title: Antigen presentation by EBV-B cells to resting and activated T cells: role of interleukin 1.
abstract: We have previously demonstrated that Epstein Barr virus-transformed human B lymphocytes (EBV-B cells) present antigen to activated T cells (lines and clones) in a MHC-restricted manner. In the present study, using EBV-nonimmune donors, we demonstrate that EBV-B cells are unable to trigger tetanus toxoid (TT) antigen-specific proliferation in autologous highly purified resting T cells. EBV-B cells from these same individuals were able to present TT to autologous TT-specific activated T cell blasts (Tbl). The inability of EBV-B cells to present TT to resting T cells was not caused by defective antigen processing by EBV-B cells. Thus, paraformaldehyde treatment of antigen-pulsed EBV-B cells did not impair their ability to trigger proliferation of antigen-specific Tbl, and EBV-B cells pulsed with antigen in the presence of autologous TT-specific T cell blasts did not present antigen to resting T cells. Furthermore, antigen-specific proliferation of resting T cells triggered by monocytes was enhanced rather than suppressed by EBV-B cells. The addition of partially purified human IL 1 allowed EBV-B cells to present TT antigen to resting T cells, suggesting that failure to secrete IL 1 contributed to the failure of EBV-B cells to present antigen. IL 1 could not be detected in supernatants of EBV-B cells stimulated with Staphylococcus epidermidis, concanavalin A, and TT antigen in the presence or absence of up to 5% autologous T cells. The differential capacity of EBV-B cells to present antigen to resting T cells vs activated T cells correlated with the T cell requirement for IL 1, because a rabbit antibody to human IL 1 inhibited the monocyte-supported proliferation of resting T cells but not that of activated T cells. These results suggest that the inability of EBV-B cells to present antigen to resting T cells is related to their inability to secrete detectable IL 1.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lareau
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rosenwasser
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dinarello
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Geha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D007399:Interphase; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1