Hsp70 Cell Surface Expression Research Articles

Heat-shock protein expression in leukemia

Heat-shock proteins (Hsps) are thought to play a role in the development of cancer and to modulate tumor response to cytotoxic therapy. In this study, Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp90α, and HspBP1 gene expression was investigated in human leukemia cell lines as well as in leukemia cells derived from patients with the onset of the disease. Hsp70 membrane expression and expression of Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp70, Hsp90α, and HspBP1 genes were also tested in samples from leukemia patients. Relative Hsps gene expression was examined in human leukemia cell lines and also in patients, using real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Hsp70 cell surface expression was studied in patients with leukemia onset using flow cytometry. All tested cell lines showed significantly increased expression of Hsp60, Hsp90α, and HspBP1 genes compared with a cohort of healthy controls; additionally there was increased Hsp27 expression except for Jurkat and CCRF cells. Significantly higher gene expression of Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp90α, and HspBP1 was observed in the peripheral blood of patients compared with bone marrow and healthy control samples, while Hsp70 expression was without any significant difference among cohorts. Hsp70 cell surface expression was found on defrosted and cultured leukemia cells but not on unprocessed biological samples from patients. Leukemia cells showed a heterogeneous pattern of Hsp gene expression among leukemia cell lines as well as in peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients.

Cell-surface expression of Hsp70 on hematopoietic cancer cells after inhibition of HDAC activity

We show that inhibition of HDAC activity leads to surface expression of Hsp70 on various hematopoietic cancer cells, an occurance that was not observed on naïve or activated peripheral blood cells. HDAC inhibitor-mediated Hsp70 surface expression was confined to the apoptotic Annexin V-positive cells and blocked by inhibition of apoptosis. Other chemotherapeutic inducers of apoptosis such as etoposide and camptothecin also led to a robust induction of Hsp70 surface expression. Hsp70 expression was, however, not caused by induction of apoptosis per se, as activated CD4 T cells remained Hsp70 surface-negative despite effective induction of apoptosis. Interestingly, inhibition of endolysosomes or normal ER/Golgi transport did not affect Hsp70 surface expression. Intracellular calcium and the transcription factor Sp1, which has been shown previously to be important for the intracellular stress mediated by HDAC inhibitors, were not involved in Hsp70 surface expression. We also found that HDAC inhibitors decreased cellular PMET activity and that a selective inhibition of PMET activity with extracellular NADH induced a robust Hsp70 surface expression. Our data suggest that inhibition of HDAC activity selectively induces surface expression of Hsp70 on hematopoietic cancer cells and that this may increase immunorecognition of these cells.

Cell surface and relative mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 in human synovial cells

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been repeatedly implicated to participate in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: Herein, Hsp70 cell surface and mRNA expression were studied in human fibroblast-like synovial cells, dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood leukocytes derived from 24 RA patients, who underwent synovectomy by using flow-cytometric analysis and real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. For comparison, peripheral blood leukocytes of 17 healthy controls were tested.Results: Significantly higher Hsp70 membrane positivity was found on fibroblast-like synovial cells in RA patients (average 18.3%, median 16.5%) than on autologous and healthy control peripheral blood lymphocytes (RA patients: average 4.7%, median 2.9%, p = 0.002; healthy controls: average 6.0%, median 4.5%, p = 0.002) and/or autologous dermal fibroblasts (average 5.1%, median 4.3%, p < 0.001). Strong Hsp70 cell surface expression was also found on peripheral blood monocytes of RA patients (average 53.0%, median 58.1%) and healthy controls (average 49.4%, median 47.5%, p = 0.52). Peripheral blood granulocytes of healthy controls (average 41.8%, median 41.4%) showed significantly increased Hsp70 expression comparing with RA patients (average 10.7%, median 6.4%, p = 0.005).Significantly higher Hsp70 gene expression was observed in synovial cells of RA patients (average 2.04, median 1.7) when compared with autologous peripheral blood leukocytes (average 0.75, median 0.68; p < 0.001). However, the difference in Hsp70 gene expression between RA-derived synovial cells and healthy control peripheral blood leukocytes (average 1.69, median 1.64) was not observed (p = 0.83). We also found significantly lower relative gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes of RA patients in comparison with healthy controls (p < 0.001).Interestingly, we found that Hsp70 gene expression in RA non-affected skin dermis gained from the operation wound was 3.7-fold higher in average (average 7.6, median 8.3) when compared to autologous RA-affected synovial tissue (p < 0.001); 10.1-fold higher in average when compared to autologous peripheral blood leukocytes (p < 0.001) and 4.5-fold higher in average comparing to control peripheral blood leukocytes (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Hsp70 gene expression in RA-affected synovial tissue is followed by Hsp70 cell surface expression on fibroblast-like synovial cells growing from RA synovial tissue. Hsp70 may be translocated to the cell surface from the cytosol and/or Hsp70 released from inflamed synovial tissue may be captured onto the membrane of synovial cells from the extracellular space via Hsp receptors.As a physiological response to potentially harmful enviromental stress factors, skin dermis produces higher levels of Hsp70 comparing to the cells of internal organs and tissues.

