ALBERT

Description: Human gamma interferon (HuIFN gamma) was assessed for its capacity to enhance release of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factors (GM-CSF) from human peripheral blood monocytes. Natural HuIFN gamma (2 X 10(7) NIH reference units per milligram) at concentrations as low as 0.01 U/mL to 10 U/mL reproducibly enhanced release of GM-CSF. This enhancement was detected when T lymphocytes were depleted from monocyte preparations and when T lymphocytes and monocytes were depleted from populations of human bone marrow cells stimulated by monocyte- conditioned media to form colonies and clusters. T lymphocytes alone or in the presence of HuIFN gamma did not release GM-CSF. The enhancing activity of HuIFN gamma was removed by preincubating HuIFN gamma with neutralizing concentrations of monoclonal anti-HuIFN gamma, and recombinant HuIFN gamma mimicked the effects of natural HuIFN gamma, suggesting that the effects were due to HuIFN gamma itself. HuIFN gamma suppression of the release of inhibitory activity from monocytes was ruled out as a reason for the noted enhancing activity of HuIFN gamma. The enhancing activity of HuIFN gamma was confined to the MHC class II antigen-positive population of monocytes. Removal of these cells with monoclonal antibody plus complement (c') ablated the enhancing activity, high concentrations of certain monoclonal antibodies in the absence of c' blocked the enhancing activity and, when monocytes were sorted into MHC class II antigen-positive and -negative cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, it was only the positive cell fraction that responded to the enhancing activity of HuIFN gamma.

Description: Purified recombinant human heavy subunit (rHF, acidic) and recombinant human light subunit (rLF, basic) ferritins were assessed for their effects in vitro on colony formation by normal human granulocyte- macrophage (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells. The purity of the samples was confirmed by electrophoresis in both nondenaturing and denaturing conditions and silver staining. Concentrations of 10(-8) to 10(-10) mol/L rHF caused an approximately 40% significant decrease in colony formation. Some significant activity was detected at 10(-11) mol/L, and activity was lost at 10(-12) mol/L. In contrast, rLF had no significant activity at 10(-8) to 10(-16) mol/L. rHF was significantly active against mouse bone marrow CFU-GM to concentrations as low as 10(- 8) to 10(-9) mol/L. The inhibitory activity of rHF was inactivated with three different monoclonal antibodies recognizing the heavy subunit of ferritin, but not with two monoclonal antibodies recognizing the light subunit of ferritin. The inhibitory activity of rHF was similar in the absence or presence of serum, monocytes, and T lymphocytes. We and others have shown an association of a glycosylated natural acidic isoferritin (AIF) with inhibitory activity, but since the rHF was expressed in Escherichia coli and did not bind to concanavalin A, glycosylation of AIF is not an absolute prerequisite for this activity. These results demonstrate that rHF has suppressive activity in vitro and substantiate our original observations using purified natural acidic isoferritins.

Description: An association has been established between human Ia-like antigenic determinants, expression during DNA synthesis on multipotential (CFU- GEMM) and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells, and the regulatory action of acidic isoferritins in vitro. Treatment of human bone marrow cells with monoclonal anti-Ia (NE1–011) plus complement inhibited colony formation of CFU-GEMM) and BFU-E by 50%-70%. Reduction of colonies was similar whether bone marrow cells were exposed to anti-Ia plus complement, high specific tritiated thymidine (3HTdr), or acidic isoferritins. No further decrease was apparent with 3HTdr or acidic isoferritins after Ia-antigen+ CFU-GEMM or BFU-E were removed, or with anti-Ia plus complement or acidic isoferritins after S-phase CFU-GEMM or BFU-E were removed. Anti-Ia, in the absence of complement, had no effect on colony formation but blocked the inhibition of CFU-GEMM and BFU-E by acidic isoferritins. Demonstration of Ia-antigens on BFU-E and inhibition of BFU-E by acidic isoferritins appeared to require the presence of phytohemmagglutinin leukocyte conditioned medium (PHA-LCM) in the culture medium during the 14-day incubation period. these results implicate Ia-antigen+ cells, acidic isoferritins, and PHA-LCM in the regulation of multipotential and erythroid progenitor cells in vitro.

Description: To stimulate granulopoiesis, we gave recombinant human granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF; 120 microgram/m2/d) to a patient with congenital neutropenia. The treatment resulted in marked increases in white blood cell counts (maximum, 17,400/microL), consisting mainly of eosinophils (maximum, 13,050/microL) and monocytes (maximum, 1305/microL), rather than neutrophils (maximum, 798/microL). Circulating phagocytes (97% eosinophils) derived after GM-CSF treatment were less effective in chemotaxis, slower but equally effective in phagocytosis, and more effective in H2O2 production compared with normal control neutrophils, but comparable in chemotaxis and H2O2 production to control eosinophils. Before GM-CSF treatment, the bone marrow showed a maturation defect in the neutrophilic series that persisted after treatment despite marked increases in mature cells of other lineages. In vitro agar culture of bone marrow cells before GM- CSF treatment showed a normal number of granulocyte colonies; however, maturation was limited to the metamyelocyte stage. Although the absolute number and cycling rates of myeloid colony forming cells (predominantly eosinophils) increased after treatment, the maturation defect in the neutrophilic series persisted. The finding that GM-CSF induced stimulation of proliferation, which was coupled with maturation in the eosinophilic and monocytic but not the neutrophilic components, suggests that this patient had an intrinsic cellular or humoral defect in neutrophil maturation.

