T cell differentiation/maturation of CD34+ stem cells from HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs in cultured thymic epithelial fragments

Oxidant generation by single infected monocytes after short-term fluorescence labeling of a protozoan parasite

Leishmania spp. are intracellular protozoa residing in mononuclear phagocytes. Leishmania organisms are susceptible to microbicidal responses generated in response to phagocytosis. Assuming that both phagocyte and parasite populations are heterogeneous, it is advantageous to examine the response of individual cells phagocytosing living parasites. Because Leishmania spp. lose virulence during the raising of transfectants, we developed a method to label live Leishmania chagasi short-term with fluorescent dyes. Up to six parasite divisions were detected by flow cytometry after labeling with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE), dioctadecyl-tetramethylindo carbocyanine perchlorate, or chloromethyl tetramethylrhodamine. Labeled parasites entered mononuclear phagocytes as determined by confocal and time-lapse microscopy. Dihydroethidium (DHE) was used to detect macrophage-derived oxidants generated during phagocytosis. Presumably Leishmania organisms are opsonized with host serum/tissue components such as complement prior to phagocytosis. Therefore, we investigated the effects of opsonization and found that this increased the efficiency of CFSE-labeled parasite entry into monocytes (84.6% +/- 8.8% versus 20.2% +/- 3.8% monocytes infected; P < 0.001). Opsonization also increased the percentage of phagocytes undergoing a respiratory burst (66.0% +/- 6.3% versus 41.0% +/- 8.3% of monocytes containing CFSE-labeled parasites; P < 0.001) and the magnitude of oxidant generation by each infected monocyte. Inhibitor data indicated that DHE was oxidized by products of the NADPH oxidase. These data suggest that opsonized serum components such as complement lead to more efficient entry of Leishmania into their target cells but at the same time activate the phagocyte oxidase to generate microbicidal products in infected cells. The parasite must balance these positive and negative survival effects in order to initiate a viable infection.

Inhibition of thymopoiesis of CD34+ cell maturation by HIV-1 in an in vitro CD34+ cell and thymic epithelial organ culture model

The mechanisms by which HIV-1 affects thymopoiesis were determined by preincubating CD34+ cells or cultured thymic epithelial (CTE) cells with lymphotropic (T-) and monotropic (M-) strains of HIV-1 in an in vitro CTE organ and CD34+ cell coculture model that allows for analysis of development of thymocytes and mature T cells. When purified CD34+ cells were precultured with either T- or M-tropic strains of HIV-1, thymopoiesis was impaired in a two-week coculture manifested by decreased cell number of thymocytes generated. However, the percentages of thymocyte subpopulations were comparable to control uninfected cocultures. Furthermore, HIV infection of thymocytes was predominantly observed in the CD44+CD3- population. However, in a four-week coculture experiment, HIV infection and depletion of more mature thymocytes were also observed. When CTE cells were preincubated with T- and M-tropic strains of HIV before addition of CD34+ cells, the number of thymocytes and subpopulations of thymocytes at early and later stages of maturation were markedly decreased. Furthermore, CD34+ and CD44+CD3- cells become HIV-infected. In summary, HIV-1 infection inhibited thymocyte maturation at early stages of thymocyte maturation CD44+CD25-CD3-. In addition, HIV also depleted later stages of CD4+ thymocyte subpopulations.

Development of a method of thymocyte differentiation of bone marrow-enriched CD34+CD38- cells in postnatal allogeneic cultured thymic epithelia to evaluate immunodeficiency disorders

