Decreased expression of H-2 antigens following acute measles virus infection

Phenotypic changes in Langerhans' cells after infection with arboviruses: a role in the immune response to epidermally acquired viral infection?

The role of Langerhans cells (LC) in the initiation of an immune response to a viral infection remains unclear. In vivo epidermal infection with the arboviruses West Nile virus and Semliki Forest virus significantly increased the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II antigens, CD54, and CD80 on LC. Thus, during an epidermally acquired viral infection, local LC appear to mature to a phenotype approximating that of lymphoid dendritic cells. This change may be important in the activation of naïve T cells and the subsequent clearance of viral infection.

Persistent measles virus infection enhances major histocompatibility complex class I expression and immunogenicity of murine neuroblastoma cells

The effect of persistent measles virus infection on the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens was studied. Mouse neuroblastoma cells C1300, clone NS20Y, were persistently infected with the Edmonston strain of measles virus. The persistently infected cell line, NS20Y/MS, expressed augmented levels of both H-2Kk and H-2Dd MHC class I glycoproteins. Activation of two interferon(IFN)-induced enzymes, known to be part of the IFN system: (2'-5')oligoadenylate synthetase and double-stranded-RNA-activated protein kinase, was detected. Measles-virus-infected cells elicited cytotoxic T lymphocytes that recognized and lysed virus-infected and uninfected neuroblastoma cells in an H-2-restricted fashion. Furthermore, immunization of mice with persistently infected cells conferred resistance to tumor growth after challenge with the highly malignant NS20Y cells. The rationale for using measles virus for immunotherapy is that most patients develop lifelong immunity after recovery or vaccination from this infection. Patients developing cancer are likely to have memory cells. A secondary response induced by measles-virus-infected cells may therefore induce an efficient immune response against non-infected tumour cells.

Flavivirus infection up-regulates the expression of class I and class II major histocompatibility antigens on and enhances T cell recognition of astrocytes in vitro

West Nile virus (WNV) infection of astrocytes can up-regulate their expression of both class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens as determined by flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies specific for class I and class II MHC antigens. The up-regulation of class I MHC antigen expression could be partly caused by interferon secreted after WNV infection because the synthetic interferon inducer polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) has similar effects. In contrast the up-regulation of class II MHC antigen expression was not induced by poly I:C. The increased MHC antigen expression by WNV infection had significant effects on T cell recognition. Thus, WNV and influenza virus A/WSN double-infected astrocytes but not astrocytes infected by A/WSN alone were lysed by influenza virus-immune cytotoxic T cells. Similarly, WNV-infected astrocytes were better stimulators than normal astrocytes for a class II MHC-reactive T cell line, both in terms of T cell proliferation and interleukin release.

The relationship between MHC antigen expression and metastasis

From the studies summarized here a complex picture of the role played by MHC products in determining tumorigenicity and metastasis is emerging. In order to be able to understand this relationship better, it is necessary to consider several factors. 1. Each tumor system or neoplastic tissue is unique, and its behavior reflects the influence of cell-specific characteristics, as well as its ability to modulate other cells and tissues--including cells belonging to the immune system--and also to be modulated by other cells and soluble factors. 2. Since metastasis formation is a multistep process in which only small subpopulations of tumor cells with complex and defined phenotypes are able to colonize secondary tissues, elimination of even one single phenotypic component of this structured process can easily reverse the metastatic capacity of the cells. Acquisition of metastatic ability, on the other hand, would be a more difficult task, since any new characteristic expressed by the cells or induced experimentally, such as gene transfection or results of IFN treatment, must be expressed in a temporal manner and in concert with other cellular characteristics. Therefore, an experimental protocol measuring a specific element in determining metastasis can easily produce conflicting results, depending on the type of cells and genetic background of the host studied. 3. The level of specific MHC products on tumor cells is one among many other cell characteristics that may determine the metastatic potential of cells. Moreover, each of the class 1 MHC products, and the relationship among them, including other than the classical K, L, or D products (Brickell et al., 1983), should be regarded as independent entities, with possible different regulatory roles in cell-cell recognition, in a general sense, which may be involved in determining invasiveness and homing as well as recognition by the immune system. 4. Both specific T-cell and nonspecific natural mediated immunity (which is much less understood) are involved in the selection of the metastatic cell population. 5. Immunogenicity of tumors is not necessarily determined by high levels of MHC antigen expression; it is also dependent on the level of TSA. Thus, immunoselection mediated by T lymphocytes during metastasis formation could be directed against both MHC and TSA antigens. Therefore, low expression of MHC antigens by metastatic cells as a result of immunoselection is not always observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Enhancement of class I HLA antigen expression by cytomegalovirus: role in amplification of virus infection

We have investigated the effect of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on the expression of class I HLA antigens on fibroblasts in vitro. Scanning and integrating microdensitometry was used to quantitate the level of cytoplasmic class I antigen expression, and an antibody binding assay was used to quantitate cell surface expression of class I HLA molecules. CMV infection resulted in a significant increase in the level of cytoplasmic and cell surface class I HLA antigen expression of fibroblast monolayers. The maximal effect was seen at 72 hours postinfection and was observed with both the laboratory strain of CMV, strain AD169, and with CMV purified directly from clinical specimens. Part of the increased HLA expression was mediated by interferon released from infected cells; however, an additional direct effect of the virus itself has not been ruled out. Interferon-induced increased expression of class I HLA antigens was accompanied by increased binding of CMV to the cells, consistent with our recent demonstration that class I HLA molecules can function as a cellular receptor for CMV.

