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We analyzed the autologous NK cell interaction with gliadin-presenting dendritic cells. Gliadin is the known Ag priming the celiac disease (CD) pathogenesis. We demonstrate that gliadin prevents immature dendritic cells (iDCs) elimination by NK cells. Furthermore, cooperation between human NK cells-iDCs and T cells increases IFN-gamma production of anti-gliadin immune response. Gliadin fractions were analyzed for their capability to stabilize HLA-E molecules. The alpha and omega fractions conferred the protection from NK cell lysis to iDCs and increased their HLA-E expression. Gliadin pancreatic enzyme digest and a peptide derived from gliadin alpha increased HLA-E levels on murine RMA-S/HLA-E-transfected cells. Analysis of HLA-E expression in the small intestinal mucosa of gluten-containing diet celiac patients and organ culture experiments confirmed the in vitro data.

This study focuses on the differential role of CD40 and CD80 costimulatory molecules and major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) antigens in the regulation of the interplay between dendritic cells (DCs) and interleukin (IL)-2-activated human natural killer (NK) lymphocytes. Our data indicate that CD40 and CD80 molecules might play a preferential role in the induction of cytotoxic function but not in the interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) production by human IL-2-activated NK effectors in the presence of autologous and allogeneic DCs. In addition, a critical role of CD94-dependent MHC-I recognition in the regulation of both IFN-gamma production and target cell lysis was shown in the functional interaction between NK and DCs.

In transporter associated with antigen-processing (TAP)-deficient patients affected by a severe downmodulation of human leucocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules, natural killer (NK) cells have an increased expression of the inhibitory receptor CD94/NKG2A. Focusing our attention on NK cells, we have investigated the phenotype, function and proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) derived from healthy donors after coculturing with TAP (T2)- or HLA-I-deficient (721.221) cell lines and their related HLA-I-expressing transfectants (T3 and DT360, respectively). After 4 days, NK cells cocultured with T2 cells had a threefold increased CD94 expression compared to NK cells cocultured with T3. This increase was due to proliferation of the CD56brightCD94bright subset. In contrast, expression of other inhibitory receptors [killer cell immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptors] was variable during time and was not related to HLA-I molecules expressed by stimulating cells. Similar results were obtained using HLA-I-deficient cells (721.221). The PBLs cocultured for 4 days with T2 cells displayed enhanced cytotoxic responses. The results suggest that CD56brightCD94bright NK cells are induced to proliferate and kill in response to a TAP-deficient environment. The changes seen in the NK-cell compartment were partially contributed by T lymphocytes present in the coculture. These data could explain the increased CD94 expression and autoimmune manifestations observed in TAP-deficient patients.

Natural killer (NK) cells are physiologically involved in the immune response against viruses, intracellular bacteria, and parasites as well as against malignant diseases. In addition to the cytotoxic activity, NK lymphocytes mediate a variety of homeostatic effects by producing cytokines. This study focused on the differential role of CD40 and CD80 costimulatory molecules and major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) antigens in the regulation of cytotoxicity and of interferon (IFN)-gamma secretion of resting and interleukin (IL)-2-activated human NK cells. CD40 and CD80 molecules were observed to play a specific role in the induction of cytotoxic function but not in IFN-gamma production of IL-2-activated NK effectors. In addition, a critical role of CD94-dependent MHC-I recognition for the regulation of IFN-gamma production and target lysis was demonstrated. These data provide a possible mechanism underlying functional interactions between NK lymphocytes and CD40/CD80-expressing cell targets, as represented by dendritic cells.

