Superantigen presentation by human retinal pigment epithelial cells to T cells is dependent on CD2-CD58 and CD18-CD54 molecule interactions.
Human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are capable of presenting bacterial superantigens (SAg) to T cells in vitro by ligation of MHC class II molecules on RPE cells with the T cell receptor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the involvement of adhesion molecules in presentation of SAg. Cultured human fetal and adult RPE cells were treated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma, 500 U ml(-1) for 72 hr) and afterwards pulsed with the SAg staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA, 500 ng ml(-1) for 2 hr) followed by coculture with freshly obtained T cells isolated from peripheral blood. Proliferation was measured by (3)H-thymidine incorporation assay. In selected experiments, either RPE or T cells were pre-treated with blocking antibodies specific for cell surface molecules. For comparison, dendritic cells were used as superantigen presenting cells for T cells. This study showed that presentation of SEA by RPE cells to resting T cells was dependent on the presence of the molecules CD2, CD58 and CD18, CD54. The cycling status of T cells was decisive, thus resting T cells but not activated T cells were capable to proliferate in response to SEA presentation. Proliferation of T cells induced by adult RPE cells was comparable to the proliferation induced by dendritic cells at concentrations of SAg above 100 ng ml(-1), but at concentrations of SAg below 10 ng ml(-1) the response was significantly lower for SAg presented by RPE cells compared to dendritic cells. The results demonstrate that CD2-CD58 and CD18-CD54 interactions are critical for SAg presentation by RPE cells to T cells. The findings thus suggest that also presentation of peptides to resting T cells by RPE cells may be dependent upon these interactions.
Jørgensen
A
A
Institute of Medical Anatomy, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Junker
N
N
Kaestel
C G
CG
Liang
Y
Y
Wiencke
A
A
la Cour
M
M
Lui
G M
GM
Ødum
N
N
Nissen
M H
MH
Röpke
C
C
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000502:physiology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology*; D018821:CD18 Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D018801:CD2 Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D018968:CD58 Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018821:CD18 Antigens; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D018968:CD58 Antigens; D018089:Superantigens; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma