PMID: 7518797Apr 1, 1994Paper

Human eosinophils as antigen-presenting cells: relative efficiency for superantigen- and antigen-induced CD4+ T-cell proliferation

Immunology
S D MawhorterW H Boom

Abstract

Human eosinophils become hypodense and express class II major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules when activated by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in vitro or in vivo in pathological conditions such as allergic disorders. In this study, we examined the capacity of class II MHC-expressing eosinophils to serve as antigen-presenting cells (APC) for resting and activated CD4+ T cells. Eosinophils were isolated from healthy donors and incubated in conditioned medium (CM) containing GM-CSF for 2-4 days, after which 15-92% of the cells expressed class II MHC (HLA-DR). Preincubated eosinophils induced resting T cells to proliferate in response to the staphylococcal superantigens, Staphylococcus enterotoxins A, B and E. Furthermore, superantigen-induced T-cell proliferation correlated with the proportion of eosinophils expressing class II MHC molecules. When eosinophils and macrophages were compared for their ability to act as accessory cells for superantigen-induced T-cell proliferation, macrophages were more efficient than eosinophils. Eosinophils were not effective APC for microbial antigens (Ag), which required processing. Proliferative responses to purified protein derivative, tetanus toxoid, or Brugia mal...Continue Reading

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