Altered T cell subpopulations and lymphocytes expressing natural killer cell phenotypes in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

Scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis [PSS]) is known to be associated with abnormal T cell immunoregulation. In the present study, we evaluated lymphocyte phenotypes in patients with PSS and normal control subjects by flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies for total T (CD3), T suppressor (CD8), T helper (CD4), T helper-inducer (CDw29), T suppressor-inducer (CD45R), human leukocyte antigen, DR+B (CD19), DR+T, and natural killer subsets, HNK-1 (CD57) and NKH-1 (CD56) cells. Patients with PSS compared to normal subjects had significantly lower percentages of CD3+ (p less than 0.005) and CD8+ (p less than 0.05) (similar to several patients with rheumatoid arthritis also evaluated), as well as CD45R (p less than 0.05), T+DR+ (p less than 0.05), and NKH-1 (CD56) (p less than 0.0005) cells. Patients with PSS with late-limited or generalized disease had lower percentages of CD8+, CD19, NKH-1+, and CDw29, but higher percentages of CD4+, HNK-1, and CD45R cells compared to patients with early stage disease, but these results were not statistically significant. These unique alterations in patients with PSS may prove to be useful in monitoring the stage of disease activity for therapy and further define immunologic defects.

Differences in organization of metastatic and nonmetastatic tumors initiated by the same B16 melanoma clone in mature and young mice.

Subcutaneous transplants of mouse B16 melanoma clone G3.26 grow more slowly, and are markedly more metastatic to the lungs, in mature (greater than 12-month-old) mice than in young (2-month-old) mice. Previous studies suggested that tumors in young mice fail to disseminate viable tumor cells into the hematogenous circulation. To determine if changes in intratumor organization might accompany this altered tumor behavior, G3.26 tumors growing in young and mature mice were examined comparatively at progressive sizes relative to the onset of metastatic dissemination in the older mice. Although the degree of necrosis was comparable in both groups of tumors, vascular density, measured morphometrically in histological sections, was significantly lower in tumors from mature mice at a size when dissemination would be occurring. With the onset of reduced vascular density in tumors in mature mice, there was a substantial increase in the proportion of viable tumor cells that was hypoxic, based on radioresistance and incorporation of the hypoxic cell sensitizer, misonidazole. Quiescent tumor cells, identified by flow cytometry, were also more numerous in tumors from mature mice than in tumors from young mice. Although the importance of these differences in tumor organization to enhanced metastatic behavior is unclear, increased intratumor hypoxia might promote generation of metastatic variants. Alternately, dissemination of tumor cells might be facilitated through a reduced and possibly defective vasculature.

Characterization of lymphokine fibronectin from guinea pig lymphoid cell culture supernatants.

Fibronectins (FN) in guinea pig lymphoid cell culture supernatants have been studied using a panel of polyclonal and monoclonal anti-FN antibodies to clarify their relationship with macrophage agglutination factor (MAggF), an inflammatory lymphokine sharing many properties with this family of high molecular weight glycoproteins. MAggF contained cellular FN epitopes, and was reversibly bound by antibodies specific for cellular FN. Enzyme-linked immunoassay and inhibition of MAggF activity by monoclonal anti-plasma FN antibodies revealed immunoreactive FN in guinea pig lymphoid cell culture supernatants to share three epitopes with plasma FN and to lack a fourth epitope present in plasma FN. Immunoreactive FN in gelatin-affinity purified lymph node cell culture supernatants was polydisperse; MAggF activity (Mr 410 kD) was associated with only 13% of total immunoreactive FN. Although a low molecular weight FN fragment (Mr 67 kD) was associated with MAggF activity in salt-fractionated peritoneal exudate culture supernatants, it was not possible to generate MAggF activity by limited proteolysis of MAggF-inactive, high molecular weight FN in lymph node cell culture supernatants. We conclude that MAggF is a cellular FN containing a number of epitopes in common with plasma FN and suggest it may be a unique species of cellular FN produced by T lymphocytes involved in initiating delayed hypersensitivity reactions.

Lack of Leu-3a epitope on T-helper (CD4) lymphocytes.

Human T-helper cells express membrane-bound CD4 antigen whose many epitopes are recognized by different monoclonal antibodies. The epitope recognized by Leu-3a and similar clones has been shown to be the location for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) receptor. We have found a unique blood donor whose CD4+ T-helper lymphocytes were lacking Leu-3a epitope. CD4+ T-helper cells lacking Leu-3a epitope might be resistant to HIV infection.

Production of a fibronectin-associated lymphokine by cloned mouse T cells.

Azobenzenearsonate-specific cloned mouse T cells able to transfer delayed hypersensitivity reactions in vivo produced macrophage agglutination factor (MaggF) after stimulation with mitogen or antigen in vitro. Mitogen (Con A) elicited MAggF production directly from T cells. Responses to Ag were Ag-specific, required syngeneic accessory cells in addition to T cells, and were independent of T cell fine specificity for azobenzenearsonate. Mouse MAggF shared a number of biochemical and immunochemical properties with the fibronectins (FN): 1) high Mr similar to that of plasma FN; 2) binding to gelatin, heparin, and polyclonal antibodies and mAb specific for cellular and plasma FN; 3) inhibition of activity in solution by monoclonal anti-human FN directed against plasma FN gelatin-binding domain; and 4) action on peritoneal exudate macrophages mediated through a FN-receptor cross reactive with one on human monocytes. MAggF production required active protein synthesis and was associated with significant increases in gelatin-binding immunoreactive FN (Mr 440 kDa on immunoblotting) in culture supernatants and T cell lysates. Metabolically labeled peptides could be precipitated by anti-FN from culture supernatants of activated T cells. Stimulated cultures contained significantly more cells with immunohistologically demonstrable cytoplasmic FN than unstimulated control cultures. We suggest that T cell FN is a distinct species of cellular FN which may play an important role in mediating delayed hypersensitivity inflammatory reactions in vivo.

Concurrent production of macrophage agglutination factor and factor VII by antigen-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

We have studied concurrent production of macrophage agglutination factor (MAggF) and procoagulant activity by antigen-stimulated human blood mononuclear cells to gain insight into biochemical mechanisms underlying delayed hypersensitivity inflammatory reactions. After stimulation of cells from tuberculin-sensitive donors with tuberculin, MAggF was present in culture supernatants while the overwhelming majority of procoagulant activity remained cell-associated. Neither MAggF nor procoagulant activity was found in reconstituted control cultures, nor in tuberculin-stimulated cultures of non-sensitive cells. Concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide elicited both activities from cultured mononuclear cells, regardless of donor sensitivity. Human MAggF bound to insolubilized gelatin, heparin and a monoclonal anti-fibronectin (FN) antibody, and its activity was inhibited by another monoclonal antibody directed against the gelatin-binding domain of FN. Treatment of indicator peritoneal exudate cells with monoclonal anti-FN receptor antibody inhibited their response to human MAggF. These results suggest that human MAggF, like the analogous guinea-pig activity, is FN-associated. Antigen-elicited procoagulant activity shortened the recalcification time of normal, factor VII- and factor IX-deficient plasma, partially corrected prothrombin times of factor VII-deficient plasma, had no effect on recalcification and prothrombin items of factor X- and factor V-deficient plasma, and was inhibited by specific anti-factor VII antibody. Thus, human mononuclear cell procoagulant consists of both tissue factor and factor VII, whether it is induced by antigen or mitogen. Antigen-stimulated blood mononuclear cells are able to provide a signal for local fibrin deposition and a protein mediating fibrin binding to mononuclear phagocytes and collagen at sites of delayed hypersensitivity reactions.

Effect of growth hormone on rat liver N-acetyl-L-glutamate.

Earlier studies have revealed, upon hypophysectomy, a specific increase in mitochondrial urea cycle enzymes, namely carbamyl phosphate synthetase and ornithine transcarbamylase. Administration of growth hormone to hypophysectomized rats brought these enzyme activities back to normal. Since growth hormone plays a role in the formation of citrulline and ultimately urea, in the present study its effect on the levels of N-acetyl-L-glutamate, an allosteric activator of carbamyl phosphate synthetase has been investigated. A significant increase in N-acetyl-L-glutamate concentration in rat liver on hypophysectomy and its reversal back to normal levels on growth hormone administration was reported. These results suggest that the lack of growth hormone tends to amplify urea production by the liver.

Localization of macrophage agglutination factor activity to the gelatin-binding domain of fibronectin.

We previously proposed that macrophage agglutination factor (MAggF, a T cell-derived guinea pig lymphokine) is a fibronectin (FN). We now show MAggF binding to gelatin and to peritoneal macrophages is mediated by domains similar to corresponding domains of plasma FN. MAggF activity in lymphokine concentrates prepared by two different methods differed nearly 10-fold in m.w. on gel filtration chromatography. Despite this difference, MAggF dose-activity curves of both preparations were parallel, and MAggF in both preparations bound reversibly to gelatin and to monoclonal anti-guinea pig FN immunoadsorbents. MAggF activity in one preparation was inhibited by the addition of soluble monoclonal antibody specific for the gelatin-binding domain of human FN; inhibitory activity of this antibody was blocked by purified guinea pig plasma FN or partially purified MAggF from the other preparation. Measured MAggF activity of both preparations was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by pretreatment of indicator macrophages with monoclonal anti-human monocyte FN receptor antibody or F(ab')2 fragments or with guinea pig plasma FN. Neither anti-FN receptor antibody nor plasma FN interacted directly with MAggF. Indirect immunofluorescence studies confirmed the presence of uncomplexed plasma membrane receptors for FN on indicator macrophages in MAggF-responsive populations that were able to bind added FN. Our identification of MAggF as lymphokine FN provides a basis for future biochemical analysis of delayed hypersensitivity inflammatory reactions.

Regulation of macrophage agglutination factor production by alpha 2-macroglobulin.

Alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) is a major mammalian plasma proteinase inhibitor and a well-established suppressor of T cell blastogenesis. Its role in modulating T cell-mediated lymphokine production is less well documented. We have isolated and characterized guinea-pig plasma alpha 2M in order to study its role in regulating the elicitation of macrophage agglutination factor (MAggF), a T cell-dependent inflammatory lymphokine closely related to fibronectin. Alpha-2-macroglobulin was purified by a combination of gel chromatography and immunoadsorption to remove contaminating IgM. Purified alpha 2M showed a double band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It had a molecular weight of 714,000 which fell to 190,000 on reduction, a pI of 4.8 and bound up to 1.3 moles of trypsin or elastase per mole. The elicitiation of MAggF from 25 X 10(6) purified protein derivative (PPD)-stimulated guinea-pig lymph node cells was inhibited 99% by 2-3 micrograms of biologically active alpha 2M only if the proteinase inhibitor was added to the lymph node cells at the same time as antigen. No inhibition of MAggF production was observed when active alpha 2M was added at the end of culture or when biologically inactive alpha 2M was added to the cultures at any time. MAggF was not elicited from normal cells by PPD, nor did alpha 2M have any effect on these cultures. Purified alpha 2M had no direct effect on MAggF activity in culture supernatants. We suggest that alpha 2M may be involved in modulating antigen-elicited lymphokine production in vivo.