title: Superantigen-induced peripheral T-cell deletion: the effects of chemical modification of antigen-presenting cells, interleukin-4 and glucocorticoid hormones.
abstract: Experiments were performed to evaluate the role of antigen-presenting cells (APC) and the effect of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and glucocorticoid hormone (GCH) exposure on the in vitro deletion of CD4+ CD8- and CD8+ CD4- T cells by staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). APC fixation with the chemical cross-linker 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl) carbodiimide (ECDI) inhibited their capacity to induce SEB-specific deletion of mature T lymphocytes. Deletion was not influenced by treatment with anti-CD28 antibodies, which modulate T-cell activation. However, it was augmented by IL-4, known to counteract anti-CD3- and GCH-induced thymocyte apoptosis, and was inhibited by dexamethasone (DEX). These results indicate that metabolically active APC are required for deletion of antigen-specific mature T cells and suggest that IL-4 and GCH can modulate this phenomenon in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Pathology and Pharmacology, Perugia University Medical School, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ayroldi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cannarile
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Adamio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riccardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D005022:Ethyldimethylaminopropyl Carbodiimide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018106:CD28 Antigens; D004768:Enterotoxins; D018089:Superantigens; D015847:Interleukin-4; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005022:Ethyldimethylaminopropyl Carbodiimide