upon stimulation with immobilized 211G7H mAb, the second subpopulation of cloned T cells produced both interleukin (IL) 2 and IL4, while the first group secreted IL2 but not IL4. The cloned T cells from the group which responded weakly to immobilized anti-clonotype mAb also mediated reduced proliferative responses to IL2 in the presence of immobilized 211G7H mAb. Finally, these two subsets of T cell clones were found to respond differently to other non-antigen stimuli such as IL4 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Thus, from a panel of collagen-specific T cell helper clones which had similar receptor fine specificities, we have isolated two subsets of cloned T helper cells that displayed different activation requirements and lymphokine production.

A functionally unique anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody cross-reactive with basal keratinocytes

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 147, 446, and 454 each recognize different epitopes of CD3. The CD3 epitope recognized by mAb 446 is functionally unique for the T cell. In contrast to mAb 147 and 454, mAb 446 induces modulation of surface CD3 with delayed kinetics and, hence, is impaired in inducing a refractory state in the T cell to subsequent anti-CD3-induced helper function. MAb 446 (but not other anti-CD3 mAb, including mAb 147, 454, OKT3, and anti-Leu4) recognizes a cytoplasmic determinant within basal keratinocytes. Extraction of keratinocytes with nonionic detergent and 2 M NaCl abolished subsequent staining with mAb 446 but enhanced subsequent staining with anti-keratin mAb, suggesting that this cross-reactive determinant is not keratin. Immunoprecipitation of internally labeled keratinocytes with the anti-CD3 mAb 147 and 446 failed to reveal specific bands, whereas these same mAb immunoprecipitated specific bands from internally labeled CD3+ Jurkat cells corresponding to previously identified CD3 subunits, suggesting that the cross-reactive determinant in keratinocytes is also not CD3. The cross-reactivity is not species specific, in that mAb 446 stained a mouse keratinocyte line, nor is it absolutely keratinocyte specific, in that mAb 446 stained one of the two nonkeratinocyte human epithelial cell lines tested. This study raises the possibility that perturbation of unique CD3 epitopes may have unique effects on T cell surface events and subsequent activation and function.

Inhibition of antiskin allograft immunity by infusions with syngeneic photoinactivated effector lymphocytes

Induction of tolerance for skin allotransplantation requires selective suppression of the host response to foreign histocompatibility antigens. This report describes a new approach that employs pretreatment of effector cells with 8-methoxy-psoralen (8-MOP) and ultraviolet A light (UVA) to render the effector cells of graft rejection immunogenic for the syngeneic recipient. Reinfusion of photodamaged cells resulted in an immunosuppressive host response that permitted prolonged retention of histoincompatible skin grafts and specifically inhibited in vitro and in vivo responses that correlate with allograft rejection. Eight days after BALB/c mice received CBA/j skin grafts, their splenocytes served as a source of alloreactive effector cells. The splenocytes were treated with 100 ng/ml 8-MOP and 1 J/cm2 UVA before reinfusion into naive BALB/c recipients. Recipient mice were tested for tolerance to alloantigens in mixed leukocyte culture (MLC), cytotoxicity (CTL), delayed type hypersensitivity assays (DTH), and challenge with a fresh CBA/j graft. Splenocytes from BALB/c recipients of photoinactivated splenocytes containing the effector cells of CBA/j alloantigen rejection proliferated poorly in MLC and generated lower cytotoxic T cell responses to CBA/j alloantigens in comparison with sensitized and naive controls. Splenocytes from these hyporesponsive mice suppressed the MLC and CTL response to alloantigen from sensitized and naive BALB/c mice. In vivo the DTH response was specifically suppressed to the relevant alloantigen in comparison with controls. Moreover, BALB/c mice treated in this fashion retained a CBA/j skin graft for up to 42 d posttransplantation without visual evidence of rejection. These results indicate that the in vivo and in vitro response to alloantigen can be attenuated by pretreating the host with photoinactivated splenocytes containing the effector cells of alloantigen rejection.

Restricted tissue distribution of Mlsa determinants. Stimulation of Mlsa-reactive T cells by B cells but not by dendritic cells or macrophages

Evidence was sought on the tissue distribution of Mlsa determinants, a class of cell-associated non-H-2 alloantigens that is highly immunogenic for unprimed T cells. Whereas normal CD4+ T cells and an Mlsa-reactive T hybridoma gave strong responses to Mlsa-positive stimulator populations containing Ig+ B cells, anti-Mlsa responses to B-depleted stimulators were almost undetectable. The B-depleted stimulators tested included Thy-1- spleen cells from mu-suppressed mice (mice treated with anti-mu antibody from birth) and J11d- preparations of spleen dendritic cells (DC) and peritoneal macrophages (M phi) from normal mice. Each of these populations was strongly immunogenic for allo-H-2-reactive T cells. The failure to detect Mlsa determinants on Ig- APC, i.e., M phi and DC, suggests that Mlsa determinants are not typical H-2-associated peptides. The data are more compatible with a model in which Mlsa determinants represent (or form part of) an integral cell membrane molecule expressed largely, and perhaps exclusively, on B cells. T cells might recognize these molecules only in native form, "processed" Mlsa determinants being nonimmunogenic. Consistent with this possibility, no evidence was found that Mlsa-negative B cells could absorb Mlsa determinants from Mlsa-positive B cells in a chimeric environment.

Inhibition of antiskin allograft immunity induced by infusions with photoinactivated effector T lymphocytes (PET cells)

Induction of tolerance for skin allotransplantation requires selective suppression of the host response to foreign histocompatibility antigens. This report describes a new approach which employs pre-treatment with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and ultraviolet A light (UVA) to render the effector cells of graft rejection immunogenic for the syngeneic recipient. Eight days after BALB/c mice received CBA/j skin grafts, their splenocytes were treated with 100 ng/ml 8-MOP and 1 J/cm2 UVA prior to reinfusion into naive BALB/c recipients. Recipient mice were tested for tolerance to alloantigens in mixed leukocyte culture (MLC), cytotoxicity (CTL), delayed-type hypersensitivity assays (DTH), and challenge with a fresh CBA/j graft. Splenocytes from BALB/c recipients of photoinactivated splenocytes containing the effector cells of CBA/j alloantigen rejection proliferated poorly in MLC and generated lower cytotoxic T-cell responses to CBA/j alloantigens in comparison with sensitized and naive controls and suppressed the MLC and CTL response to alloantigen from sensitized and naive BALB/c mice. In vivo, the DTH response was specifically suppressed to the relevant alloantigen in comparison with controls. BALB/c mice treated in this fashion retained a CBA/j skin graft for up to 42 days post-transplantation without visual evidence of rejection. These results showed that reinfusion of photoinactivated effector cells resulted in an immunosuppressive host response which specifically inhibited in vitro and in vivo responses that correlate with allograft rejection and permitted prolonged retention of histoincompatible skin grafts.

A T cell clone expresses two T cell receptor alpha genes but uses one alpha beta heterodimer for allorecognition and self MHC-restricted antigen recognition

All of the T cell receptor alpha- and beta-chain rearrangements present in a dual reactive T cell clone were characterized. This clone exhibits allelic exclusion of its beta-chain genes in that only one of the two alleles is productively rearranged. Unexpectedly, it displays two productive V alpha-gene rearrangements, which are both transcribed into 1.5 kb mRNA. The contribution of each of the two productive alpha genes to the dual recognition was analyzed by gene transfer. To this end, each of the two alpha genes was separately transfected with the single productively rearranged beta gene. Transfer of only one of the two alpha beta combinations restored both allogeneic MHC recognition and self MHC-restricted antigen recognition. Thus, T cell dual recognition results from the cross-reactive recognition of an allo-MHC product by a single antigen-specific and MHC-restricted alpha beta T cell receptor. Furthermore, the presence of two productively rearranged alpha-chain genes in a T cell clone raises questions concerning the level at which allelic exclusion operates in T cells.

High frequency of Mlsa-reactivity among Ab-restricted, H-Y-specific T cell clones

A high frequency (80%) of Ab-restricted, H-Y-specific T cell clones, but not of Ab-restricted LDH-B-specific T cell clones, was found to be Mlsa-reactive. This reactivity could be inhibited by class II (A and E)-specific antibodies, and required an E-positive stimulator cell. The proliferation was also blocked by T cell receptor-specific and by CD4-specific antibodies. Possible interpretations of these findings are discussed.