Increased proportion of responders to a murine anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody of the IgG1 class in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

A group of Venezuelan patients with SLE showed an increased proportion of responders to Leu-4, an anti-CD3 MoAb of the IgG1 class, compared with ethnically matched non-SLE patients and healthy controls. The rate of proliferative responses or IL-2 production induced by MoAb Leu-4, and the helper effect of macrophages from Leu-4 responders on T cells from a third-party donor were comparable in patients and controls. No significant differences in the binding of murine IgG1 molecules by macrophages from SLE patients and controls were observed. The proportion of monocytes/macrophages expressing Fc gamma RI was significantly higher in SLE patients. However, the expression of FcRII, the type capable of supporting Leu-4-mediated responses, and of Fc gamma RIII was comparable in monocytes from SLE patients and controls. Our results suggest that Venezuelan patients with SLE may have a genetic predisposition for the expression of the phenotypic variant of Fc gamma RII capable of binding murine IgG1 molecules.

Anti-CD3-activated T cells from chronic nonviremic HBV carriers are hyperreactive to monocytic accessory signals.

We analyzed T cell responses through the CD3 activation pathway in a group of chronic HBV carriers. PBMC stimulated with the mAb OKT3 showed higher proliferative response in HBV-DNA(-) carriers compared to HBV-DNA(+) carriers and to controls. In contrast, no differences in proliferative responses were observed between HBV-DNA(-) carriers and controls in cell cultures stimulated with immobilized 64.1 mAb (SPB-64.1) which induces proliferation in the absence of monocytes. We further examined T cell responses in the presence of monocytes and their soluble factors to immobilized OKT3 mAb (SPB-OKT3). Purified T cells did not proliferate to SPB-OKT3. When autologous monocytes were added, higher proliferative response, IL-2 production, and IL-2 receptor expression were observed in HBV-DNA(-) carriers than in controls. An enhanced cell proliferation was also obtained when monocyte supernatants were added to T cells cultured with SPB-OKT3. Moreover, when IL-6 alone or combined with IL-1 was added to SPB-OKT3-stimulated T cell cultures, a significantly higher increase in T cell proliferation was detected in HBV-DNA(-) carriers. Our results thus show a T cell hyperreactivity to accessory signals from monocytes (mainly IL-6) in HBV-DNA(-) carriers, that is probably related to an ongoing viral clearance.