Comparative study with two polar types of murine leprosy: an involvement of plasminogen activator and its possible regulating factor in the granulomatous tissue reaction

IA antigen-positive epithelioid cells in experimentally induced granulomatous inflammation

IA antigens on the cell membrane of inflammatory macrophages and epithelioid cells were investigated with immunoelectron microscopic method during development of granulomas induced by subcutaneous inoculation of 10(7) Mycobacterium lepraemurium into mice with and without hypersensitivity. In C57BL/6N (H-2b) immunogenetic high responder mice 6 weeks after infection majority (87%) of infiltrated cells were IA-positive. Two types of the staining reaction, strong and weak reactivity, were recognized among the positive cells. Strongly IA-positive cells showed lower phagocytosis (0.9/cell section) of mycobacteria than the weakly reacted cells (4.9/cell section). The strongly positive cells underwent morphological differentiation into large epithelioid cells during development of the hypersensitivity-type murine lepromas after 10 or more weeks of infection. Types of granulomas and IA-positive cells in C57BL/6N (nu/+) mice were identical to those found in C57BL/6N. In C57BL/6N (nu/nu) athymic nude mice initial infiltrating cells contained 38% of weakly IA-positive macrophages and a small number (7%) of strongly IA-positive macrophages. But the reactivity was lost later and only 4% of IA-positive cells remained in the granulomas without hypersensitivity. CBA/J (H-2k) low responder mice did not show IA-positive cells in either initial or late stage during the development of nonhypersensitivity-type murine lepromas. We suggest that the presence of IA-positive cells, particularly IA-positive epithelioid cells, in the lesions modulates the course of granulomatous tissue reaction in murine lepromas.

Production of plasminogen activator by alveolar macrophages in normal subjects and patients with interstitial lung disease

Increased production of the serum protease plasminogen activator is associated with tissue damage. The in vitro production of plasminogen activator by alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage was studied in 22 normal subjects and 28 patients with interstitial lung disease to determine whether plasminogen activator is produced by normal alveolar macrophages and whether this is increased in patients with interstitial lung disease. Plasminogen activator activity, measured with an iodine-125 labelled fibrin release assay, was found to be dependent on time, effector cell numbers, and plasminogen concentration. Plasminogen activator production by alveolar macrophages from 14 normal non-smokers and eight normal smokers was similar and the mean value was 0.78 (SEM 0.16) urokinase (UK) units x 10(-8)/cell/hour. Alveolar macrophages from the seven patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and six patients with histiocytosis-X produced more plasminogen activator (1.89 (0.25) and 4.54 (1.3) x 10(-8) UK units/cell/hour respectively) than macrophages from normal subjects (p less than 0.05), whereas those from 15 patients with sarcoidosis did not (1.09 (0.2) x 10(-8) UK units/cell/hour). Exposure of normal alveolar macrophages to immune complexes enhanced plasminogen activator production to 2.07 (0.27) x 10(-8) UK units/cell/hour, whereas exposure to products of activated T cells and to purified gamma interferon reduced plasminogen activator production (to 0.38 (0.11) and 0.62 (0.11) x 10(-8) UK units/cell/hour respectively). These studies show that plasminogen activator is produced by normal human alveolar macrophages and that its production is increased in patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and histiocytosis-X.

Elastase activity in granulomatous inflammation in experimental murine leprosy

Proteolytic activity for [3H]elastin, pyro-Glu-Pro-Val-pNA(S-2484), and Suc-(Ala)3-pNA(AAApNA) was demonstrated in the bound fraction extracted with 2 M KSCN + 0.1% Triton X-100 from hypersensitivity-type murine lepromas in C57BL/6N mice, while elastase-inhibitor activity was separately observed in the soluble fraction extracted with a Tris-saline buffer. Sephacryl S-200 gel chromatography showed a peak of elastolytic activity with approximately 20,000 in molecular weight. The following DEAE-Sepharose chromatography demonstrated three fractions of elastolytic activity (E-I, II, III). The inhibitory profile showed that E-I is a thiol proteinase, while E-II and E-III belong to serine proteinase-type elastases. Both E-II and E-III showed different properties with neutrophil elastase or elastase secreted from cultured macrophages, but identical characteristics to membrane bound-type elastase of monocytes. A lower level of elastolytic activity was detected in the bound fraction of nonhypersensitivity-type murine lepromas in CBA/N mice, suggesting a more involvement of membrane bound-type elastase from monocytes/macrophages during the tissue remodelings of hypersensitivity-type granulomas.

Characterization of elastase associated with granulomatous tissue remodeling

Elastases have been reported to be involved in various types of tissue injury. In this study we detected hydrolytic activities for [3H]-elastin and Suc-Ala-Ala-Ala-pNA (SLAPN) in hepatic granulomas which became elevated in parallel with enlargement of the granulomas and disappearance of aldehyde-fuchsin-stained filaments in the lesions of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. The elastase was partially purified by gel filtration followed by anion-exchange chromatography. This enzyme has a molecular weight of 20-25k and hydrolyzed denatured collagen (azocoll), Glu-Pro-Val-pNA, SLAPN, and [3H]-elastin. Optimal pH was 7-8.5. It is a serine proteinase and distinct in its inhibitor profile from murine peritoneal macrophage elastase, which has been reported by others. Digestion of elastic fibers in vessel walls and fine fibrils in newly developed granulomas by the granuloma elastase was histochemically identified with aldehyde-fuchsin stain. These results indicate that a serine proteinase functions as a major elastase in granulomatous tissue remodeling and may account for the disappearance of elastic fibers and other elements of the matrix in fully developed granulomas.

Detection of granuloma-associated plasminogen activator in experimental murine schistosomiasis

Hypersensitivity granulomas induced by infection with Schistosoma mansoni were isolated from the livers of BALB/c mice after 7, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. The parasite egg-granulomas were sequentially extracted with a Tris-buffered saline (soluble fraction) and 2 M KSCN (bound fraction). Fibrinolytic enzyme activity measured with both synthetic substrates and fibrin plates demonstrated an elevated level of plasminogen activator activity in the bound fraction 7-8 weeks after infection when mature granulomas first began to appear, followed by a gradual decrease 10-12 weeks after infection. An electrophoretic enzymography technique revealed multiple molecular species of plasminogen activator at Mr = 95K, 74K, 60K, 45K, and 24K. The bands with Mr = 45K and 24K were found compatible with the electrophoretic pattern of macrophage-plasminogen activator. When the granulomas reached maximum size after 10 to 12 weeks, the plasminogen activator with 45K and 24K diminished, while plasminogen activator activity at Mr = 95K, 74K, and 60K remained unchanged suggesting the presence of both vascular and tissue types of plasminogen activators. There was no urokinase-type plasminogen activator detectable in granulomas at any time. In the soluble fraction no enzymatic activity was found, whereas regulating inhibitor activity for plasminogen activator was consistently detectable.

Fibrin and collagen deposition and fibroblasts proliferation in granuloma of murine leprosy. Comparison of two mouse strains with different immune reactions

Comparative immunofluorescence study with murine lepromas induced in C57BL/6NJcl (immunologically high responder) and CBA/N (low responder) mouse strains revealed that fibrin formation was associated with cell-mediated immune resistance against invasive bacilli. Histochemistry on paraffin sections further elucidated fibroblast proliferation and formation of collagen fibers following fibrin deposition only in murine lepromas with positive host reactions.