CD antigens 2001.

The most recent Human Leucocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshop ("HLDA7") took place in 2000 in Harrogate, UK and the proceedings are about to be published (Leucocyte Typing VII). New Sections were introduced in this Workship (Dendritic cells, Stem/progenitor cells, Erythroid cells and Carbohydrate Structures) and monoclonal antibodies were selected for which at least some molecular data were already available (to avoid "blind" screening of reagents against known specificities). A total of more than 80 new CD specificities were established (previously the average was less than 30 new CD specificities per Workshop) and these are listed in this article.

CD antigens 2001.

This paper reviews the Seventh Human Leucocyte Differentiation Antigen (HLDA7) workshop. Due to the limitations of "blind" antibody screening, which had been evident at the previous meeting in 1996, participants at HLDA7 adopted a more selective approach to the choice of antibodies by identifying new CD specificities. This resulted in the addition of more than 80 new CD specificities.

Measles virus infection causes transient depletion of activated T cells from peripheral circulation.

Background: Natural measles virus infection as well as vaccination with attenuated measles virus induce temporary immunosuppression, which is responsible for part of the morbidity and mortality associated with measles. The underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. Recently, in vitro studies have revealed a marked increase of LFA-1 expression of lymphocytes in the presence of infectious measles virus.

Active specific immunotherapy of renal cell carcinoma: cellular and humoral immune responses.

We investigated the effect of vaccinating renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with irradiated autologous or allogeneic tumor cells and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as adjuvant on cellular and humoral antitumor immunity. By Western blot analysis, we found that vaccination induced antibody formation in 33 of 34 patients against NDV proteins but not against tumor cell related antigens. NDV proteins detected had molecular weights of 53 kDa, 55-56 kDa, and 66 kDa.

A novel DNA-binding regulatory factor is mutated in primary MHC class II deficiency (bare lymphocyte syndrome).

Regulation of MHC class II gene expression is an essential aspect of the control of the immune response. Primary MHC class II deficiency is a genetically heterogeneous disease of gene regulation that offers the unique opportunity of a genetic approach for the identification of the functionally relevant regulatory genes and factors. Most patients exhibit a characteristic defect in the binding of a nuclear complex, RFX, to the X box motif of MHC class II promoters.

Coexpression of stem cell factor and its receptor c-Kit in human malignant glioma cell lines.

Stem cell factor (SCF), a hematopoietic growth factor, is the ligand of the tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the c-kit proto-oncogene. Beside the important role of this receptor-ligand complex in hematopoiesis, gametogenesis and melanogenesis, SCF and its receptor have been shown to be expressed in the brain. We have studied the expression of SCF and c-kit in 20 human malignant glioma cell lines at the mRNA as well as at the protein level.

Characterization of human TUR leukemia cells: continued cell cycle progression in the presence of phorbol ester is associated with resistance to apoptosis.

Human TUR leukemia cells were generated as a subclone of U937 monoblastoid leukemia cells. There was no obvious difference in the ultrastructure of both cell lines. Like in U937 cells, the expression of monocyte-specific surface markers such as CD14 was negligible in TUR cells.

Cystic fibrosis-type mutational analysis in the ATP-binding cassette transporter signature of human P-glycoprotein MDR1.

Members of the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily such as the P-glycoproteins (MDR) and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) share conserved sequence motifs in their nucleotide binding fold that are the major targets for CFTR mutations in patients with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis-type mutations were introduced at analogous positions into the human MDR1 gene. Heterologous expression of wild-type or mutated MDR1 revealed similar mRNA transcript levels in Chinese hamster ovary K1 recipients, but the subsequent processing was defective for all mutations that give rise to severe cystic fibrosis in the case of CFTR.

Production of interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 in hepatoblastoma.

Thrombocytosis and fever are frequent symptoms in children with hepatoblastoma. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been shown to mediate thrombocytosis and an acute-phase reaction including fever. We therefore investigated samples from 14 untreated patients with hepatoblastoma for this cytokine and in addition for interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), all of which are known to induce IL-6 production.

Expansion of peripheral blood natural killer cells correlates with clinical outcome in cancer patients receiving recombinant subcutaneous interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha-2.

Natural killer (NK) cells are believed to contribute to the clinical efficacy of cancer immunotherapy using recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in humans. In previous trials of high-dose i.v.

Clinical and preclinical evaluation of recombinant PEG-IL-2 in human.

High dose interleukin-2 alone or in combination with lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells has demonstrated antitumor activity in a variety of malignant diseases. The currently formulated recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) has limited solubility and short circulatory half life resulting in limited bioavailability. To improve the bioavailability of IL-2 the protein was covalently bound to activated Polyethylenglycol (PEG).

Low-dose interleukin-2 in combination with interferon-alpha effectively modulates biological response in vivo.

Phenotypic characterization of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed in patients with advanced metastatic cancer receiving low-dose recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) as subcutaneous home therapy. A total of 31 patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, colorectal cancer, B-cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease, were evaluated. Patients were treated with a combination of low-dose subcutaneous rIL-2 and rIFN-alpha, consisting of a 2-day rIL-2 pulse at 9.

Expanded macrophage precursor populations in BXSB mice: possible reason for the increasing monocytosis in male mice.

The BXSB mouse spontaneously develops an autoimmune disease that resembles human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). During their lifetime, male BXSB mice show an increasing monocytosis in the peripheral blood as opposed to their female littermates. This monocytosis is unique among autoimmune-prone mice.

Pretreatment natural killer antigen density correlates to clinical response in tumor patients receiving long-term subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 and recombinant interferon-alpha.

We evaluated density of the natural killer (NK) cell-associated CD56 antigen on circulating NK cells of 47 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Patients received a combination of low-dose subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) as home therapy. Antigen density of CD56 before therapy was 2.

Effects of human stem cell factor (c-kit ligand) on proliferation of myeloid leukemia cells: heterogeneity in response and synergy with other hematopoietic growth factors.

A novel hematopoietic growth factor, the stem cell factor (SCF), for primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells has recently been purified and its gene has been cloned. In this study we tested the mitogenic activity of recombinant human SCF on myeloid leukemia cells as well as the expression of its receptor. We have investigated the proliferation of 31 myeloid leukemia cell lines as well as fresh myeloid leukemic blasts from 17 patients in a 72-hour 3H-thymidine uptake assay in the presence of various concentrations of recombinant human (rh) SCF alone or in combination with saturating concentrations of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), G-CSF, M-CSF, interleukin-3 (IL-3), or erythropoietin (EPO).

Biologic and therapeutic efficacy of mafosfamide in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

It is well known that oxazaphosphorines [e.g., cyclophosphamide and 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (mafosfamide)] are potent immunosuppressive agents.