Antibody-dependent Complement-mediated Cytolysis Research Articles

Glycoprotein G of Herpes Simplex Virus 2 as a Novel Vaccine Antigen for Immunity to Genital and Neurological Disease

The envelope glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2, with the exception of glycoprotein G, elicit cross-reactive B- and T-cell responses. Human vaccine trials, using the cross-reactive glycoproteins B and D, have shown no protection against genital HSV-2 infection or disease. In this study, the mature form of glycoprotein G (mgG-2) of HSV-2 was used for immunization of mice, either alone or in combination with adjuvant CpG, followed by an intravaginal challenge with a lethal dose of a fully virulent HSV-2 strain. Mice immunized with mgG-2 plus CpG showed low disease scores and a significantly higher survival rate (73%) than mice immunized with mgG-2 alone (20%) or controls (0%). Accordingly, limited numbers of infectious HSV-2 particles were detected in the spinal cord of mice immunized with mgG-2 plus CpG. The observed protection was associated with a gamma interferon (IFN-γ) response by splenic CD4(+) T cells upon antigen restimulation in vitro and in vaginal washes 1 day postinfection. The majority of sera collected from mice immunized with mgG-2 plus CpG showed macrophage-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis, while no neutralization activity was observed. In conclusion, we have shown that immunization with the type-specific mgG-2 protein in combination with CpG could elicit protective immunity against an otherwise lethal vaginal HSV-2 challenge. The mgG-2 protein may therefore constitute a promising HSV-2 vaccine antigen to be considered for future human trials.

Protection elicited by a replication-defective adenovirus vector expressing the tick-borne encephalitis virus non-structural glycoprotein NS1.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) encodes a conserved, immunogenic, non-structural protein NS1 that is glycosylated and secreted from infected cells in an oligomeric form. An adenovirus recombinant, RAd51, expressing high levels of TBEV NS1 has previously been demonstrated to protect mice against a lethal challenge with TBEV. We show here that BALB/c mice infected with TBEV experienced a transient viraemia between days 3 to 5 post-inoculation that was detectable prior to the encephalitic phase of infection. Mice vaccinated with RAd51 were protected against both the viraemic and encephalitic infections associated with the TBEV challenge. Protection was demonstrated to be due to NS1 synthesized de novo from RAd51 in the vaccinated mice. Since TBEV NS1 is expressed on the cell surface, antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis (CMC) of infected cells was considered as a possible mechanism of protection. Vaccination with the recombinant adenovirus proved to be effective in a mouse strain carrying a genetic deletion in the complement receptor C5. CMC is therefore not an essential component of the observed protective immune response.

Susceptibility of human trophoblast to killing by human complement and the role of the complement regulatory proteins.

The susceptibility of trophoblast to cytolysis by human complement was investigated using cells purified to over 90% from first trimester placentae. Two assay systems were employed to measure the killing of trophoblasts, an antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis and the reactive lysis. The antibody obtained from a patient with Addison's disease reacted specifically with syncytiotrophoblasts and induced a dose-dependent killing of the cells not exceeding 50% even in the presence of excess antibody and complement. The percentage of cells killed by the terminal complement complex in the reactive lysis system was somewhat higher, reaching values of 60%. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed the presence of CD46 and CD59 on all syncytiotrophoblasts, whereas CD55 was only detected on approximately 30% of the cells. Inhibition of CD46 and CD59 resulted in increased susceptibility of syncytiotrophoblasts to complement lysis. The protective function of CD55 could not be evaluated because of its reduced expression on isolated trophoblasts. These results suggest that syncytiotrophoblasts may be killed by complement and that membrane regulators to some extent protect these cells from complement damage.

Characterization of a mouse/human chimeric monoclonal antibody (C beta 1) to a principal neutralizing domain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope protein.

A chimeric mouse-human antibody (C beta 1) was constructed that recognized the principal neutralizing domain (PND) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120. The constant (C) immunoglobulin regions (C gamma 1 and C kappa) of a mouse monoclonal antibody, 0.5 beta, were substituted for the human C gamma 1 and C kappa by recombining the DNA modules encoding variable or C regions. The DNA constructs were then transfected into X63 Ag8.653 myeloma cells. A clone with a high production of the chimeric antibody (C beta 1) was selected. This antibody was tested for its biological activity against HIV-1. It bound to the surface of HTLV-IIIB-infected cells and reacted with gp120/160 with equal affinity and specificity to that of the parental 0.5 beta murine monoclonal antibody in a Western blot assay. Neutralization and/or enhancement of HIV infection were evaluated with C beta 1 and 0.5 beta. Both C beta 1 and 0.5 beta neutralized cell-to-cell infection and cell-free virus infection by HTLV-IIIB. Antibody-dependence enhancement of HIV infection was not observed with either C beta 1 or 0.5 beta in the presence or absence of human complement. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytolysis (ADCC) and antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis (ACC) were observed with C beta 1 but not with the parental 0.5 beta. These findings suggest that the neutralizing antibodies to PND may neutralize but not enhance HIV infection. Furthermore, the high levels of ACC and ADCC shown against HIV-infected cells by C beta 1 indicate that the clinical application of such monoclonal antibodies may be possible.

A genetically engineered human IgG mutant with enhanced cytolytic activity.

A mutant chimeric anti-5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl human Ig gamma that exhibited augmented effector function was constructed. Utilizing directed mutagenesis, a serine residue near the carboxyl terminus of the human IgG1 H chain (Ser444) was replaced by a cysteine. Novel intermolecular disulfide bonds between Cys444 residues linked pairs of Ig "tail-to-tail" to form covalent dimers ((H2L2)2). These dimers were 200-fold more efficient, compared with monomeric human IgG1, at antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis of hapten-bearing erythrocytes. The ability to enhance the cytolytic activity of an mAb by genetic engineering may be of value in immunotherapy.

Cerebral white matter contains PDGF-responsive precursors to O2A cells

Cells dissociated from the cerebral white matter of immature rats were maintained in monolayer culture. Treatment with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) caused a large increase in the numbers of "O2A" oligodendroglial precursor cells (which bind the monoclonal antibody A2B5) and subsequently in the numbers of galactocerebroside (galC)-positive oligodendroglia. A2B5-negative "pre-O2A cells" in cerebral white matter cultures in which O2A cells and oligodendroglia had been killed by antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis were induced by PDGF to proliferate and to differentiate into O2A cells and subsequently into oligodendroglia and type 2 astroglia. The most mature pre-O2A phenotype in these cultures was a small, round, process-bearing cell which expressed vimentin but not glial fibrillary acidic protein or galC. Cells of this phenotype were not observed upon PDGF treatment of immature rat optic nerve monolayer cultures from which O2A cells and oligodendrocytes had been depleted, and PDGF also failed to elicit the accumulation of O2A cells and oligodendroglia in such cultures.

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus IIIB glycoprotein (gp120) bound to CD4 determinants on normal lymphocytes and expressed by infected cells serves as target for immune attack.

The lymphocyte differentiation antigen CD4 serves as a receptor for human retroviruses associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) through its interaction with the major envelope virion glycoprotein, gp120, which is also expressed on the surface of infected cells. In these experiments, purified gp120 was shown to bind to normal human T-lymphocyte populations. The gp120-CD4 complex served as a target antigen for antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis by a goat serum raised against native gp120. However, patient sera that bound to gp120-adsorbed cells failed to direct their destruction in the presence of complement. In contrast, these sera were potent mediators of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These studies demonstrate that gp120 situated on the cell surface can serve as an effective target for immune destruction by patient antibodies and effector lymphocytes. The possible contribution of this type of immunity to control of disease progression, on the one hand, and to lymphocyte destruction and immunopathology observed in AIDS, on the other, is discussed.

Requirement for calcium ions in antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis of toxoplasma gondii

The mechanism of antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis of Toxoplasma organisms was studied by using a selective chelating agent for Ca++, ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Toxoplasma organisms were lysed by treatment with human serum containing anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and with fresh human-plasma at 37 degrees C for 1 h. The reaction was prevented by heat treatment of the fresh plasma at 56 degrees C for 30 min, confirming that the cytolysis of Toxoplasma organisms had been mediated by an activation of complement. The lytic reaction was completely inhibited by an addition of EGTA at final concentrations of more than 2.5 mM. Addition of Ca++ cleared the inhibitory effect of EGTA on the reaction. These results demonstrate that the antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis of Toxoplasma organisms requires the presence of Ca++, indicating that the reaction is mediated by an activation of the classical complement pathway.

The detection of a spleen focus-forming virus neoantigen by lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis.

The existence of a nonvirion tumor-associated cell surface antigen (TASA) on cells transformed with Friend (FLV) on Rauscher (RLV) leukemia virus has been difficult to demonstrate. Antisera raised against classically defined Friend- Moloney-Rauscher antigenic determinants have been shown to react with virus structural proteins coded for by genetic information contained in the lymphatic leukemia or helper (LLV) virus genome. The recent development of nontrans-formed fibroblast cell lines which contain the replication-defective spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) genome, free of replicating LLV, has allowed investigation of an SFFV-specific antigen. We have applied the techniques of mixed tumor-lymphocyte culture stimulation followed by lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis assays to search for the cell surface expression of an antigen coded expressly by SFFV genetic information. SFFV nonproducer-immune, in vitro activated spleen cells were capable of effecting the lysis of SFFV-containing BALB/c 3T3 and Fischer rat epithelial, cloned cell lines. Normal BALB/c 3T3 and BALB/c 3T3 cells infected with three types of ecotropic LLV were unaffected. Syngeneic FLV and RLV-induced murine leukemia cells were also killed by SFFV nonproducer-immune lymphocytes. In addition, Kirsten sarcoma virus-transformed, replication-defective and replication-rescued BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts were not susceptible to SFFV antigen-directed cytolysis. Antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytolysis assays using monospecific goat antisera confirmed that SFFV nonproducers lacked cell surface expression of virion structural proteins. These observations suggest that the antigen detected in LMC experiments was not coded for by genetic information contained in the helper component of FLV, and that it represents a true SFFV-specific cell surface antigen. Based upon the recent molecular evaluation of the SFFV genome as consisting of both xenotropic and ecotropic virus sequences, it appears reasonable that xenotropic genetic information may be responsible for expression of the SFFV- specific antigen. Since the replication-defective SFFV genome is also responsible for the malignant transformation associated with FLV-induced erythroleukemia, one might postulate that gene sequences capable of programming transformation may also code for the TASA detected in these studies.