Effect of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 on surface expression of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens on infected cells

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) generated in C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice in response to infection with the serologically distinct herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2) were cross-reactive against target cells infected with either serotype. However, HSV-2-infected cells were shown to be much less susceptible to CTL-mediated lysis, and analysis through the use of HSV-1 X HSV-2 intertypic recombinants mapped the reduced susceptibility to a region contained within 0.82 to 1.00 map units of the HSV-2 genome. The study reported here was undertaken to determine the possible reasons for the reduced susceptibility of HSV-2-infected cells to lysis by CTL. Competition for the specific lysis of labeled HSV-1-infected cells by either HSV-1- or HSV-2-infected, unlabeled inhibitor cells and frequency analysis of the CTL precursor able to recognize HSV-1- and HSV-2-infected cells suggested that the reduced susceptibility of HSV-2-infected cells to lysis could be explained, at least in part, by reduced levels of target cell recognition. A determination of the surface expression of the critical elements involved in target cell recognition by CTL following infection with HSV-1 or HSV-2 revealed that all the major HSV-specific glycoprotein species were expressed. Infection with both HSV-1 and HSV-2 caused a reduction in the expression of the class I H-2 antigens. However, this reduction was much greater following infection with HSV-2. This suggested that one important factor contributing to reduced lysis of HSV-2-infected cells may be the altered or reduced expression of the class I H-2 self-antigens.

Induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity to measles virus in mice

Intracutaneous injection of inactivated measles virus (MV) into hind footpads of BALB/c mice infected 5 to 11 days previously with MV produces a strong delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response. Pretreatment of mice with cyclophosphamide (CP) results in a significantly stronger response. In CP-pretreated mice, the optimal infecting dose of live MV and the restimulating amount of inactivated MV are approximately 10(7) plaque-forming units and 2 micrograms/mouse, respectively. The optimal time after infection for measuring DTH to MV is 7 days, while the optimal CP-pretreatment concentration is 200 mg/kg. The DTH response generated by MV is specific and not caused by fetal calf serum or Vero cell antigens. MV DTH is transferable to uninfected mice with lymph node cells. Transfer of DTH is sensitive to treatment with anti-Thy 1.2 serum plus complement, indicating the response is T cell dependent. With this sensitive assay for measuring cell-mediated immunity to MV, it will now be possible to analyze T cell cross-reactivity among paramyxoviruses and assess viral cell-mediated immunity in mice infected with neuroadapted MV.

Variation in H-2 antigen expression on lymphomyeloid cells in semi-allogeneic irradiation chimeras

Spleen cells from 30 individual murine irradiation chimeras of the type (P1 X P2)F1----P1 were compared in a rosetting assay for H-2K and H-2D cell surface antigen expression with normal (P1 X P2)F1 hybrid controls. Eleven out of the 30 chimeras were in the normal range, but the other 19 differed from F1 controls by 4- to 100-fold in endpoint titre for at least one H-2K or H-2D antigen. Every possible class of variation was found, i.e. up or down variation of H-2K or H-2D antigens of P1 or P2 type. This evidence, together with data from T6 chromosome marker experiments which also showed full reconstitution of lethally irradiated P1 recipients by (P1 X P2)F1 donor lymphomyeloid stem cells, suggested that incomplete reconstitution was not the cause of H-2 antigenic variation. Low expression of P2 H-2 antigens on spleen cells derived from (P1 X P2)F1----P1 chimeras was investigated further. Fifteen lethally irradiated (P1 X P2)F1 recipients of bone marrow cells from two such chimeras were all of normal F1 H-2 phenotype when tested 10-12 weeks after reconstitution, thus excluding stable, low P2 H-2-expressing variant F1 stem cells as a cause of the phenomenon. If P1 recipients were hyperimmunized against P2 cells before lethal irradiation and reconstitution with (P1 X P2)F1 stem cells, there were significantly fewer Till- McCulloch colonies in their spleens 10 days after reconstitution than in spleens of unimmunized controls. Also greater than 90% of immunized recipients died by 6 weeks after stem cell injection but two survivors both showed very low levels of P2 H-2K and H-2D antigens. These results together with previously published evidence of anti-P2 Tc cell activity and P2 skin graft rejection in (P1 X P2)F1----P1 chimeras suggested that residual anti-P2 immunological capability in lethally irradiated P1 recipients may be associated with low P2 H-2 expression on their F1-derived spleen cells, although the mechanism does not involve selection of stable, variant F1 stem cells. The mechanism(s) of other classes of variation in H-2 expression in (P1 X P2)F1----P1 chimeras were not investigated.