The ability of nonspecific T-cell stimulators to induce helper-cell-dependent increases in either polyclonal or isotype-restricted Ig production in vivo

UV photodegradation of murine growth hormone: chemical analysis and immunogenicity consequences

During manufacturing, therapeutic proteins may be exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Such exposure is of concern because UV radiation may cause photooxidative damage to proteins, which in turn could lead to physical changes such as aggregation and enhanced immunogenicity. We exposed murine growth hormone (mGH) to controlled doses of UV radiation, and examined the resulting chemical, physical and immunogenic changes in the protein. mGH chemical structure was analyzed by mass spectrometry after UV irradiation. Photooxidation products detected by mass spectrometry included methionine sulfoxide formed at Met[127] and Met[149] residues, and, tentatively assigned by MS/MS analysis, ether cross-links between original Ser[78] and Cys[188], and Cys[206] and Ser[213], and a thioether cross-link between Cys[17] and Cys[78] residues, transformation of Cys[189] into Ala, and various hydrolytic fragments. Physical damage to UV-irradiated mGH was monitored by infrared spectrometry, chromatographic analyses, and particle counting by micro-flow imaging. UV radiation caused mGH to aggregate, forming insoluble microparticles containing mGH with non-native secondary structure. When administered subcutaneously to Balb/c or Nude Balb/c mice, UV-irradiated mGH provoked antibodies that cross-reacted with unmodified mGH in a fashion consistent with a T-cell dependent immune response. In wildtype Balb/c mice, titers for anti-mGH IgG1 antibodies increased with increasing UV radiation doses.

Glass particles as an adjuvant: a model for adverse immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins

Unwanted immune responses to parenterally administered therapeutic proteins pose serious safety and economic risks, but the mechanism(s) by which these responses are generated are unknown. We measured immune responses to aggregates of recombinant murine growth hormone (mGH) formed by agitation or freeze-thawing, two pharmaceutically relevant stresses, as well as to mGH adsorbed on microscopic glass or alum particles. Insoluble aggregates, even at levels below the detection limits of size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (<1%), induce immune responses when administered subcutaneously. Furthermore, we show that application of high hydrostatic pressures (200 MPa) reduces aggregate levels to 0.02 ng/dose and eliminates immunogenicity.

Antibody responses and body weights of chicken lines selected for high and low humoral responsiveness to sheep red blood cells. 2. Effects of separate application of Freund's Complete and Incomplete Adjuvant and antigen

Antibody (Ab) responses to SRBC, BSA, Mycobacterium butyricum, and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were measured in two chicken lines divergently selected for high and low Ab responses to SRBC, and in a randombred control line. Levels of Ab binding SRBC, BSA, and Mycobacterium protein, but not LPS were higher in the high Ab producing (H) line than in the control (C) and low Ab producing (L) lines (P < 0.05), and at almost every time, the L line showed significantly lower titers than the H and C lines. In the H and C lines, Ab responses to SRBC were enhanced when Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) or Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (IFA) were simultaneously administered on a separate location than SRBC. In the L line, Ab titers to SRBC and BSA were enhanced when antigen was administered emulsified in CFA. At all times until 28 d after sensitization the C and L line birds were significantly heavier than birds of the H line. Body weight, body growth, and percentage body growth were impaired in birds that received antigen emulsified in CFA, which suggested a negative relationship between BW gain and immune responses to Mycobacteria protein. Prolonged divergent selection for Ab responses to SRBC resulted into two lines that not only differ in Ab responses to T cell-dependent antigens but also in BW. In contrast to previous findings with the current lines, line differences with respect to Ab responses were not abolished by CFA treatment.

Influence of Plasmodium chabaudi adami on the isotypic distribution of the antibody response of mice to sheep erythrocytes

The influence of an infection with P. chabaudi adami on the isotypic distribution of the in vivo antibody response to SRBC was investigated. Previous experiments suggested that the IgG1 isotype was poorly represented in the antibody response to plasmodial antigens and in the non-specific B cell response which accompanies an infection with P. chabaudi. The experiments described here indicated that although the magnitude of the total primary or secondary in vivo PFC response to SRBC was relatively unaffected by infection, the SRBC-specific IgG1 PFC response was depressed. Maximum depression of the IgG1 component of the response was observed when the priming dose of SRBC was administered at the same time as or after infection with P. chabaudi organisms. Coincident with the depression in the IgG1 response in infected mice was a corresponding increase in the SRBC-specific IgM response. The IgG1 depression was not a consequence of different kinetics of the generation of an IgG1 response, since at all times measured, the IgG1-PFC response was lower. In addition, the depressed IgG1 responses occurred only during a viable infection and could not be induced by inoculation of large amounts of irradiated erythrocytic stages of the parasite. These data suggest therefore, that there is a selective depression of IgG1 antibodies (but not those of other isotypes) regardless of antigenic specificity as a result of infection of C57BL/6 mice with P. chabaudi adami.

Isotypic pattern of the polyclonal B cell response during primary infection by Plasmodium chabaudi and in immune-protected mice

The primary infection by P. chabaudi induces an increase of the numbers of splenic immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting B cells in both athymic and euthymic BALB/c mice. The isotypic pattern of the polyclonal response is restricted only in euthymic mice where IgG2a, IgG2b and IgM plaque-forming cells (PFC) predominate. In immunized animals, protected against a parasite challenge, the isotypic pattern of splenic PFC is completely different, the IgG1 and IgM isotypes constituting the main part of the response. Reinoculation of immune-protected animals induces a PFC response which is dose dependent and accentuates the characteristic isotypic profile of the immune-protected mice.

Plant lectin, ATF1011, on the tumor cell surface augments tumor-specific immunity through activation of T cells specific for the lectin

The possibility that a plant lectin as a carrier protein would specifically activate T cells, resulting in the augmentation of antitumor immunity was investigated. ATF1011, a nonmitogenic lectin for T cells purified from Aloe arborescens Mill, bound equally to normal and tumor cells. ATF1011 binding on the MM102 tumor cell surfaces augmented anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) antibody production of murine splenocytes when the mice were primarily immunized with TNP-conjugated MM102 tumor cells. The alloreactive cytotoxic T cell response was also augmented by allostimulator cells binding ATF1011 on the cell surfaces. These augmented responses may be assumed to be mediated by the activation of helper T cells recognizing ATF1011 as a carrier protein. Killer T cells were induced against ATF1011 antigen in the H-2 restricted manner using syngeneic stimulator cells bearing ATF1011 on the cell surfaces. When this lectin was administered intralesionally into the tumors, induction of cytotoxic effector cells was demonstrated. These results suggest that intralesionally administered ATF1011 binds to the tumor cell membrane and activates T cells specific for this carrier lectin in situ, which results in the augmented induction of systemic antitumor immunity.

Sensitized (T6 x RFM)F1 donor B cells contribute to hypergammaglobulinemia and to poor primary responses in RFM mice with allogenic host versus graft disease

Experimental host versus graft (HVG) disease is the fatal immunodeficiency syndrome which is induced in susceptible strains of inbred mice by the perinatal inoculation of related F1 hybrid spleen cells. The allogenic HVG reaction results in severe T-cell depletion, but hyperplasia of B cells, of which some are F1 donor in origin. To investigate the role of F1 donor B cells in the development of hyperglobulinemia in HVG mice which respond poorly to primary antigenic challenge, antibodies to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) of (T6 x RFM)F1 donor B-cell origin were used as markers for the engraftment of primed donor B cells in RFM hosts, and as sequential measures of the allogenic reaction on them. F1 donor B cells sensitized to HRP survived different stages of the HVG reaction after inoculation on Day 1 or Day 8 after birth. Tests for the anti-HRP antibody output of RFM host cells, and engrafted HRP-primed and unprimed (T6 x RFM)F1 donor cells suggested that the hyperglobulinemia seen in HVG mice was caused principally by antigen-primed, F1 donor B cells stimulated by the allogenic effect, with or without further exposure to the antigen(s) to which the donors had been sensitized prior to transplantation. The poor primary responses were attributed to the engraftment of the many donor B cells already committed, to the immunological immaturity of the host B cells, and to the lack of T-cell help for adult unprimed F1 donor B cells. Taken together with previous work, the data also suggest that antigen-primed donor B cells were engrafted in preference to equally histoincompatible donor T cells and unprimed donor B cells.

Distribution of immunoglobulin isotypes in the nonspecific B-cell response induced by infection with Plasmodium chabaudi adami and Plasmodium yoelii

The nonspecific B-cell response induced by infecting mice with two nonlethal malaria parasites, Plasmodium chabaudi adami and Plasmodium yoelii, was analyzed in an isotype-specific reverse plaque assay. Our results showed different isotypic patterns in the two infections, although cells secreting immunoglobulin of all isotypes were increased to some extent. P. yoelii induced large increases in secreting cells of all isotypes; IgG2a-secreting cells were increased out of proportion to those of the other IgG classes. P. chabaudi induced large increases in secreting cells of all isotypes except IgG1. In addition, there was not a disproportionate increase in cells secreting IgG2a. The data show that these "polyclonal" responses are different during each infection. There are marked similarities between the distribution of "nonspecific isotypes" and the specific antibodies formed in each infection.