Interferon-gamma induces the expression of HLA-A,B,C but not HLA-DR on human pancreatic beta-cells.
We examined the effect of interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) on expression of the major histocompatibility proteins on cultured human islet cells isolated from adult and fetal pancreas and from an insulinoma. While the pancreatic beta-cells from different sources varied in their responses to IFN gamma, in all instances the expression of HLA-A,B,C protein was increased. Pancreatic beta-cells did not express HLA-DR protein, before or after culture of the islets in IFN gamma, although HLA-DR protein expression was induced on some non-beta-cells. These findings are at variance with those reported with thyroid follicular cells, in which IFN gamma induced expression of HLA-DR. We, therefore, conclude that the interaction between the immune and the endocrine systems may be endocrine cell specific. The up-regulation of HLA-A,B,C protein on beta-cells by IFN gamma provides a mechanism for enhanced targetting to the beta-cells of autoreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and, hence, for amplifying beta-cell destruction.
D000328:Adult; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005333:Fetus; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007371:Interferon-gamma