title: Macrophages as stimulators of MART-1 27-35 epitope-specific human cytolytic T lymphocytes in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activation and expansion of antigen-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) require epitope presented by antigen-presenting cells (APC). Presently, dendritic cells (DC) are viewed as the most efficient APC. Since the recognition of DCs as the professional APC, the paradigm has emerged that macrophage (MPhi) are scavengers and are incapable of activating T cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The melanoma-associated MART-1(27-35) peptide-loaded MPhi from HLA-A2-positive donors were used to activate MART-1(27-35) epitope-specific CTL in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We show that peptide-pulsed MPhi stimulate MART-1(27-35) epitope-specific precursors to proliferate and to express effector functions. We also show that upon restimulation with the peptide pulsed MPhi, a fraction of the epitope-specific CTLs undergoes activation-induced cell death. The activation-induced cell death is induced in an epitope-specific manner and through apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MPhi can function as APC and are also capable of modulating expansion and contraction of CTL response in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA. mehrotr@musc.edu
authors.forename: Shikhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehrotra
authors.forename: Nisar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Nitya G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Bijay
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mukherji
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; C105787:MART-1-Melan-A(27-35) epitope; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins