The phytoestrogen genistein suppresses cell-mediated immunity in mice

The soy phytoestrogen, genistein, induces thymic atrophy when administered to ovariectomized mice by injection or in the diet. Injected genistein also causes decreased humoral immunity, but the effects of genistein on cell-mediated immunity have not been addressed. Here we examined effects of injected and dietary genistein on cell-mediated immune responses. Female C57BL/6 mice (25- to 27-days-old) were ovariectomized, then placed on phytoestrogen-free feed 5 days later. Seven days after ovariectomy, they were given daily subcutaneous injections of either dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or genistein (8, 20, 80 mg/kg) for 28 days; some mice were given 80 mg/kg genistein plus the anti-estrogen ICI 182,780 (5 mg/kg/week). Cell-mediated immune response was tested by analyzing the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to a hapten, 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl succinimide (NP-O-SU), at the end of treatment. Reversibility of the effects of genistein was tested by measuring the DTH response in mice that were given genistein (20 or 80 mg/kg) for 28 days, then allowed to recover for 28 days. To determine if dietary genistein could affect cell-mediated immunity, mice ovariectomized as above were fed genistein at 0, 1000 or 1500 parts per million (ppm) for 28 days. There was a 46-67% decrease in the DTH response in the footpads of mice injected with 8-80 mg/kg genistein compared with controls (P<0.05 vs control for all treatment groups); these effects were reversible. On histopathological examination of the feet, there was decreased cell infiltration in genistein-treated animals compared with controls, and the numbers of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in popliteal lymph nodes were reduced. The effects of genistein are mediated through both estrogen receptor (ER) and non-ER pathways, as the anti-estrogen ICI 182,780 only partially blocked the effects of genistein on the DTH response. Dietary genistein (1000 or 1500 ppm) decreased cell-mediated immunity while producing serum genistein concentrations in the physiological range for humans under certain nutritional conditions. Further work is needed to determine if dietary genistein and phytoestrogen exposure can produce effects on cell-mediated immunity in humans or other animals under various nutritional conditions.

'Troy-bodies': antibodies as vector proteins for T cell epitopes

A major objective in vaccine development is the design of reagents that give a strong, specific T cell response. Targeting of antigens to antigen presenting cells (APC) results in enhanced antigen presentation and T cell activation. In this paper, we describe a novel targeting reagent denoted 'Troy-bodies', namely recombinant antibodies with APC-specificity and with T cell epitopes integrated in their C regions. We have made such antibodies with V regions specific for either IgD or MHC class II, and five different T cell epitopes have been tested. All epitopes could be introduced into loops of C domains without disrupting immunoglobulin (Ig) folding. Four have been tested in T cell activation studies, and all could be released and presented by APC. Furthermore, whether IgD- or MHC-specific, the molecules tested enhanced T cell stimulation compared to non-specific control antibodies in vitro as well as in vivo. Using this technology, specific reagents can be designed that target selected antigenic peptides to an APC of choice. Troy-bodies may therefore be useful for manipulation of immune responses, and in particular for vaccination purposes.

Metal-binding chimeric antibodies expressed in Escherichia coli

Metallothionein, a well-characterized biological chelator of metals, has been genetically fused to the binding domain of an antibody and expressed in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. Specific delivery of 109Cd to immobilized hapten or to haptenated cells was demonstrated directly in periplasmic extracts. This approach is potentially useful for targeted radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. We find six to seven atoms of metal per active antigen-combining site. Absence of the Fc portion of the immunoglobulin along with low immunogenicity of metallothionein-metal complexes should reduce immunologic reactions.

4-Hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl (NP) acetyl-hapten specific lymphocyte proliferation. I. Mice bearing Igh-1b allotype can cross-react with 4-hydroxy-5-iodo-3-nitrophenyl (NIP) acetyl hapten

Hapten specific T cell proliferation was induced in several strains of mice. When lymph node T cells from 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl-keyhole lympet hemocyanin (NP-KLH)-primed mice were stimulated in vitro with NP-polymer glutamic acid-lysine-phenyl alanine (NP-GL phi) or NP-ovalbumin (NP-OVA), they displayed a good level of proliferative responses. It was observed that NP-GL phi could induce NP-hapten specific proliferation even with NP-KLH lymphocytes from GL phi nonresponder strains. NP-KLH primed lymphocytes from C57BL/6 (H-2b, Igh-1b), CKB (H-2k, Igh-1b), CWB (H-2b, Igh-1b), and B10.BR (H-2k, Igh-1b) mice showed good proliferative responses to both 4-hydroxy-5-iodo-3-nitrophenyl (NIP) acetyl-GL phi and NIP-OVA antigens. However, NP-KLH primed lymphocytes from C3H/He (H-2k, Igh-1j) and C3H. SW (H-2b, Igh-1j) mice displayed poor proliferative responses to NIP-GL phi and NIP-OVA antigen. These results suggested that the gene coding for the NIP-cross-reaction might be mapped in the Ig heavy-chain linked locus.

