The role of cytokines in polymyositis. III. Recombinant human interferon-gamma enhances T cell adhesion to cultured human muscle cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) on the adhesive interactions between human peripheral blood T cells and human skeletal muscle cells at various stages of muscle cell differentiation and maturation in vitro.


METHODS
Human muscle cell cultures were established from normal muscle biopsy material, using the explant technique. T cells were studied for their capacity to adhere to IFN gamma-treated and untreated myoblasts and myotubes. The role of intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1) in cell adhesion to muscle cells was examined in blocking studies, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and by immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies (MAb).


RESULTS
Treatment of muscle cells (myoblasts and myotubes) with IFN gamma resulted in a significant dose-dependent increase in the number of adherent T cells. Adhesion of T cells to muscle cells was significantly inhibited by MAb to ICAM-1 and to lymphocyte function-associated antigen type 1, but not by MAb to HLA-DR. There was no difference in the level of T cell adhesion to IFN gamma-treated allogeneic versus autologous muscle cells. By ELISA and immunohistochemical analysis, ICAM-1 expression on the surface of cultured human muscle cells was either absent or barely detectable, but was strongly induced by treatment of muscle cells with IFN gamma.


CONCLUSIONS
Induction of cell adhesion molecules on muscle cells by IFN gamma may be an important mechanism for the localization of T cells in the affected muscles of patients with autoimmune myositis.
Kalovidouris
A E
AE
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
Horn
C A
CA
Plotkin
Z
Z
D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma