Transforming growth factor-beta 1 derived from biliary epithelial cells may attenuate alloantigen-specific immune responses.
Immune response to liver allografts may be different from that to other organ transplants since immunological manipulation easily attenuates immune-response to liver allografts. Numerous studies on the alloantigen-specific immune response have been carried out, however, the precise mechanisms involved in this attenuation are not clear yet. Here we suggest the attenuation of alloantigen-specific immune response by TGF-beta 1 derived from biliary epithelial cells. The transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) expression in rat liver was examined immunohistologically. Rat biliary epithelial cells (BEC) were purified from the perfused liver and added to allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (allo-MLR) to assess their attenuating potential on allo-MLR and alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (allo-CTL) induction. Immunohistological investigation revealed the expression of TGF-beta 1 in biliary epithelial cells. Both purified biliary epithelial cells and TGF-beta 1 attenuated allo-MLR and allo-CTL induction in a dose-dependent manner, and anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody partially relieved this attenuation. This study reveals that biliary epithelial cells, the major target cells of allo-antigen specific immune response, contain TGF-beta 1 and that they have a capacity to attenuate allo-MLR and allo-CTL induction.
Narumoto
K
K
First Department of Surgery, Ehime University, Onsen-Gun, Japan.
Saibara
T
T
Maeda
T
T
Onishi
S
S
Hayashi
Y
Y
Miyazaki
E
E
Hiroi
M
M
Enzan
H
H
Kobayashi
N
N
D000818:Animals; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011912:Rats, Inbred ACI; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*
D007519:Isoantigens; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta