Immune escape by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) carrying Burkitt's lymphoma: in vitro reconstitution of sensitivity to EBV-specific cytotoxic T cells.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells are markedly less sensitive to EBV-specific cytotoxic T cell (CTL) recognition than EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines of normal B cell origin. Three features of the BL cell phenotype might contribute to this reduced susceptibility: (i) low expression of cell adhesion molecules, (ii) low expression of HLA class I and selective down-regulation of particular alleles, and (iii) down-regulation of all transformation-associated EBV antigens except EBV-encoded nuclear antigen (EBNA)-1. This study assesses the individual importance of each of these features for immune escape. For this purpose the WW1-BL cell line was used which expresses all the known transformation-associated EBV antigens (EBNA-1 to -6 and latent membrane protein-1 and -2) but which is negative for HLA A11 and for the adhesion molecule leukocyte function associated antigen-3 (LFA-3). Using recombinant vectors, these deficiencies have been sequentially corrected and the cells have been tested for sensitivity to EBV (B95.8 strain)-induced CTL preparations recognizing epitope(s) of EBNA-4 in the context of HLA A11. Expression of HLA A11 alone or in combination with LFA-3 did not sensitize WW1-BL cells to these effectors. Lysis was only achieved when HLA A11 was co-expressed with the B95.8 virus-encoded EBNA-4 protein, and in these circumstances sensitization did not require LFA-3. These results indicate that reconstitution of the relevant HLA-EBV epitope target complex on the cell membrane is sufficient to render BL cells sensitive to virus-specific cytolysis. The requirement for EBNA-4 reconstitution to achieve lysis of the WW1-BL/A11 transfectant suggested that the resident WW1 virus-encoded EBNA-4 protein did not contain the relevant target epitope for HLA A11-restricted recognition. This was confirmed by transferring the WW1 virus isolate into another A11-positive B cell background.
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D018968:CD58 Antigens; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D059870:HLA-A11 Antigen; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018968:CD58 Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D059870:HLA-A11 Antigen; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins