[Functional changes of dendritic cells after infection by recombinant retrovirus carrying human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene fragment].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the functional changes of dendritic cells (DCs) after infection by recombinant retrovirus carrying human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene fragment.


METHODS
Interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in DC culture supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The abilities of DCs infected with recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT gene (hTERT-DCs) and non-infected DCs (N-DCs) to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation were evaluated with mixed leukocytes reaction (MLR), and the surface markers of DCs including CD80, CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR were detected by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assay was performed with CytoTox 96 non-radioactive cytoxicity assay.


RESULTS
Compared with N-DCs, hTERT-DCs showed no significant changes in IL-12 secretion and capacity to stimulate allogeneic lymphocytes reaction, but had significantly lower CD83 expression. Specific CTLs induced by hTERT-DCs resulted in higher cytotoxicity against telomerase-positive target cells than that against the negative target cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Infection with the recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT fragment may jeopardize the maturation of DCs, which, however, still retain their capacity to activate and stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and to prime autologous T lymphocytes to generate specific CTL against hTERT.
Hu
Gui-fang
GF
Department of Epidemiology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. guifanghu@hotmail.com
Sun
Li-sha
LS
Jin
Hong
H
Ou
Cheng-shan
CS
Jiang
Yi-ping
YP
Pang
Jian-xin
JX
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D018664:Interleukin-12; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase