Review. Antigen--RNA interactions

Antibodies from the sera of HIV-infected patients efficiently hydrolyze all human histones

Histones and their post-translational modifications have key roles in chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. Besides intranuclear functions, histones act as damage-associated molecular pattern molecules when they are released into the extracellular space. Administration of exogenous histones to animals leads to systemic inflammatory and toxic responses through activating Toll-like receptors and inflammasome pathways. Here, using ELISA it was shown that sera of HIV-infected patients and healthy donors contain autoantibodies against histones. Autoantibodies with enzymic activities (abzymes) are a distinctive feature of autoimmune diseases. It was interesting whether antibodies from sera of HIV-infected patients can hydrolyze human histones. Electrophoretically and immunologically homogeneous IgGs were isolated from sera of HIV-infected patients by chromatography on several affinity sorbents. We present first evidence showing that 100% of IgGs purified from the sera of 32 HIV-infected patients efficiently hydrolyze from one to five human histones. Several rigid criteria have been applied to show that the histone-hydrolyzing activity is an intrinsic property of IgGs of HIV-infected patients. The relative efficiency of hydrolysis of histones (H1, H2a, H2b, H3, and H4) significantly varied for IgGs of different patients. IgGs from the sera of 40% of healthy donors also hydrolyze histones but with an average efficiency approximately 16-fold lower than that of HIV-infected patients. Similar to proteolytic abzymes from the sera of patients with several autoimmune diseases, histone-hydrolyzing IgGs from HIV-infected patients were inhibited by specific inhibitors of serine and of metal-dependent proteases, but an unexpected significant inhibition of the activity by specific inhibitor of thiol-like proteases was also observed. Because IgGs can efficiently hydrolyze histones, a negative role of abzymes in development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome cannot be excluded. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Peculiarities of abzymes from sera and milk of healthy donors and patients with autoimmune and viral diseases

The detection of catalytic activity of antibodies is the earliest indicator of development of autoimmune diseases (AID). In early stages of AID, the repertoire of abzymes with various properties is relatively small, but it is greatly increased during their development. Catalytic diversity of the abzymes includes DNase, RNase, ATPase, and oxidoreductase activities; there are antibodies phosphorylating proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. This review summarizes new data on abzyme heterogeneity and possible reasons for this phenomenon. A possible role of abzymes and their exceptional multiplicity in the pathogenesis of different AID is discussed.

DNA-hydrolyzing activity of IgG antibodies from the sera of patients with tick-borne encephalitis

DNase autoantibodies (Abzs) can be found in the blood of patients with several autoimmune diseases, while the blood of healthy donors or patients with diseases with an insignificant disturbance of the immune status does not contain DNase Abzs. Here we present the first analysis of the DNase Abzs activity in the patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Several strict criteria have been applied to show that the DNase activity is an intrinsic property of IgGs from the sera of TBE patients but not from healthy donors. The relative activity of IgGs has been shown to vary extensively from patient to patient, but most of the preparations (91%) had detectable levels of the DNase activity. Polyclonal DNase IgGs were not active in the presence of EDTA or after a dialysis against EDTA, but could be activated by several externally added metal ions, with the level of activity decreasing in the order Mn(2+) + Ca(2+) > or = Mn(2+)+ Mg(2+) > or = Mn(2+) > or = Mg(2+) + Ca(2+) > or = Co(2+) > or = Mg(2+) > Ca(2+), while K(+), Na(+), Ni(2+), Zn(2+), and Cu(2+) did not stimulate DNA hydrolysis. Affinity chromatography on DNA-cellulose separated the DNase IgGs into many subfractions with various affinities for DNA and very different levels of the relative activity. Possible reasons for catalytic diversity of polyclonal human Abzs are discussed.

Antibodies against RNA hydrolyze RNA and DNA

Immunization of animals with DNA leads to the production of anti-DNA antibodies (Abs) demonstrating both DNase and RNase activities. It is currently not known whether anti-RNA Abs can possess nuclease activities. In an attempt to address this question, we have shown that immunization of three rabbits with complex of RNA with methylated BSA (mBSA) stimulates production of IgGs with RNase and DNase activities belonging to IgGs, while polyclonal Abs from three non-immunized rabbits and three animals immunized with mBSA are catalytically inactive. Affinity chromatography of IgGs from the sera of autoimmune (AI) patients on DNA-cellulose usually demonstrates a number of fractions, all of which effectively hydrolyze both DNA and RNA, while rabbit catalytic IgGs were separated into Ab subfractions, some of which demonstrated only DNase activity, while others hydrolyzed RNA faster than DNA. The enzymic properties of the RNase and DNase IgGs from rabbits immunized with RNA distinguish them from all known canonical RNases and DNases and DNA- and RNA-hydrolyzing abzymes (Abzs) from patients with different AI diseases. In contrast to RNases and AI RNA-hydrolyzing Abs, rabbit RNase IgGs catalyze only the first step of the hydrolysis reaction but cannot hydrolyze the formed terminal 2',3'-cyclophosphate. The data indicate that Abzs of AI patients hydrolyzing nucleic acids in part may be Abs against RNA and its complexes with proteins.

Some perspectives on the transfer of cell-mediated immunity by immune-RNA

Ribonucleic acid extracts of lymphoid cells from immune hosts were used to transfer in vivo and in vitro cell-mediated immune reactivity to a variety of antigens. The in vivo immune responses transferred by RNA included the delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction to fungal and chemically-defined antigens and the tumor-rejection reaction to guinea pig hepatoma antigens. The in vitro immune responses transferred by RNA included macrophage migration inhibition by fungal, chemically-defined, and tumor antigens. The transfer activity of RNA preparations was contained in the 8 s to 18 s species of RNA and was sensitive to RNase but not to DNase or trypsin. Antigen was not detectable in the RNA preparations and appeared to have no role in the transfer activity. Syngeneic, allogeneic, or xenogeneic sources of RNA could transfer immune reactivity. In each system tested, the transfer of cell-mediated reactivity by RNA was specific for the antigen used to sensitize the RNA donor. The potential use of RNA-mediated transfer of immunity is discussed.

Gene activation during immune reaction

In cell-free systems the addition of antigen stimulates the synthesis of informational RNA (i-RNA) which exhibits the following properties: It codes for the entire antibody molecule, it codes for the synthesis of regulator protein which initiates transcription of i-RNA with the correspondent informational content from DNA, it is a template for an an i-RNA dependent RNA polymerase, it is a template for an i-RNA dependent reverse transcriptase. The i-RNA may exist in a state of latency in cells. The product of reverse transcription of i-RNA is i-DNA which can be used to transcribe further i-RNA of the same specificity. Similar to i-DNA is an extracellular DNA which codes also for antibody and from which i-RNA can be transcribed. The data presented are summarized in a scheme of the flow of information during immunological reactions. It could be shown that there exist three different types of extrachromosomally synthesized molecules--i-RNA, i-DNA and extracellular DNA--which bear immunological specific information. These extrachromosomal states of information may be relevant for the generation of antibody diversity.

Human transfer factor prepared by dialysis, ultrafiltration and gel chromatography: biological activity in local transfer of skin sensitivity

Human transfer factor (TF) was prepared by a variety of methods including dialysis using cellophane tubing, ultrafiltration through a membrane of known pore size. Sephadex G25 chromatography or combinations of some of these methods. In general the various preparations when injected locally into human skin gave greater delayed-type responses than antigen (PPD or Candida) alone. The combination of either vacuum dialysis, or ultrafiltration, with G-25 chromatography gave as good or better TF activity when compared with unchromatographed materials. Since ultrafiltration and concentration is rapid procedure and eliminates the need for freeze-drying, in contrast to vacuum dialysis against water, these results indicate that ultrafiltration and G-25 chromatography provide a convenient method for preparing large batches of relatively pure TF from leucocyte extracts.

Therapeutic use of transfer factor

Transfer Factor (TF) was produced by ultrafiltration of repeatedly frozen and thawed, pooled buffy coats of healthy blood donors. One unit of TF Zürich was defined as the cell extract originating from 1 - 2 x 10-9 leucocytes. In collaboration with physicians and immunologists, 409 units TF have been given to 45 patients. Besides local pain and occasional fever no side effects were observed. Immune conversions and beneficial clinical effects were seen in 11 and 10 patients, respectively, out of 12 patients with chronic candidiasis. Immune conversion was also observed in patients with multiple sclerosis, while the clinical effects cannot yet be judged. The series also included patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, HBAg-positive disorders, various immunodeficiency diseases, malignant malanoma and miscellaneous tumours. Immune conversion occurred only occasionally and the clinical effect was either non-existent or not judgeable. In the discussion the results of other investigators using TF therapy are included.

Preliminary characterization of "immunogenic" ribonucleic acid derived from rat peritoneal exudate cells

An "immunogenic" ribonucleic acid (Im-RNA) has been extracted from peritoneal exudate (PE) cells of rats that were immunized with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). Following multiple phenol extractions and deoxyribonuclease treatment, the material obtained from PE cells was eluted from diethylaminoethyl-cellulose at 0.55 M NaCl concentration and partially purified in this procedure by a factor of 7- to 10-fold. After column chromatography, Im-RNA was found to be free of antigen based on results using (51)Cr-labeled SRBC or (14)C-dinitrophenol coupled to methylated bovine serum albumin as antigens. The Im-RNA showed a biphasic hyperchromicity curve when heated. The first phase, from 30 C to 90 C was gradual, accounting for 15.2% hyperchromicity suggestive of transfer RNA melting. No loss in immunogenic activity was observed when the Im-RNA was heated to 90 C. The second phase, from 90 C to 102 C, accounting for 15.2% further hyperchromicity, had a calculated T(m) of 96 C. Heating above 90 C resulted in an irreversible loss of immunogenic activity. These results strongly suggested that the RNA fraction contained a highly ordered secondary structure such as might be found with double-stranded nucleic acid. The nature and function of the Im-RNA is discussed.