Protection from endogenous perforin: glycans and the C terminus regulate exocytic trafficking in cytotoxic lymphocytes.

Cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated apoptosis is dependent on the delivery of perforin to secretory granules and its ability to form calcium-dependent pores in the target cell after granule exocytosis. It is unclear how cytotoxic lymphocytes synthesize and store perforin without incurring damage or death. We discovered that the extreme C terminus of perforin was essential for rapid trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi compartment. Substitution of the C-terminal tryptophan residue resulted in retention of perforin in the ER followed by calcium-dependent toxic activity that eliminated host cells. We also found that N-linked glycosylation of perforin was critical for transport from the Golgi to secretory granules. Overall, an intact C terminus and N-linked glycosylation provide accurate and efficient export of perforin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the secretory granules and are critical for cytotoxic lymphocyte survival.

Antigen-activated human T lymphocytes express cell-surface NKG2D ligands via an ATM/ATR-dependent mechanism and become susceptible to autologous NK- cell lysis.

Recent evidence indicates that natural killer (NK) cells can negatively regulate T-cell responses, but the mechanisms behind this phenomenon as a consequence of NK-T-cell interactions are poorly understood. We studied the interaction between the NKG2D receptor and its ligands (NKG2DLs), and asked whether T cells expressed NKG2DLs in response to superantigen, alloantigen, or a specific antigenic peptide, and if this rendered them susceptible to NK lysis. As evaluated by FACS, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related protein A (MICA) was the ligand expressed earlier on both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in 90% of the donors tested, while UL16-binding protein-1 (ULBP)1, ULBP2, and ULBP3 were induced at later times in 55%-75% of the donors. By carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling, we observed that NKG2DLs were expressed mainly on T cells that had gone through at least one division. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the expression of all NKG2DLs, except ULBP4. In addition, T-cell activation stimulated phosphorylation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a kinase required for NKG2DLs expression after DNA damage, and ATM/Rad3-related kinase (ATR) inhibitors blocked MICA induction on T cells with a mechanism involving NF-kappaB. Finally, we demonstrated that activated T cells became susceptible to autologous NK lysis via NKG2D/NKG2DLs interaction and granule exocytosis, suggesting that NK lysis of T lymphocytes via NKG2D may be an additional mechanism to limit T-cell responses.

Stimulus-dependent modulation of human B cell function by T cell clones.

T cells exert both positive and negative regulatory effects on B cell function. To determine whether the nature of the stimulus could alter the immunoregulatory effects of T cells, the capacity of a battery of human T cell clones to modulate B cell function after stimulation with either pokeweed mitogen or a mAb to the CD3 molecular complex was examined. It was observed that most clones induced B cell differentiation when stimulated with immobilized mAb to CD3 (64.1) regardless of their phenotype. Moreover, the majority of clones (42 of 51) augmented the generation of immunoglobulin-secreting cells (ISC) supported by anti-CD3-stimulated blood CD4+ T cells. By contrast, none of the clones induced B cell differentiation when stimulated with PWM and 48 of 51 clones suppressed the generation of ISC induced by blood CD4+ T cells. This suppression could not be accounted for by the depletion of essential molecules or factors or by secretion of suppressive factors. Suppressive activity of clones did not correlate with the CD4 or CD8 phenotype and was not overcome by the addition of supernatants generated from mitogen-stimulated T cells or recombinant IL-2. Suppression by most clones, however, was abrogated when the clones were treated with mitomycin C or irradiated. A number of suppressive mechanisms by individual PWM-stimulated clones was identified, including direct inhibition of B cell function by cytotoxic and non-lytic means and suppression of helper T cell function. The failure of anti-CD3-stimulated clones to suppress the differentiation of B cells appeared to reflect the capacity of this stimulus to induce apoptosis by the clones after initial activation. These results indicate that T cell clones can provide help for B cell differentiation or can suppress B cell function by a variety of mechanisms depending upon the mode of stimulation.

The patient with multiple organ system failure: immunologic monitoring.

The patient with multiple organ system failure is commonly suffering from the systemic effects of postsurgical or post-traumatic sepsis. An understanding of the role of the systems that mediate infection and produce much of the clinical picture is an important base for management and for future research. The use of the term "immunity" in relation to this process refers to two general response systems, which differ in some important aspects. The so-called cellular immune system, which embodies specific and preprogrammed responses, centers on the various populations of lymphocytes. Although there is considerable knowledge about their functional biology, this is perhaps more relevant to the transplantation and cancer areas than it is to trauma and surgical infection. Conversely, there is less known about the mediator systems, which seem to be more closely involved in the patient with multiple organ system failure. The relatively nonspecific responses of the circulating fixed macrophages, particularly granulocytes and monocytes, together with complement and other opsonins, clearly need considerable further investigation to define their critical role. This review attempts to outline common knowledge about the response systems that mediate systemic and organ failure in sepsis, and it points out certain areas that seem to hold promise for advances in the management of such patients.

[Hemolytic properties of activated (adhesive) peripheral blood lymphocytes from schizophrenia patients]. / Gemoliticheskie svoistva aktivirovannykh (adgezivnykh) limfotsitov perifericheskoi krovi bol'nykh shizofreniei.

The hemolytic properties of adhesive and nonadhesive lymphocytes in the blood of schizophrenic patients and normal donors were studied. It was demonstrated that adhesive lymphocytes possess hemolytic properties. It was shown as well, that the content of hemolytic active lymphocytes in the adhesive fraction of peripheral blood cells in schizophrenic patients is ten times higher than in a similar cell fraction of normal donors.

Pemphigus antibody interaction with human epidermal cells in culture.

The mechanism of pemphigus acantholysis has been studied with an in vitro system. Freshly prepared human skin epidermal cells were incubated in F-10 medium which contained the immunoglobulin G fraction from either pemphigus serum or normal human serum. During 18-h incubation periods, the pemphigus antibody became bound to the surface of the epidermal cells, caused the destruction of 75% of the viable cells as compared to only 14% in the normal immunoglobulin G controls (trypan blue exclusion), prevented the accumulation of newly synthesized proteins by nearly 60% as determined by radioactive tracer studies, and caused a dramatic shift in distribution of the newly synthesized proteins from an insoluble cell-associated fraction to an extracellular soluble fraction. These effects on the accumulation and partitioning of newly synthesized proteins were antibody concentration-dependent. Kinetic studies showed that at a fixed pemphigus antibody concentration the inhibition of protein accumulation preceded solubilization by about 1 h, at which time rapid solubilization of up to 70% of the insoluble cellular material occurred. Several lines of evidence suggested that this phenomenon was caused by enzymatic activity. Epidermal extracts solubilized a prepared substrate of radioactivity labeled insoluble epidermal cell material. This activity was heat labile and pH dependent, with pH optima ranging from 4.5 to 6.5. Enzymes with pH optima between 6 and 6.5 were recovered in the culture medium after a 2-day incubation of pure, intact epidermis with the pemphigus antibody. We proposed the following hypothesis to account for pemphigus acantholysis. The pemphigus antibody reacts with the epidermal cell surface and produces such a severe disturbance that the integrity of the cell surface is lost. As a result of these primary perturbations, the cell is killed and during the process, responds by release or activiation of soluble hydrolytic enzymes. This autolytic process results in the characteristic acantholysis of pemphigus.