Antigen presentation in an HLA-DR-restricted fashion by B-cell chronic
lymphocytic leukemia cells
M Yasukawa, T Shiroguchi, A Inatsuki and Y Kobayashi
First Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine,
Japan.
The ability of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells to present
antigen to antigen-specific T cells was investigated. B-CLL cells present
herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigen and purified protein derivative (PPD) to
HSV- and PPD-specific, interleukin-2-dependent T- cell lines in an
antigen-specific manner. Treatment of B-CLL cells with the phorbol ester
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced markedly increased
levels of HLA-DR expression. TPA-treated B-CLL cells showed substantially
more effective presentation, especially at low antigen concentrations, than
did untreated B-CLL cells. By coculturing different allogeneic combinations
of B-CLL cells and T cells and by adding anti-HLA-DR monoclonal antibody to
cultures, it was found that antigen presentation by B-CLL cells was
restricted by HLA-DR in the same way as for macrophages. We concluded from
these experiments that B- CLL cells have a capacity to serve as
antigen-presenting cells in an HLA class II-restricted fashion and that
increasing the amount of HLA class II antigen and activation of B-CLL cells
resulted in effective antigen presentation.
Volume 72,
Issue 1,
pp. 102-108,
07/01/1988
Copyright © 1988 by The American Society of Hematology
