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)

The study of liver dendritic cells (DC) and their progenitors is restricted by the small numbers that can be isolated or propagated from normal hepatic tissue. We examined the ex vivo growth, phenotype, and function of these cells after the administration to mice of the recently cloned hemopoietic growth factor flt3 ligand (FL), which is highly effective in mobilizing stem/progenitor cells. FL treatment (10 microg/day for 10 days) resulted in a mean 14-fold increase in the absolute number of nonparenchymal cells recovered from collagenase-digested livers compared with the control value. Culture of these nonparenchymal cells in granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF; 1000 U/ml) resulted in the early formation of proliferating cell clusters and maximal release (within 4-5 days) of markedly increased numbers of nonadherent, low buoyant density cells per liver. Maximal release of low buoyant density cells propagated from control livers was at the later time of 6 to 8 days. Cells from both sources were DEC-205+, CD11c+, MHC class II+, CD80(low) (i.e., low level of CD80), CD86(low) and CD40(low). This immature phenotype was linked to poor T cell allostimulatory activity, indicative of DC progenitors. Propagation of cells from livers of FL-treated mice in GM-CSF and IL-4 resulted in a more mature DC phenotype and function. Maturational changes were also observed following exposure of the GM-CSF-stimulated progenitors to type 1 collagen for 3 additional days. The ability of FL to boost production of large numbers of liver DC progenitors provides opportunities for the further study of these important APC in normal liver immunobiology and in immune-mediated hepatic disorders.
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PMID:In vivo administration of flt3 ligand markedly stimulates generation of dendritic cell progenitors from mouse liver. 937 22

We describe a subset of peripheral CD14+ cells, coexpressing the CD34 progenitor marker and able to migrate across endothelial cell monolayers. On culture with granulocyte-macrophage-CSF, this population differentiated into dendritic cells expressing CD83, CD80, HLA-DR(bright), CD86, and CD54. These dendritic cells were immunostimulatory, in that they induced proliferation of allogenic and tetanus toxoid-specific T lymphocytes. The CD14+ CD34+ population expressed higher levels of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and alpha4beta1 integrin than the CD14+ CD34- counterpart, being dull positive for other integrins. Using stably transfected PECAM-1+, VCAM-1+, or ICAM-1+ cells, we found that PECAM-1 and, to a lesser extent, VCAM-1, could support transmigration of CD14+ CD34+ cells, whereas the alphaL-ICAM-1 interaction was involved in cell adhesion. PECAM-1-driven transmigration was conceivably dependent on a haptotactic gradient, as it was reduced by 80% across NIH3T3 cells transfected with the PECAM-1-delta cyto deletion mutant. This mutant lacks the cytoplasmic tail and displays a reduced tendency to localize at the intercellular junctions, thus failing to form a molecular junctional gradient. Once differentiated, dendritic cells derived from CD14+ CD34+ precursors retained their transendothelial migratory capability, using both PECAM-1 and ICAM-1 for transmigration. We suggest that a subset of CD14+ CD34+ circulating leukocytes can localize to peripheral tissues and differentiate into functional dendritic cells, thus representing a functional reservoir of potential APC. PECAM-1, constitutively expressed on vascular endothelium, is likely to play a relevant role in the egress of this population from the bloodstream.
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PMID:CD14+ CD34+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells migrate across endothelium and give rise to immunostimulatory dendritic cells. 951 Jan 66

Cholera toxin (CT) is a potent mucosal immunogen and adjuvant that can strongly prime mucosal T cells. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of CT on the expression and functional activity of the costimulatory molecules B7.1 and B7.2 on macrophages and the relationship of these effects to the mucosal adjuvanticity of CT. Bone marrow macrophages (BMM) were generated by culturing bone marrow with macrophage CSF or granulocyte-macrophage CSF. After treatment with either CT alone or IFN-gamma alone, B7.2 expression on BMM was moderately up-regulated and was further increased when BMM were treated with both CT and IFN-gamma together. Interestingly, CT had no effect on B7.1 expression despite the close relationship between these two molecules. Up-regulation of B7.2 expression by CT was mediated by intracellular cAMP production, in that CT-B subunit had no effect and dibutyryl cAMP could mimic the effect. CT increased functional costimulatory activity of macrophages for both anti-CD3-stimulated and allostimulated T cells, an increase that was blocked by anti-B7.2, but not anti-B7.1, Ab. B7.2 expression by Mac1+ Peyer's patch cells was increased after intraluminal exposure to CT in vivo. Treatment of mice with anti-B7.2 Ab in vivo inhibited both the mucosal adjuvanticity and the immunogenicity of CT. We conclude that CT enhances the costimulatory activity of mucosal APC by differentially up-regulating B7.2 expression, an effect that appears to be important for its mucosal adjuvanticity and immunogenicity.
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PMID:The mucosal adjuvanticity of cholera toxin involves enhancement of costimulatory activity by selective up-regulation of B7.2 expression. 954 69

We have cloned a novel human CC-chemokine, alternative macrophage activation-associated CC-chemokine (AMAC)-1. The isolated cDNA clone (803 bp) shows a single open reading frame of 267-bp coding for 89 amino acid residues; mature AMAC-1 protein is predicted to consist of 69 amino acids with a m.w. of 7855. Sequence alignment and 3D-modeling show the typical structural characteristics of CC-chemokines with special features in the receptor-activating domain. AMAC-1 is most closely related to MIP-1 alpha with a cDNA and protein sequence homology of 55% and 59%, respectively. However, the expression pattern of AMAC-1 is directly opposite to that of MIP-1 alpha. While MIP-1 alpha is induced by classical macrophage mediators such as LPS and is inhibited by IL-4 and glucocorticoids, AMAC-1 is specifically induced in macrophages by alternative macrophage mediators such as IL-4, IL-13, and IL-10. Expression of AMAC-1 is inhibited by IFN-gamma while glucocorticoids exert a slightly positive synergistic effect in combination with IL-4. Peripheral blood monocytes do not express AMAC-1; time course experiments show that monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation is a prerequisite for AMAC-1 expression. Expression of AMAC-1 by granulocyte-macrophage CSF/IL-4-induced, monocyte-derived dendritic cells is complex; in mature adherent dendritic cells, however, only minor AMAC-1 mRNA expression was found. In vivo, AMAC-1 is expressed by alveolar macrophages from healthy persons, smokers, and asthmatic patients. In conclusion, AMAC-1 is a novel CC-chemokine whose expression is induced in alternatively activated macrophages by Th2-associated cytokines; thus, AMAC-1 may be involved in the APC-dependent T cell development in inflammatory and immune reactions.
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PMID:Alternative macrophage activation-associated CC-chemokine-1, a novel structural homologue of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha with a Th2-associated expression pattern. 957 May 61

Dendritic cells (DCs) effectively process exogenous and endogenous Ag and present peptide in the context of both class I and class II molecules. We have demonstrated that peripheral blood DCs efficiently degrade synthetic class I peptides at their cell surface within minutes as determined by analyzing DC supernatants by HPLC. Fragments were verified as bona fide cleavage products by direct sequencing using collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The predominant degradative activities were 1) not secreted but associated with activity at the plasma membrane, 2) ecto-orientated, 3) not induced by peptide-specific interactions, and 4) not associated with nonspecific uptake. Sequence analysis indicated that both N- and C-terminal as well as endoproteolytic events were occurring at the cell surface. The primary exoproteolytic event was identified as CD13 or CD13-like activity through inhibition studies and could be inhibited by ubiquitin and metal-chelating agents. Endoproteolytic events could be inhibited in the presence of DTT, but the precise nature of this enzyme is still undetermined. Compared with the starting monocyte population, DCs cultured in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage CSF/IL-4 exhibited the highest degradative rate (4.3 nmol/min), followed by cultured monocytes (2.9 nmol/min) and freshly isolated monocytes (1.0 nmol/min). In addition to increased enzymatic activity, a change in substrate specificity was noted. Results are discussed with respect to APC loading, and alternatives are offered for circumventing such degradation.
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PMID:Rapid extracellular degradation of synthetic class I peptides by human dendritic cells. 978 Jan 72

Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BmDC) are potent APC and can promote antitumor immunity in mice when pulsed with tumor Ag. This study aimed to define the culture conditions and maturation stages of BmDC that enable them to optimally function as APC in vivo. BmDC cultured under various conditions (granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) or GM-CSF plus IL-4 alone or in combination with Flt3 ligand, TNF-alpha, LPS, or CD40 ligand (CD40L)) were analyzed morphologically, phenotypically, and functionally and were tested for their ability to promote prophylactic and/or therapeutic antitumor immunity. Each of the culture conditions generated typical BmDC. Whereas cells cultured in GM-CSF alone were functionally immature, cells incubated with CD40L or LPS were mature BmDC, as evident by morphology, capacity to internalize Ag, migration into regional lymph nodes, IL-12 secretion, and alloantigen or peptide Ag presentation in vitro. The remaining cultures exhibited intermediate dendritic cell maturation. The in vivo Ag-presenting capacity of BmDC was compared with respect to induction of both protective tumor immunity and immunotherapy of established tumors, using the poorly immunogenic squamous cell carcinoma, KLN205. In correspondence to their maturation stage, BmDC cultured in the presence of CD40L exhibited the most potent immunostimulatory effects. In general, although not entirely, the capacity of BmDC to induce an antitumor immune response in vivo correlated to their degree of maturation. The present data support the clinical use of mature, rather than immature, tumor Ag-pulsed dendritic cells as cancer vaccines and identifies CD40L as a potent stimulus to enhance their in vivo Ag-presenting capacity.
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PMID:Generation of tumor immunity by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells correlates with dendritic cell maturation stage. 988 83

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant molecule endowed with immunomodulatory properties. To investigate the effect of NAC on the induction phase of T cell responses, we analyzed its action on human dendritic cells (DC) derived from adherent PBMC cultured with IL-4 and granulocyte-macrophage CSF. We first found that NAC inhibited the constitutive as well as the LPS-induced activity of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. In parallel, NAC was shown to down-regulate the production of cytokines by DC as well as their surface expression of HLA-DR, CD86 (B7-2), and CD40 molecules both at the basal state and upon LPS activation. NAC also inhibited DC responses induced by CD40 engagement. The inhibitory effects of NAC were not due to nonspecific toxicity as neither the viability of DC nor their mannose receptor-mediated endocytosis were modified by NAC. Finally, we found that the addition of NAC to MLR between naive T cells and allogeneic DC resulted in a profound inhibition of alloreactive responses, which could be attributed to a defect of DC as APC-independent T cell responses were not inhibited by NAC. Altogether, our results suggest that NAC might impair the generation of primary immune responses in humans through its inhibitory action on DC.
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PMID:N-acetyl-L-cysteine inhibits primary human T cell responses at the dendritic cell level: association with NF-kappaB inhibition. 1007 97

Plasmid-encoded GM-CSF (pGM-CSF) is an adjuvant for genetic vaccines; however, little is known about how pGM-CSF enhances immunogenicity. We now report that pGM-CSF injected into mouse muscle leads to a local infiltration of potential APCs. Infiltrates reached maximal size on days 3 to 5 after injection and appeared in several large discrete clusters within the muscle. Immunohistological studies in muscle sections from mice injected with pGM-CSF showed staining of cells with the macrophage markers CD11b, Mac-3, IA(d)/E(d) and to the granulocyte marker GR-1 from day 1 through day 14. Cells staining with the dendritic cell marker CD11c were detected only on days 3 to 5. Muscles injected with control plasmids did not stain for CD11c but did stain for CD11b, Mac-3, IA(d)/E(d), and GR-1. No staining was observed with the APC activation markers, B7.1 or CD40, or with markers for T or B cells. These findings are consistent with the infiltrating cells in the pGM-CSF-injected muscles being a mixture of neutrophils, macrophages, and immature dendritic cells and suggest that the i.m. APCs may be enhancing immune responses to coinjected plasmid Ags. This hypothesis is supported by data showing that 1) separation of injections with pGM-CSF and Ag-expressing plasmid into different sites did not enhance immune responses and 2) immune enhancement was associated with the presence of CD11c+ cells in the infiltrates. Thus, pGM-CSF enhancement may depend on APC recruitment to the i.m. site of injection.
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PMID:Plasmid vaccine expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor attracts infiltrates including immature dendritic cells into injected muscles. 1103 82

Xenopus oocytes arrested in prophase I resume meiotic division in response to progesterone and arrest at metaphase II. Entry into meiosis I depends on the activation of Cdc2 kinase [M-phase promoting factor (MPF)]. To better understand the role of Cdc2, MPF activity was specifically inhibited by injection of the CDK inhibitor, Cip1. When Cip1 is injected at germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) time, Cdc25 and Plx1 are both dephosphorylated and Cdc2 is rephosphorylated on tyrosine. The autoamplification loop characterizing MPF is therefore not only required for MPF generation before GVBD, but also for its stability during the GVBD period. The ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), responsible for cyclin degradation, is also under the control of Cdc2; therefore, Cdc2 activity itself induces its own inactivation through cyclin degradation, allowing the exit from the first meiotic division. In contrast, cyclin accumulation, responsible for Cdc2 activity increase allowing entry into metaphase II, is independent of Cdc2. The c-Mos/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway remains active when Cdc2 activity is inhibited at GVBD time. This pathway could be responsible for the sustained cyclin neosynthesis. In contrast, during the metaphase II block, the c-Mos/MAPK pathway depends on Cdc2. Therefore, the metaphase II block depends on a dynamic interplay between MPF and CSF, the c-Mos/MAPK pathway stabilizing cyclin B, whereas in turn, MPF prevents c-Mos degradation.
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PMID:Interplay between Cdc2 kinase and the c-Mos/MAPK pathway between metaphase I and metaphase II in Xenopus oocytes. 1118 Sep 68

Several reports including those from this laboratory have demonstrated that bone marrow cells (BMC) downregulate in vitro both mixed leukocyte reaction and cytotoxic T lymphocyte reactions. We consequently hypothesized that a general property of immature cells of hematopoietic organs is their ability to suppress immune reactivity. As one of these suppressive activities, the lack of costimulatory molecules was proposed as a mechanism by which immature antigen presenting cells of the bone marrow might be involved. In the present report, we used two culture environments, each of which would regulate a different maturation pattern of human bone marrow-derived enriched dendritic antigen presenting cells (DC or APC) to determine the respective effects on in vitro immune regulatory function. Human BMC depleted of CD3+ cells were cultured with either: interleukin-4 (IL-4) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), to maintain DC-enriched populations in an immature state (iAPC); or an interferon-gamma (IFNgamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), GM-CSF, LPS, and IL-6 cocktail to promote the maturation of DC-enriched APC (mAPC). These iAPC and mAPC were, respectively, phenotypically characterized and also tested in vitro for the following: (1) both direct and indirect-antigen presentation functions; (2) immune regulatory functions on the response of autologous and allogeneic peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL); and (3) Western blot analysis determining the levels of both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I related cytoplasmic transporter molecules associated with antigen processing (TAP1) and as well as proteasome activator molecules (PA28alpha). The iAPC population expressed fewer dendritic cell markers (CD83 and DCsign), and costimulator molecules (CD86 and CD40) than the mAPC, such that there was an approximate threefold increase in expression of CD83, 2.5-fold increase in DCsign, and a threefold increase in CD40 and CD86 on mAPC than on iAPC (p=0.005 for CD83; p=0.001 for DCsign; p=0.001 for CD86; and p=0.001 for CD40). In lymphoproliferative assays, indirect and direct alloantigen presentation by iAPC was weaker than by mAPC (p=0.05 and 0.04). In addition, iAPC were able to downregulate allogeneic CTL responses. Also, after pulsing with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein antigens, the iAPC were less efficient in their presentation to autologous EBV-specific T-cell lines, and caused an inhibition of EBV-CTL generation. The expression of TAP1 and PA28alpha was reduced in iAPC in comparison to mAPC. These findings support the notion that a maturation state of BMC-derived APC correlates with their capacity to present antigen. The observed in vitro deficiency of this function by immature bone marrow cells may therefore contribute to the immune downregulatory capacity seen in the BMC compartment.
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PMID:Antigen presentation and immune regulatory capacity of immature and mature-enriched antigen presenting (dendritic) cells derived from human bone marrow. 1496 64


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