title: Identification of activated tumor antigen-reactive CD8+ cells in healthy individuals.
abstract: We investigated the ability of HER-2 peptide E75, which maps an immunodominant CTL epitope for ovarian and breast tumor-associated lymphocytes (TAL), to activate effector functions in freshly isolated CD8+ cells from healthy individuals. IFN-gamma was rapidly induced by E75 within 20-24 h, in five of six healthy donors, in the presence of IL-12 and was detectable as early as 6 h. The IFN-gamma levels were Ag-concentration dependent. Similar results were obtained with peptides mapping CTL epitopes from two other tumor Ag: folate binding protein (FBP) and amino-enhancer of split of Notch (AES). IFN-gamma was also detected, from freshly isolated, unstimulated PBMC in response to HLA-A2 matched tumors + IL-12 but not of IL-12 alone. The major source of IFN-gamma were CD45RO+ CD8+ cells. Induction of IFN-gamma and IL-2 from CD8+ cells and of IL-12 from dendritic cells (DC) by CD8+ cells reactive with E75 mirrored their induction by the influenza matrix peptide (M1: 58-66) in the same individual. Responses to M1 are used to define the presence of activated memory cells in healthy individuals. Compared to M1 responses E75 recognition induced 2-4-fold lower levels of IL-12 from the same APC and IFN-gamma and IL-2 from the same CD8+ cells. At lower Ag concentrations the endogenous IL-12 induced by E75-reactive CD8+ cells did not reach the threshold required to co-stimulate for IFN-gamma. alphaB7.1 synergized with E75 in increasing the overall levels of IL-2 induced within 24 h. The presence of tumor Ag-reactive activated CD8+ cells in healthy individuals may improve our understanding of the mechanisms of immunosurveillance and regulation of immune responses by tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Peoples
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castilleja
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gershenson
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Ioannides
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000097:blood; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases