Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0033036 (APC)
 10,214 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent APC that, in mature form, can be distinguished from other mononuclear cells on the basis of their distinct morphology, absence of lineage markers, and dense expression of MHC and costimulatory molecules. While comparing different DC preparation methods, we observed that DC derived from cultured PBMC that had been depleted of CD2+ cells before culture were functionally distinct from DC derived from PBMC that had not been depleted of CD2+ cells. Thus, both types of DC stimulated allogeneic T cells to proliferate in the MLR, but only DC derived from CD2+ precursors could sensitize naive T cells to soluble Ags such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin and HIV gp160 glycoprotein. Subsequent studies confirmed the existence of CD2+ and CD2- DC precursor populations among HLA-DRbright, lineage-negative PBMC. Immediately after their isolation, these populations were morphologically similar to one another by light and electron microscopy, and neither had substantial Ag-presenting activity. After culture for 24 to 48 h with supernatant from PHA-activated PBMC, both populations developed dendrites, formed clusters with T cells, and stimulated allogeneic T cell responses in the MLR as well as autologous T cell responses to tetanus toxoid, a recall Ag. However, CD2+ DC precursors alone gave rise to APC that presented soluble Ags to naive CD4+ T cells, a property that could be inhibited by Abs to CD4, CD11a, and CD28 on T cells or CD86 on DC. The expression of CD54 and CD86 on CD2+ DC precursors was increased markedly after their culture and differentiation, while the expression of these molecules on CD2- DC precursors was not remarkably changed. These findings reveal the existence of two functionally distinct populations of DC, each derived from a phenotypically distinct precursor present in monocyte-depleted peripheral blood.
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PMID:Dendritic cells that process and present nominal antigens to naive T lymphocytes are derived from CD2+ precursors. 903 58

Peptides that consist of two tandemly repeated epitopes joined by a flexible linker have an increased affinity for class II molecules and are more potent at inducing proliferation of T cell clones than monomeric epitopes. The increase in potency of peptides with two epitopes for individual T cell clones is proportional to the relative CD4 dependence of the clones. We show that epitope dimers activate T cell clones that respond sub-optimally to monomeric epitopes presented by APC from HIV-infected donors. We hypothesize that HIV+ APC normally fail to stimulate the clones because virally encoded gp 120 sequesters CD4 from the activation complex, but epitope dimers overcome this effect because they are better able to recruit CD4. The alpha beta heterodimer of human class II (HLA-DR1) is further ordered as a dimer of heterodimers (superdimer) at least in its crystal form. Since class II molecules have an open-ended antigen binding groove, the superdimer is theoretically permissive of stable binding of two peptide epitopes linked in tandem. Our data support a role for the MHC class II dimer of heterodimers in amplifying the proliferative response of T cells to antigen by dint of the superdimers having a higher affinity for CD4 than the nominal class II alpha beta heterodimers.
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PMID:Tandem peptide epitopes facilitate CD4-dependent activation of T cell clones. 910 67

The Th cell response elicited by an HIV-1 env plasmid DNA vaccine was assessed in rhesus monkeys by isolation of gp120-specific, MHC class II-restricted CD4+ T cell lines from PBL of vaccinated animals. The Env-specific CD4+ T cell lines recognized epitopes located in the second hypervariable region and in the carboxyl terminus of HIV-1 gp120. These cell lines proliferated in response to APC in the presence of recombinant gp120, as well as to APC expressing virally encoded Env. All of the CD4+ T cell lines responded to Env peptide by secreting IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha without appreciable IL-4 production. Recombinant gp120 stimulation of PBL from these vaccinated monkeys elicited the secretion of a similar profile of cytokines. Demonstration of a nucleotide vaccine eliciting a Th1-like immune response is consistent with the well documented ability of naked DNA vaccines to induce durable CD8+ CTL responses.
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PMID:HIV-1 env DNA vaccine administered to rhesus monkeys elicits MHC class II-restricted CD4+ T helper cells that secrete IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. 912 13

Protection against most intracellular pathogens requires T cells that recognize pathogen-derived peptides in association with MHC class I molecules on the surface of infected cells. However, because exogenous proteins do not ordinarily enter the cytosol and access the MHC class I-processing pathway, protein-based vaccines that induce class I-restricted CTL responses have proved difficult to design. We have addressed this problem by conjugating proteins, such as OVA, to a short cationic peptide derived from HIV-1 tat (residues 49-57). When APC were exposed in vitro to such protein conjugates, they processed and presented the peptides in association with MHC class I molecules and stimulated CD8+ Ag-specific T cells. Moreover, Ag-specific CTLs were generated in vivo by immunizing mice with histocompatible dendritic cells that had been exposed to protein-tat conjugates.
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PMID:Introduction of soluble proteins into the MHC class I pathway by conjugation to an HIV tat peptide. 925 26

The monocytic/macrophagic lineage has an antigen presenting cell function also towards HIV. On the basis of this fact, a new method, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for measurement of p24 from monocytes was used. The results were compared to an amplified enzymatic test for serum dissociated p24 detection in 14 HIV negative individuals at risk for HIV and 12 HIV positive patients. Only one seronegative, who had a symptomatic primary HIV infection, had a positive IIF and also an elevated level of p24 in serum. The others had a negative IIF and, 6 months after the specimen, were not positive to the routine methods for detection of anti-HIV antibodies. Seronegative subjects not at risk for HIV were consistently negative to IIF. Among the HIV positive patients 4 were positive to IIF and the remaining 5 were positive to routine methods. Divergent results could be explained by the fact that one test measures cell derived antigen and the other serum antigen and that monocytes can loose APC function in the advanced stages of the illness. The test proved to be cheap and simple, and it is possible to hypothesize an application of it as a support test for the early diagnosis of HIV infection in laboratories not endowed with high levels of technology. Moreover, the results of the amplified p24 ELISA test in 44 seronegative at risk test are reported herein.
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PMID:Detection of HIV p24 from antigen presenting monocytes for early diagnosis of HIV-1 infection. 936 Apr 14

Dendritic cells (DC) are potent APC that may be involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. We studied the APC function of DC from HIV-1-infected subjects that were derived from monocyte-depleted PBMC by culture in human IL-4 and human granulocyte-macrophage CSF. The cultured cells from the HIV-1-infected subjects had similar morphology and phenotype of mature DC (CD80 = 41 +/- 8%, CD86 = 77 +/- 5%, CD40 = 87 +/- 6%, CD1a = 1 +/- 1%) to DC cultured from seronegative subjects. The yield of these DC was lower than from HIV-1-seronegative subjects (4 +/- 0% vs 11 +/- 2%, p < 0.01), and the lower DC yields correlated with lower numbers of blood CD4+ T cells (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) and higher plasma viral load (r = -0.49, p < 0.01). DC from HIV-1-infected subjects were infected with recombinant vaccinia virus vectors expressing Gag, Pol, and Env and were able to stimulate equal or higher levels of MHC class I-restricted, anti-HIV-1 memory CTL (CTLm) than were similarly treated, autologous B lymphocyte cell lines. DC pulsed with peptides representing HIV-1 CTL epitopes stimulated higher levels of anti-HIV-1 CTLm responses than did DC infected with the vaccinia virus-HIV-1 constructs. Allogeneic, MHC class I-matched DC also stimulated anti-HIV-1 CTLm activity in cells from HIV-1-infected subjects. DC from early and late stages of HIV-1 infection had a similar ability to activate CTLm specific for targets expressing either HIV-1 genes via vaccinia virus vectors or HIV-1 immunodominant synthetic peptides. However, DC from either early or late stages of HIV-1 infection could not overcome the defect in anti-HIV-1 CTLm response in advanced infection.
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PMID:Cultured blood dendritic cells retain HIV-1 antigen-presenting capacity for memory CTL during progressive HIV-1 infection. 936 24

T cell receptor (TCR) triggering via superantigens induces decreased proliferative responses and increased apoptosis in T cells from HIV-infected patients compared with controls. Our aim was to delineate the role of intrinsic T cell defects, of APC dysfunction and of cytokines and costimulatory signal dysregulation in the deficient responses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from HIV+ subjects to the superantigen Staphylococcus enterotoxin A (SEA). Proliferation and IL-2R alpha up-regulation on SEA-stimulated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in whole blood were reduced in HIV+ subjects with CD4 counts < 500, compared with controls. Neither addition of IL-2, IL-12 or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) nor neutralization of endogenous IL-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), TNF-beta or transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) could restore the decreased activation by SEA. Possible intrinsic T cell defects were studied by presenting SEA on HLA-DR-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, co-expressing LFA3 and/or CD80, to purified T cells. In this system CD8+ T cells from most HIV+ patients were hyporesponsive with regard to IL-2 production, IL-2R alpha up-regulation and proliferation, whereas clearly reduced responses were only shown in CD4+ T cells from AIDS patients. Similarly, apoptosis was increased in CD8+ T cells from all patients, but only in CD4+ T cells from AIDS patients. During HIV infection, the responses to TCR triggering through SEA are deficient in both T cell subsets. The intrinsic defect appears earlier during disease progression in purified CD8+ T than in CD4+ T cells, it occurs in conjunction with both CD2 and CD28 costimulation, and it is correlated with increased levels of apoptosis.
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PMID:Superantigen activation of CD4+ and CD8+T cells from HIV-infected subjects: role of costimulatory molecules and antigen-presenting cells (APC) 947 54

We evaluated 81 thalassaemia major and 4 thalassaemia intermedia patients (48 M, 37 F), median age 17 years; 62/85 patients were HCV-positive, 3/85 HIV-positive, 19/85 were splenectomized. Forty normal healthy children were recruited as the control group. The number of thrombotic events was studied retrospectively. Platelet poor plasma was filtered and quick-frozen at -70 degrees C until time of assay. APC resistance was measured in an activated thromboplastin time and results were expressed as normalized ratio. All tests were done with diluted 1 in 5 (v/v) factor V deficient plasma and with undiluted plasma. Molecular genetic investigation of factor V gene was performed with polymerase chain reaction, followed by digestion of amplified products with restriction enzyme Mnl I. Data obtained with molecular investigation revealed the presence of 4 heterozygous subjects for factor V Leiden (4.7%). Functional tests were able to detect all heterozygotes for factor V Leiden both with undiluted and with diluted plasma, and there were no false negative subjects. However, undiluted plasma revealed a greater number of false positive subjects (n=15) than did diluted plasma. Therefore, tests done with undiluted and diluted plasma revealed a 100% sensitivity, while specificity was 81% for undiluted plasma and 97% for diluted plasma. Only one thrombotic event was observed in one of the 85 studied patients, as a case of stroke in a thalassaemia intermedia patient with APC resistance. In the same patient an additional thrombogenic risk factor was represented by a pronounced haematocrit increase at the beginning of her transfusion regimen.
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PMID:Resistance to activated protein C in thalassaemic patients: an underlying cause of thrombosis. 971 25

Vaccine strategies designed to elicit strong cell-mediated immune responses to HIV Ags are likely to lead to protective immunity against HIV infection. Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent APCs capable of priming both MHC class I- and II-restricted, Ag-specific T cell responses. Utilizing a system in which cultured DC from HIV-seronegative donors were used as APC to present HIV-1 Ags to autologous T cells in vitro, the strength and specificity of primary HIV-specific CTL responses generated to exogenous HIV-1 Nef protein as well as intracellularly expressed nef transgene product were investigated. DC expressing the nef gene were able to stimulate Nef-specific CTL, with T cells from several donors recognizing more than one epitope restricted by a single HLA molecule. Primary Nef-specific CTL responses were also generated in vitro using DC pulsed with Nef protein. T cells primed with Nef-expressing DC (via protein or transgene) were able to lyse MHC class I-matched target cells pulsed with defined Nef epitope peptides as well as newly identified peptide epitopes. The addition of Th1-biasing cytokines IL-12 or IFN-alpha, during priming with Nef-expressing DC, enhanced the Nef-specific CTL responses generated using either Ag-loading approach. These results suggest that this in vitro vaccine model may be useful in identifying immunogenic epitopes as vaccine targets and in evaluating the effects of cytokines and other adjuvants on Ag-specific T cell induction. Successful approaches may provide information important to the development of prophylactic HIV vaccines and are envisioned to be readily translated into clinical DC-based therapeutic vaccines for HIV-1.
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PMID:HIV-1-specific CTL responses primed in vitro by blood-derived dendritic cells and Th1-biasing cytokines. 1007 60

Activation of T cells requires both TCR-specific ligation by direct contact with peptide Ag-MHC complexes and coligation of the B7 family of ligands through CD28/CTLA-4 on the T cell surface. We recently reported that coadministration of CD86 cDNA along with DNA encoding HIV-1 Ags i.m. dramatically increased Ag-specific CTL responses. We investigated whether the bone marrow-derived professional APCs or muscle cells were responsible for the enhancement of CTL responses following CD86 coadministration. Accordingly, we analyzed CTL induction in bone marrow chimeras. These chimeras are capable of generating functional viral-specific CTLs against vaccinia virus and therefore represent a useful model system to study APC/T cell function in vivo. In vaccinated chimeras, we observed that only CD86 + Ag + MHC class I results in 1) detectable CTLs following in vitro restimulation, 2) detectable direct CTLs, 3) enhanced IFN-gamma production in an Ag-specific manner, and 4) dramatic tissue invasion of T cells. These results support that CD86 plays a central role in CTL induction in vivo, enabling non-bone marrow-derived cells to prime CTLs, a property previously associated solely with bone marrow-derived APCs.
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PMID:CD86 (B7-2) can function to drive MHC-restricted antigen-specific CTL responses in vivo. 1009 97


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