A study of HLA-G1 protection of porcine endothelial cells against human NK cell cytotoxicity.
Human natural killer (NK) cells, which can directly lyse porcine endothelial cells, play an important role in xenotransplantation. HLA-G is a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules that has been implicated in protecting susceptible target cells from lysis by NK cells. The objective was to study the effect of protecting porcine endothelial cells transfected with HLA-G1 from human NK cell lysis.


METHODS
The recombinant expression vector pcDNA3-HLA-G1 was transfected into primary cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAECs) by lipofection. Surface expression of HLA-G1 in transected PAECs was confirmed by an immunofluoresence technique. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and NK cell line (NK92) were used as NK effects cells with pcDNA3-HLA-G1-transfected PAECs as targets in a MTT method using pcDNA3 transfection as a negative control.


RESULTS
Expression of HLA-G1 on PAECs conferred significant protection against NK-mediated lysis. The rate of NK92 cytotoxicity was reduced to 41.5% +/- 14.0% from 75.3% +/- 10.5% in the control group (P < .01). Similarly the rate of the PBMC cytotoxicity among different donors (n = 7) was reduced to 45.4% +/- 12.1% in contrast to 74.6% +/- 11.2% in the control group (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
HLA-G1 molecules can directly protect xenogeneic PAECs against attack by human NK cells. These results indicate that the expression of HLA-G1 on the porcine cell surface may provide a new approach to overcome NK-mediated immunity to xenografts.
Wang
S S
SS
Institute of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory appointed by China Ministry of Education and China Ministry of Health, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Han
J Y
JY
Wu
X W
XW
Cao
R H
RH
Qi
H G
HG
Xia
Z X
ZX
Chen
D
D
Gong
F L
FL
Chen
S
S
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine; D014162:Transfection
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins