Testicular-associated immune deviation and prevention of adjuvant-induced arthritis by three tolerization methods.

A new tolerizing effect, testicular-associated immune deviation (TAID), was produced in rats by injecting antigen, emulsified with adjuvant, into the testicle. TAID abrogated the delayed hypersensitivity response to subsequent immunization. This study also assessed the effect of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID), the aforementioned TAID and an equivalent tolerization method named alternative in vitro immune deviation (AVID), on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). ACAID was produced by introducing antigen, emulsified with adjuvant, into the anterior chamber of the eye. AVID was achieved by exposing peritoneal exudate cells to antigen in the presence of fetal calf serum in vitro and then injecting the cells intraperitoneally. Antigen in adjuvant was administered intradermally to Dark Agouti rats, which are normally susceptible to AIA. One week after treatment with ACAID, TAID or AVID, the rats became resistant to AIA. The presence of neutralizing antibody to transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2) in the culture abrogated the AVID effect. We concluded that introducing an antigen to the testicle induces immune deviation, and that prior introduction of the antigen to macrophages in an appropriate immune suppressive context, such as ACAID, TAID or AVID, prevents AIA.

Gamma delta T cells in human decidua.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess the presence and frequency of gamma delta T cells in the decidua of term and first-trimester pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Term and first-trimester placentas were obtained from normal subjects. Frozen sections and cell suspensions were prepared from decidual tissue and stained with monoclonal antibodies to T cell markers. Cell sorter analysis was performed. RESULTS: gamma delta T cells in term decidual cell preparations were enriched 2.4-fold compared with peripheral blood. Immunohistochemical staining of term decidual tissue demonstrated many gamma delta + and CD3+ T cells, fewer CD8+ cells, and rare CD4+ cells. In contrast, first-trimester decidua was found to be devoid of gamma delta + T cells, by both cell sorter analysis and immunohistochemical methods. CONCLUSIONS: Term, but not early, decidua harbors a resident T-cell population that is significantly enriched in gamma delta T cells compared with blood. These lymphocytes may provide an added defense mechanism against infection during the peripartum.

Stimulation of peripheral blood T cells by an activated T-cell line: a novel human autologous T-T lymphocyte reaction.

T lymphocyte interactions have generally been described between discrete functional subsets. In our investigation of murine T-cell interactions we described a type of T-T interaction termed the 'Syngeneic T-T Lymphocyte Reaction' in which activated T-cell clones stimulated the proliferation of resting T cells mainly through a mechanism involving cell to cell contact. To investigate whether similar reactions occur in the human immune system we used the human autoreactive T-cell line C.1 to stimulate peripheral T cells. Line C.1 cells, which are not transformed and do not secrete IL2, consistently caused proliferation of purified freshly isolated autologous peripheral human T cells as measured by a [3H]-thymidine incorporation assay. The proliferation was seen in both the CD4 and CD8 subsets and could be inhibited with anti-DR and anti-CD2 antibodies. The stimulation is not due to carryover of classical antigen-presenting cells or to the C.1 line cells acting as antigen-presenting cells. We propose that some activated T cells, probably by expression of a surface molecule, can stimulate resting T cells thereby allowing for antigen-non-specific augmentation of the immune response.

Polymyositis with myoglobinuria in pregnancy: a report and review of the literature.

A pregnant patient developed fulminant polymyositis with myoglobinuria after terbutaline and magnesium sulfate tocolysis. Her response to prednisone was dramatic. Rapid relapse occurred after inadvertent postcesarean dose reduction. Our patient again responded to increased prednisone. She and her twin babies are well.