Description: Purified recombinant human heavy subunit (rHF, acidic) and recombinant human light subunit (rLF, basic) ferritins were assessed for their effects in vitro on colony formation by normal human granulocyte- macrophage (CFU-GM) and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cells. The purity of the samples was confirmed by electrophoresis in both nondenaturing and denaturing conditions and silver staining. Concentrations of 10(-8) to 10(-10) mol/L rHF caused an approximately 40% significant decrease in colony formation. Some significant activity was detected at 10(-11) mol/L, and activity was lost at 10(-12) mol/L. In contrast, rLF had no significant activity at 10(-8) to 10(-16) mol/L. rHF was significantly active against mouse bone marrow CFU-GM to concentrations as low as 10(- 8) to 10(-9) mol/L. The inhibitory activity of rHF was inactivated with three different monoclonal antibodies recognizing the heavy subunit of ferritin, but not with two monoclonal antibodies recognizing the light subunit of ferritin. The inhibitory activity of rHF was similar in the absence or presence of serum, monocytes, and T lymphocytes. We and others have shown an association of a glycosylated natural acidic isoferritin (AIF) with inhibitory activity, but since the rHF was expressed in Escherichia coli and did not bind to concanavalin A, glycosylation of AIF is not an absolute prerequisite for this activity. These results demonstrate that rHF has suppressive activity in vitro and substantiate our original observations using purified natural acidic isoferritins.

Description: Human gamma interferon (HuIFN gamma) was evaluated for its effects on the release from human peripheral blood T lymphocytes (greater than 98% pure) stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) of activities that can stimulate granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies and clusters, erythroid (BFU-E) bursts, and mixed (CFU-GEMM) colonies. T lymphocytes did not release these activities in the absence of PHA with or without HuIFN gamma. In the presence of PHA, pure natural HuIFN gamma at concentrations of 0.1 to 100 U/mL significantly enhanced release of these colony-stimulating activities. Although enhanced release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating activities were noted when T lymphocytes were added to the conditioning medium in the presence of 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% PHA, enhanced release of burst-promoting and mixed colony activities was seen only in the presence of 0.1% and 0.5% PHA. The enhanced release of colony-stimulating activities was not due to HuIFN gamma-suppression of the release from PHA-stimulated T lymphocytes of suppressor molecules. The enhancing effects of natural HuIFN gamma were neutralized with a monoclonal anti-natural HuIFN gamma, and recombinant HuIFN gamma mimicked the enhancing effects of the natural HuIFN gamma. This enhancing effect was noted only when HuIFN gamma was added with the T lymphocytes and PHA during the first 24 hours of incubation. T lymphocytes were separated into T4+, T8-, T8+, and T4- subsets (greater than 98% pure for the appropriate phenotypes) after incubation with OKT4- and OKT8- monoclonal antibodies and sorting on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). All types of colony-stimulating activities were released from each population after stimulation with PHA, but enhanced release of these activities in the presence of HuIFN gamma was only detected with the T4+ or T8- subsets of lymphocytes. It cannot be concluded from these studies whether HuIFN gamma is enhancing the release of one or several types of colony-stimulating activities, but these studies suggest a role for HuIFN gamma and T4+ lymphocyte subsets in the regulation in vitro of the release of colony-stimulating activities.

Description: We describe the effects of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) on the hematopoietic and stromal elements of human bone marrow. Marrow cells were exposed to 4-HC and then assayed for mixed (CFU-Mix), erythroid (BFU-E), granulomonocytic (CFU-GM), and marrow fibroblast (CFU-F) colony-forming cells and studied in the long-term marrow culture (LTMC) system. The inhibition of colony formation by 4-HC was dose and cell- concentration dependent. The cell most sensitive to 4-HC was CFU-Mix (ID50 31 mumol/L) followed by BFU-E (ID50 41 mumol/L), CFU-GM (ID50 89 mumol/L), and CFU-F (ID50 235 mumol/L). In LTMC, a dose-related inhibition of CFU-GM production was noted. Marrows treated with 300 mumol/L 4-HC were completely depleted of CFU-GM but were able to generate these progenitors in LTMC. Marrow stromal progenitors giving rise to stromal layers in LTMC, although less sensitive to 4-HC cytotoxicity, were damaged by 4-HC also in a dose-related manner. Marrows treated with 4-HC up to 300 mumol/L, gave rise to stromal layers composed of fibroblasts, endothelial cells, adipocytes, and macrophages. Cocultivation experiments with freshly isolated autologous hematopoietic cells showed that stromal layers derived from 4-HC- treated marrows were capable of sustaining the long-term production of CFU-GM as well as controls. In conclusion: (1) Hematopoietic progenitors cells, CFU-Mix, BFU-E, and CFU-GM, are highly sensitive to 4-HC, whereas marrow stromal progenitor cells are relatively resistant. (2) Marrows treated with 300 mumol/L 4-HC that are depleted of CFU-Mix, BFU-E, and CFU-GM can generate CFU-GM in LTMC, suggesting that most primitive hematopoietic stem cells (not represented by CFU-Mix) are spared by 4-HC up to this dose. (3) Consequently, the above colony assays are not suitable tools for predicting pluripotent stem cell survival after 4-HC treatment in vitro.