Receptor-blocking factor present in immune serum resembling auto-anti-idiotype antibody

Previous studies have shown that rabbit antibody-forming cells in the primary and secondary response possess cell-associated antigen-binding receptors. In the present study, we demonstrate that a factor appears in the serum of rabbits following immunization which inhibits the antigen binding of up to 60% of the receptor-bearing antibody-forming cells in both the primary and secondary response. These observations were made on lymph node cells from rabbits primed with either sheep red blood cells (SRBC)3 or 3-nitro-4-hydroxy-5-iodophenylacetic acid coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (NIP-KLH). The inhibitory activity is not associated with anti-SRBC or anti-NIP antibody. In the primary response to SRBC, the antigen binding by day 6 antibody-forming cells is inhibited by the autologous days 7 to 10 inactivated and absorbed serum. In the secondary response to SRBC, the inhibitory factor peaks in the serum around day 10. Later, in both the primary and secondary immune response to SRBC, the inhibitory activity of the serum decreases rapidly. In the primary response to NIP-KLH, the inhibitory activity of the immune sera increased from day 7 through day 14. The receptor-inhibiting factor is antigen specific since the serum from SRBC-primed rabbits inhibits SRBC binding by anti-SRBC antibody-forming cells, but it does not inhibit NIP binding by anti-NIP antibody-forming cells. Similarly, serum from NIP-KLH-primed rabbits inhibits NIP binding by anti-NIP antibody-forming cells, but does not inhibit the SRBC receptor on the anti-SRBC antibody-forming cells. The inhibition is not due to the presence of antihapten or anti-SRBC antibody competing with receptor sites, since the immune sera from one SRBC-primed animal inhibit antigen binding of its own antibody-forming cells, but do not inhibit the antigen binding of antibody-forming cells from other SRBC-primed rabbits.

Antigen-induced aggregation and modulation of receptors on hapten-specific B lymphocytes

Mouse spleen cells were subjected to a fractionation procedure designed to enrich for 4-hydroxy-3-iodo-5-nitro-phenylacetyl (NIP)- or DNP-specific B lymphocytes, which depended on adherence of specific cells to a layer of hapten-gelatin at 4 degrees C, recovery of bound cells by melting, and digestion of adherent antigen by collagenase. A population of cells resulted which contained 90% typical B cells and 37% of cells capable of binding a fluorescent, haptenated polymeric protein. Fractionated cells were reacted in vitro with fluorescent conjugates of the specific haptens with polymerized flagellin [NIP-polymerized flagellin (POL)-tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate conjugate or DNP-POL-fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate] under a variety of conditions, with the aim of investigating the behavior of Ig receptors on B lymphocytes after exposure to antigen; Experiments were performed with immunogenic and tolerogenic concentrations of antigen. Furthermore, four experimental designs were used, namely: (a) brief labeling with fluorescent antigen followed by culture without antigen (pulse design); (b) culture in the continuous presence of fluorescent antigen (continuous-labeling design); (c) culture in the continuous presence of nonlabeled antigen followed by labeling of unoccupied receptors by fluorescent antigen (receptor status design); and (d) culture with nonlabeled antigen for 2 h followed by incubation without further antigen for 20 h and labeling with fluorescent antigen (modulation design). Further insight into receptor occupancy and distribution was gained by the use of fluorescent antihapten and antiglobulin reagents. It was found that both immunogenic and tolerogenic antigen concentrations caused rapid patching and capping of the receptors to which they attached, followed by endocytosis and probably some shedding of Ig receptors. However, a proportion of cells continued to bear some cell surface antigen for 24 h. The immunogenic antigen concentration failed to completely remove the receptor coat from the cell surface. At all stages of immunogenesis, plentiful unoccupied receptors could be demonstrated. The tolerogenic concentration nearly saturated available receptors, and in its continuous presence, only few unoccupied or antigen-occupied surface receptors could be detected after 24 h of culture. Experiments of the modulation design showed that brief incubation with the tolerogenic concentration appeared to suppress receptor resynthesis, as few new receptors could be demonstrated after 20 h of further culture without antigen. Experiments were performed to determine whether fractionated cells prepared from spleens of 8-day-old mice showed an unusual tendency for modulation, even with immunogenic antigen concentrations. They were found to behave essentially like adult fractionated cells. The results are discussed in the framework of current theories of B-lymphocyte activation and tolerization.