The present study was designed to determine the molecular mechanisms by which interleukin (IL)-10 prevents the HLA class I antigen expression at the cell surface. In this context, the potential role of transporter associated with antigen presentation 1+2 (TAP1+2) molecules and NF-kappaB transcription factors was addressed. The IL-10 effect was investigated in a human lymphoblastoid cell system defective for TAP1+2 genes (T2 cell line) and in the related TAP1+2 transfectants (T3 cell line). In this experimental system, after 48 h of incubation in the presence of IL-10, the HLA class I antigen downmodulation was observed in the T3 but not in the T2 cell line, suggesting a potential role of TAP1+2 molecules. In the same experimental conditions, the NF-kappaB activity was unaffected. Instead, after 3 h of exposure to IL-10, the HLA downmodulation was observed in both cell lines, the NF-kappaB factors activity being strongly reduced. In addition, the transfection of the inhibitor of NF-kappaB, IkappaBalpha, prevented the IL-10 effect on HLA class I antigen expression in the T3 cell line. This phenomenon was observed after 3 h but not 48 h of IL-10 incubation. These evidences indicate a time dependent involvement of TAP1+2 antigens and of NF-kappabeta activity in the IL-10-induced major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I downmodulation.

Enhancement of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression leads to protection from natural killer (NK) cell recognition in several systems. MHC class I gene products are released from the cell surface and can be found in sera as soluble forms. To investigate the possible immunoregulatory role of soluble HLA (sHLA) in NK cell-target recognition, several sHLA antigens were studied for their ability to induce NK cell cytotoxicity modulation. NK cell-target recognition was inhibited by the addition of sHLA during the cytotoxicity assay. Our results indicate that sHLA molecules can down-regulate NK killing at the effector level. Moreover, different NK clones are able to specifically recognize different sHLA antigens. Kp43 molecules seem to be involved in the NK recognition of sHLA-B7.

P-glycoprotein (Mdr1), a member of the ABC superfamily, is a pump able to transport several compounds across plasma membranes. It displays a high level of similarity with the MHC-linked transporters TAP1 and TAP2 which are involved in the delivery of immunogenic peptides across the endoplasmic reticulum. In the present study we analyze the P-glycoprotein's ability to interfere with the biosynthetic pathway of the MHC class I molecules. Our results show that P-glycoprotein is involved in the modulation of the MHC class I expression in multidrug-resistant tumor cell lines, COS1 cells transfected with mdr1 gene, and human T lymphocytes. Epitope screening evokes the possibility that P-glycoprotein induces a modulation of the different MHC class I forms expressed on the cell surface. We propose that P-glycoprotein is involved in the transport of antigenic protein fragments from the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum. The suggested mechanism could be physiologically relevant in tissues displaying a high Mdr1 activity, where this transporter could contribute to the regulation of locoregional immune responses.

The c-myc gene encodes a nuclear protein whose precise function is still not fully understood. Introduction of a c-myc gene into a number of cell lines leads to an increase in their susceptibility to NK-cell lysis. It was reported earlier that c-myc can induce a decrease in the membrane expression of the MHC class-I molecules and this may be one of the factors that render target cells relatively more susceptible to NK lysis. In this contribution, we show, in a human LCL line transfected with a constitutively active c-myc gene, an increased sensitivity to NK lysis, which correlates with an augmented effector-target binding ability of c-myc-transfected LCLs and with a high ICAM-I expression rather than with down-regulation of MHC class-I W6/32 epitope expression.

Several cell clones derived from cell lines obtained from a rat thyroid carcinoma, induced by in vivo injection of the Kirsten murine sarcoma virus into thyroid gland, and from its spontaneous lung metastases were analysed for their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen expression. The susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cell lysis of these clones, differing in their levels of MHC class I antigen expression, was determined and found to vary inversely with the target cell MHC level, confirming numerous reports of the literature. We then tried to localize the step of the multistage natural cytotoxic process, in which class I antigens could interfere, and tested first whether lymphokine (IL-2) activation of the killer (LAK) cells could overcome the differences in MHC class I expression of target cells. As this did not appear to be the case, we studied the binding step by either a cold target inhibition assay and a target binding assay and found that target cells expressing class I antigens show a lower competitive capacity for effector cells than targets not expressing such antigens, indicating that this interference may occur, at least in our system, in the binding step of the cytotoxic process.