title: Induction of lymphocyte proliferation by antigen-pulsed human neutrophils.
abstract: We have investigated whether purified antigen-pulsed human neutrophils can induce a proliferative response in purified resting blood lymphocytes. Neutrophils were pulsed with soluble tetanus toxoid (dose range 25-250 Lf/ml) and co-cultured with autologous lymphocytes that had been depleted of MHC class II expressing cells. The antigen-pulsed neutrophils induced an increase of lymphocyte proliferation which was dependent on the antigen dose and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios. Neutrophils were less potent than autologous monocytes in stimulating lymphocyte proliferation. Blocking with a monoclonal antibody to a common determinant of the human MHC class II complex failed to reduce the lymphoproliferative effects and allogenic antigen-pulsed neutrophils were also able to elicit lymphocyte proliferation similar to autologous neutrophils. We conclude that antigen-pulsed neutrophils are able to induce lymphocyte proliferation in a non-MHC-restricted fashion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, National Heart & Lung Institute, London, England, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Haslam
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid