title: Major histocompatibility complex class II antigens are required for both cytokine production and proliferation induced by mercuric chloride in vitro.
abstract: Autoimmune diseases induced by mercuric chloride are genetically determined, at least one gene being major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked. Previously, we showed that in vitro mercury stimulation induced a high proliferative response in lymphocytes from susceptible mice (high-responders) and that the proliferative response could be restored in lymphocytes from low-responders by pretreating the cells with mercury. We also found that the continuous presence of mercury induced IL-2 and IFN-gamma production, while pretreatment with mercury induced IL-4 production. In this study, we showed that anti-MHC class II monoclonal antibodies blocked both the mercury-induced proliferative responses in lymphocytes from high-responders and the restored proliferative responses in low-responders. In addition, anti-MHC class II antibodies also inhibited the mercury-induced IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-4 cytokine production in vitro. The results demonstrate that MHC class II antigens directly participate in mercury-induced cytokine production and cell activation, and are required at the onset of the initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, S-10691, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abedi-Valugerdi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000502:physiology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016207:Cytokines; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D007371:Interferon-gamma