Description: Conditioned medium (CM) obtained from a human hepatoma cell line, SK- HEP-1, contains colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) active on murine and human bone marrow-derived granulocyte and macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) and a factor capable of inducing granulocyte-macrophage differentiation (GM-DF) of murine myelomonocytic leukemic cells WEHI- 3B(D+) and human promyelocytic leukemic cells HL-60 when assayed in semisolid agar cultures. The human active granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for day 7 CFU-GM and the GM-DF for WEHI- 3B(D+) and for HL-60 are not separable by acrylamide agarose column chromatography, eluting at an apparent molecular weight between 20,000 and 35,000 daltons, or by isoelectric focusing (isoelectric point, pH 5.4). In addition, SK-HEP-1 CM contains erythroid burst-promoting activity (BPA) and a factor that promotes the growth of human mixed colonies. SK-HEP-1 cells, which grow as an adherent monolayer, appear not to be endothelial or monocytic in origin since by immunofluorescent staining they are negative for Ia (HLA-DR), monocyte antigen 1 and 2, lysozyme, and factor VIII-related antigen. Positive immunofluorescent staining for keratin and fibronectin suggests the possibility that SK- HEP-1 is an epithelial cell line. Constitutive production of GM-DF as well as other hematopoietic activities including GM-CSF, erythroid BPA, and an activity that promotes the growth of human mixed colony progenitors by a human epithelial tumor cell line, SK-HEP-1, suggests that this cell line is a valuable resource for both large-scale production of these factors and the cloning of the gene(s) that code for these regulators.

Description: The relationship between major histocompatibility complex class II antigens (MHC class II, eg, HLA-DR, Ia), T lymphocytes, and the enhancement of erythroid colony formation from BFU-E by prostaglandin E was analyzed using normal bone marrow cells. In primary methylcellulose culture, the addition of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) to unseparated buffy coat, low-density, or nonadherent low-density (NAL) marrow cells resulted in an enhancement of the total number of erythroid (BFU-E) colonies observed. Treatment of bone marrow cells with a monoclonal antihuman MHC class II antibody plus complement (C') resulted in a reduction of the total number of colonies by approximately 50% and abrogation of the enhancing effect of PGE1. Analysis of accessory cell requirements by depletion of both adherent cells and sheep erythrocyte rosetting lymphocytes (E+ cells) and reconstitution using C' or anti- MHC class II antibody plus C'-treated T cell-depleted NAL (NALT-) marrow cells and E+ cell populations treated with C' or anti-MHC class II antibody plus C' demonstrated a requirement for MHC class II antigen- T cells, but not adherent cells, and a requirement for MHC class II antigen + BFU-E in order to observe the enhancing effect of PGE1 on erythroid colony formation. Positive selection of BFU-E in NALT- bone marrow expressing differing density distributions of MHC class II antigens was accomplished with monoclonal anti-MHC class II antibodies and sorting with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Addition of E+ cells to the different populations of MHC class II antigen+ NALT- cells demonstrated that the PGE-enhancing effects on erythroid colony formation were directly related to increasing density distributions of MHC class II antigens on BFU-E. Colony formation by BFU-E expressing a low density distribution of MHC class II antigens or having no detectable MHC class II antigens, as determined by FACS analysis, was not enhanced by PGE1 in the presence of MHC class II antigen-positive or -negative T cells.

Description: Purified human transferrin, when saturated with iron or zinc, decreased the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM- CSF) by human T lymphocytes that had been stimulated by phytohemagglutin or concanavalin-A. The iron-saturated transferrin was more active than the zinc-saturated transferrin. This effect was not seen for copper-saturated transferrin or for apotransferrin, and the inhibitory effect was seen whether production of GM-CSF occurred in the absence or presence of serum. If the lymphocytes were pretreated with monoclonal antibody against transferrin receptors, no suppressive effect with transferrin was seen. Transferrin did not have a direct effect on the granulocyte-macrophage colony or cluster-forming cells (CFU-GM) or on preformed GM-CSF. Transferrin-inhibitory activity was produced and released only from a subpopulation of T lymphocytes that had the OKT8+ antigenic phenotype. Release of this activity from OKT8+ lymphocytes, into culture medium at 37 degrees C, was first detected after 6–17 hr, but the capacity of the GM-CSF-producing lymphocytes to respond to transferrin-inhibitory activity was apparent only within the first 3 hr of placing the lymphocytes at 37 degrees C. These studies demonstrate feedback interactions confined to cells of the T-lymphocyte lineage that may be of relevance to the regulation of myelopoiesis.