Retinoid- and sodium-butyrate-induced decrease in heat shock protein 70 membrane-positive tumor cells is associated with reduced sensitivity to natural killer cell lysis, growth delay, and altered growth morphology.

Human tumors frequently present heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) on their cell membranes, whereas corresponding normal tissues fail to do so. Therefore, an Hsp70 membrane-positive phenotype provided a tumor-specific marker. Moreover, membrane-bound Hsp70 provides a target structure for the cytolytic attack mediated by natural killer (NK) cells. Vitamin A derivatives 13-cis retinoic acid (13-RA) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and sodium-butyrate (SBU) are known for their redifferentiating capacity. Therefore, we asked the question whether loss in tumorigenicity might be associated with a reduced Hsp70 membrane expression. For our studies we used epithelial colon (CX+/CX-) and thyroid (ML-1) cancer cells, with initially different Hsp70 cell surface expression pattern. After treatment up to 7 weeks with freshly prepared 13-RA, ATRA, and SBU at nonlethal concentrations of 10 microM, 1 microM, and 0.5 mM, respectively, growth morphology, Hsp70 levels, and sensitivity toward Hsp70-specific NK cells were compared with that of untreated tumor cells. Significant growth delay was determined in CX+ tumor cells after 6 weeks treatment with 13-RA. Concomitantly, growth morphology changed from spheroid cell clusters to monolayers. Despite a weak increase in cytosolic Hsp70, the percentage of Hsp70 membrane-positive cells dropped significantly after repeated treatments with 13-RA and ATRA in CX+ and ML-1 but not in CX- tumor cells. Similar results were observed with SBU. Functionally, the decrease in Hsp70 membrane-positive CX+ and ML-1 cells correlated with a reduced sensitivity to lysis mediated by NK cells. In summary, redifferentiating agents predominantly affected Hsp70 membrane-positive tumors. The decrease in Hsp70 membrane positivity correlated with a lower sensitivity to NK lysis, growth delay, and altered growth morphology.

Heat shock protein 70: role in antigen presentation and immune stimulation

Heat shock proteins (HSP) when released into the extracellular milieu can act simultaneously as a source of antigen due to their ability to chaperone peptides and as a maturation signal for dendritic cells, thereby inducing DCs to cross-present antigens to CD8+ T-cells. HSP can also act independently from associated peptides, stimulating the innate immune system. Previous results regarding the activation of NK cells by HSP70 cell surface expression on tumour cells and soluble HSP70 will be further covered elsewhere within this issue. For cross-presentation, HSP70-peptide complexes (HSP70-PC) were used from two human melanoma cell lines that differ in the expression of the tumour-associated antigen tyrosinase. Purified HSP70-PC consists of both the constitutively expressed HSC70 and the inducible HSP70. HSP70-peptide complexes purified from tyrosinase positive (HSP70-PC/tyr + ) human melanoma cells, incubated with immature DCs, results in the activation of HLA-*A0201-restricted tyrosinase peptide-specific T-cells. Receptor-mediated uptake of HSP70-PC by DCs and intracellular transport are required for efficient MHC class I restricted cross-presentation of chaperoned peptides. Demonstration of HSP70-PC mediated cross-presentation of such non-mutated naturally expressed tumour antigens is of special clinical interest with regard to hyperthermia. Tumour regression and improved local control have been shown within clinical phase II/III trials integrating regional hyperthermia combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy in multimodal treatment strategies. According to the proposed concept, local necrosis induced by hyperthermic treatment induces the release of HSPs, followed by uptake, processing and presentation of associated peptides by DCs. By acting as chaperone and a signal for DC maturation, HSP70-PC might efficiently prime circulating T-cells. Therefore, upregulating HSP70 and causing local necrosis in tumour tissue by hyperthermia offers great potential as a new approach to directly activate the immune system.

Synergistic effects of heat and ET-18-OCH3 on membrane expression of hsp70 and lysis of leukemic K562 cells

We previously reported that cell surface expression of hsp70, the major stress inducible member of the 70-kDa heat shock protein family, is inducible by nonlethal heat as well as by treatment with the membrane-interactive compound alkyl-lysophospholipid 1-octadecyl-2-methyl- rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3) selectively on human tumor cell lines. Plasma membrane expression of hsp70 increases selectively the sensitivity of tumor cells to lysis and, therefore, might play an important role in the antitumor immune response. Here, we demonstrate that a combined treatment consisting of sublethal heat (41.8°C) and a noncytotoxic concentration of ET-18-OCH3 (25 μg/mL) results in a synergistic increase in the amount of cell membrane-bound hsp70 on leukemic K562 cells and on freshly isolated bone marrow of a chronic myelogeneous leukemia (CML) patient, but not on peripheral blood lymphocytes or CD34 + hematopoietic progenitor cells of healthy human individuals. Under these conditions the repopulating capacity of progenitor cells was not influenced. The increased hsp70 membrane expression on leukemic K562 cells results in a significantly increased sensitivity to lysis mediated by natural killer cells. In contrast to leukemic cells, the lysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes and CD34 + progenitor cells that lack expression of hsp70 on their plasma membrane was not negatively influenced by this treatment. A nonspecific disruption of the plasma membrane could be excluded, because treatment with a nontoxic concentration of the detergent Tween20 did not have an influence on hsp70 cell surface expression or on the sensitivity to lysis. Our findings might have further clinical implications with respect to purging of bone marrow from patients suffering from leukemia at sublethal conditions to induce a tumor-selective immune response.

Differential Hsp70 plasma-membrane expression on primary human tumors and metastases in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency.

To study the role of cell-surface expression of a tumor-selective heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in vivo, the colon-carcinoma cell line CX2, and the clonal sub-lines CX+ and CX-, which differ in Hsp70 cell-surface expression, but not in MHC and adhesion-molecule expression, were implanted into immunodeficient SCID/beige mice by s.c., i.p., i.v. and orthotopic (o.t.) inoculation. On day 18 after s.c. injection, all animals developed s.c. tumors, ranging in size from 2.5 to 3 cm2. Phenotypic characterization of single-cell suspensions generated from freshly isolated tumor material revealed that the pattern of cell-surface expression is identical to that of the injected tumor cells from cell culture. Comparable results were obtained following i.p. inoculation of CX+ and CX- cells. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of lymph nodes, lung, liver and spleen at autopsy of tumor-bearing mice showed no tumor burden except the primary tumor, following s.c. or i.p. injection. After i.v. inoculation of CX+ and of CX- cells, weak tumor growth was observed in lung and liver, the Hsp70 cell-surface-expression pattern on these tumors being identical to that of the injected cells. However, o.t. injection of colon-carcinoma cell lines CX+ and CX- into the cecum resulted in tumor growth at the injection site and in spread of distant metastases in lung, liver and spleen. Most interestingly, and in contrast to the primary colon carcinomas, metastases of CX+ and of CX- tumor cells both revealed strong Hsp70 plasma-membrane expression, although the total amount of cytoplasmic Hsp70 was comparable.

Cell surface expression of 70 kDa heat shock protein in human oral dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma: correlation with clinicopathological features.

To understand the role of 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) in the pathogenesis of oral cancer, its expression was studied in human normal, premalignant and malignant oral mucosa. Cell surface expression of HSP70 was assessed in oral tissue specimens by flow cytometric analysis using a mouse monoclonal antibody against HSP70. A significant increase in cell surface expression of HSP70 was observed as the tissue progressed from normal to dysplasia towards carcinoma. Correlation of HSP70 expression with clinicopathological features showed a positive association with the severity of dysplasia. Among the oral tumours assessed, a significantly positive association was observed between HSP70 expression and dedifferentiation of oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Poorly differentiated tumours showed significantly higher levels of HSP70 expression on the surface of tumour cells, compared with well differentiated carcinomas (P < 0.05). Cell surface expression of HSP70 was observed to be significantly higher in clinically advanced stage tumours (T3/T4), compared with T1/T2 stage tumours (P < 0.05). The variation in cell surface expression of HSP70 in normal, dysplastic and malignant oral lesions suggests that it is differentially expressed during oral tumorigenesis and may play a specific role in the pathogenesis of oral cancer.

Definition of extracellular localized epitopes of Hsp70 involved in an NK immune response.

In order to define extracellular localized epitopes of Hsp70 on human tumor cells which are accessible to the immune system, six commercially available Hsp70-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with different recognition sites were examined by immunological approaches. The recognition pattern of these antibodies was analyzed on purified recombinant Hsp70 proteins (rHsp70, Hsc70, DnaK), on lysates of Hsp70-expressing colon carcinoma cells (CX+) and on lysates of M21 rat-1 cells that overexpress human Hsp70 or Hsp70 fragments: ABgl (del 120-428) consisting of the C-terminal part and ASma (del 438-618) consisting of the N-terminal part of human Hsp70. All antibodies reacted equally well with rHsp70 and cytoplasmic Hsp70 derived from human tumor cells or M21 rat-1 cells. Only one antibody (MA3-007; Hsp70, Hsc70) detects a region localized within the ATPase domain of Hsp70 (amino acid 122-264) and reacts positively with the C-terminal deletion mutant ASma. All other antibodies, including RPN1197 are directed against the C-terminal peptide binding domain of Hsp70 and react positively with the N-terminal deletion mutant ABgl. Although all six antibodies detect full-length Hsp70 protein, derived from plasma membrane fractions of CX+ tumor cells, cell surface expressed Hsp70 on viable CX+ tumor cells, as determined by flowcytometry, is only recognized with the antibodies MA3-006 (Hsp70, Hsc70; 504-617), MA3-009 (Hsp70; 504-617) and RPN1197 (Hsp70). An estimation of the ratio of membrane-bound to cytoplasmic Hsp70 molecules revealed that 15-20% of total Hsp70 molecules are expressed on the plasma membrane. This tumor-selective cell surface expression of Hsp70 correlates with an increased sensitivity to lysis mediated by non-MHC restricted natural killer (NK) cells. We demonstrate that only antibodies directed against membrane-bound Hsp70 (MA3-006, MA3-009, RPN1197) inhibit NK-killing activity against Hsp70-expressing tumor cells. Taken together our data indicate that at least the C-terminal region 504-617, that contains at least one single alpha-helix (amino acid 512-536), has to be localized extracellularly and might be of importance for an NK-mediated anti-tumor immune response.

Detection, Cellular Localization, and Modulation of Heat Shock Proteins in Cultured Fibroblasts from Patients with Extrathyroidal Manifestations of Graves' Disease*

We hypothesize that fibroblasts obtained from the retroocular space and the pretibial skin, sites affected by the peripheral manifestations of Graves' disease, share unique characteristics that may in part explain the site specificity of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and pretibial myxedema (PTM). Heat shock proteins (HSPs), synthesized by cells undergoing stress, function to maintain cellular homeostasis and are probably involved in the intracellular processing and cell surface presentation of antigens. We investigated possible differences in the expression of 70-kDa HSPs between cultured fibroblasts obtained from patients with severe GO and normal individuals. In addition, we compared HSP expression in fibroblasts derived from tissues involved in the extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease (GO and PTM) with that in fibroblasts from uninvolved tissues. HSPs were detected by both immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence, using monoclonal antibodies that are directed against HSP72, HSP72/73 (termed HSP70), and HSP90. HSP expression at baseline and after treatment with various cytokines and heat stress was examined. At baseline, HSP72 reactivity was exclusively detected in retroocular and pretibial fibroblasts from patients with severe GO and PTM, but was not observed in abdominal fibroblasts from these patients and was not detectable in fibroblasts from any anatomical site of normal individuals. The abundance of HSP70 expression at baseline and after treatment with certain cytokines was significantly greater in retroocular and pretibial fibroblasts from patients with GO than in normal individuals. In addition, characteristic changes in the cellular localization of HSPs before and after exposure to heat stress and cytokines were observed; cell surface expression of HSP70 was detected at baseline in fibroblasts from patients, but not in normal fibroblasts. These data provide the first evidence that HSPs are differentially expressed by fibroblasts derived from tissues affected by the extrathyroidal manifestations of GD. These proteins may have a role in localized immune processes, leading to the development of GO and PTM.