An in vitro model of CD34+CD38- stem cell (SC) differentiation in postnatal cultured thymic epithelia fragment (CTEF) cocultures is described. Sequential phenotypic analysis of the progeny of the SC-CTEF demonstrated predominantly thymocytes and minor populations of promyelocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells. Triple-positive CD3+CD4+CD8+, double-positive CD4+CD8+, and mature single-positive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which were TCR alpha beta+, were identified indicating normal thymocyte maturation. In kinetic studies, mature single-positive CD4+ T cells increased from 29% of total cells at one week to 54% at four weeks of coculture. These findings demonstrate that coculture of bone marrow-derived SC and allogeneic cultured thymic epithelia in vitro results in continuous normal predominantly thymocyte differentiation. The SC-CTEF cocultures were then infected with two different strains of human immunodeficiency virus. CD4+ thymocytes were markedly decreased. However, inhibition of early thymocyte maturation steps was also suggested by the presence of increased triple-negative and CD44+CD25-CD3-thymocytes and decreased CD44+CD25+ thymocytes. This model system of thymocyte maturation will be useful in the evaluation of primary T cell immunodeficiency disorders, gene therapy of SC and pharmacological augmentation of thymic function.

Arrest of in vitro T cell differentiation of normal bone marrow-derived CD34+ stem cells with thymic epithelial fragments from children with AIDS

A novel approach is presented to assess the ability of thymic tissues obtained from children with end stage AIDS to attract normal bone marrow (BM)-derived CD34+ (lineage negative) stem cells (SCs) and support lymphopoiesis in vitro. Chemokinesis of BM-derived CD34+ SCs was analyzed by time-lapse videomicroscopy to ascertain whether an alteration in SC motility could contribute to abnormal thymopoiesis under conditions of HIV infection. The migration of SCs derived from an HIV+ donor into thymic tissue was not significantly altered compared to normal controls, as were normal SCs migrating toward thymic epithelial cell monolayers derived from an HIV+ patient. Thymic tissue obtained from children with AIDS contained nests of CD34+ SCs identified by immunofluorescence, indicating SC homing to the thymus is apparently supported in HIV infection. The ability of HIV-affected thymic epithelial fragments to support lymphopoiesis was determined by examining the initial thymocyte populations present, compared to thymocytes produced de novo in T cell-depleted thymic fragments, following a single pulse of lineage negative CD34+ CD38- SCs. In comparison to normal controls, thymocytes derived from the HIV-affected thymic epithelial fragment coculture had an increased percentage of triple negative thymocytes (28% of lymphocytes from HIV-affected tissue versus 1.5% in controls, p < 0.01) and a decreased percentage of double and single positive CD4+ thymocytes. However, CD3+CD8+ TCR alpha beta + expression was comparable to control cultured thymic epithelial fragments indicating that HIV-affected thymic epithelia were capable of supporting the development of the CD8+ lineage. In an effort to extend the information obtained to date from the histological examination of HIV-affected thymic tissue, select patient thymic tissues were maintained in culture to evaluate the capacity of undifferentiated thymic epithelial cell guirlandes to differentiate in vitro. A partial regeneration of certain subpopulations of the thymic epithelium defined by TE-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and CDR2 mAbs occurred during the in vitro culture. The epithelial and mesenchymal components of thymic tissues were distinguished by immunostaining for keratins (indicative of epithelium) and vimentin (a mesenchymal marker). Further evaluation of the modulation of HIV thymus, with respect to the testing of new therapeutic strategies on SCs, will be possible with this in vitro model.

Abnormal in vitro thymocyte differentiation in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency-Nezelof's syndrome

An in vitro coculture model system of CD34+ stem cells and allogenic cultured thymic epithelia fragments was used to evaluate thymocyte differentiation in a 9-month-old child of Amish descent with Nezelof syndrome. Though the patient's stem cells differentiate to acquire normal expression of CD2 and CD7, later steps of maturation were abnormal. There was detectable but reduced expression of CD3 and CD4 phenotypes. CD44+ expression, however, was markedly reduced. CD44 is an adhesion molecule, interacting with the matrix ligands hyaluronan and fibronectin, and is expressed early in thymocyte differentiation and subsequently in mature T cells. It is hypothesized that abnormal expression of CD44 in a variant of severe combined immunodeficiency, Nezelof's syndrome, interferes with normal thymocyte and thymic epithelial interaction, which leads to abnormal thymocyte differentiation.