Bacterial superantigens induce peripheral unresponsiveness in CD4 1 T cell populations that express appropriate V b chains. We have used V b 3/V a 11 T cell receptor transgenic (Tg) mice and the V b 3-specific superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) to further investigate the mechanisms that contribute to such unresponsiveness. As in other models, in vivo exposure to SEA rendered the Tg...

New approaches based on induction of antigen-specific immunological tolerance are being explored for treatment of autoimmunity and prevention of immunity to protein drugs. Antigens associated with apoptotic debris are known to be processed tolerogenically in vivo. Our group is exploring an approach toward antigen-specific tolerization using erythrocyte-binding antigens, based on the premise tha...

Allergic contact dermatitis is the most frequent occupational disease in industrialized countries. It is caused by CD8(+) T cell-mediated contact hypersensitivity (CHS) reactions triggered at the site of contact by a variety of chemicals, also known as weak haptens, present in fragrances, dyes, metals, preservatives, and drugs. Despite the myriad of potentially allergenic substances that can pe...

T cell unresponsiveness to Ag stimulation can be induced by several means. The precise mechanism by which this process occurs remains poorly understood. Preincubating T cells with either EDCI-fixed APC or ionomycin is a proven means of inducing T cell anergy with reduced IL-2 production in response to Ag stimulation. Using T cells from mice expressing the TCR transgene DO11.10, which is specifi...

cumulating evidence points to a key role for cd8+ t cells in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.cd8 expression level was believed to be present constantly on the surface of human peripheral blood t cells. however, it was shown that peripheral blood lymphocytes may be divided by the level of cd8 expression, into cd8+high and cd8+low t cells. now it is well established that the cd8low populat...

Monomorphic MHC class II determinants are attractive targets for immunomodulation. HLA-DR ligation on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) can dramatically alter their function or induce cell death. In monocytes, HLA-DR triggering diminishes their capacity to stimulate T cell proliferation. To further investigate this monocyte-dependent T cell inhibition, we activated human T cells +/- HLA-DR trigge...

T cell anergy is characterized by the inability of the T cell to produce IL-2 and proliferate. It is reversible by the addition of exogenous IL-2. A similar state of unresponsiveness is observed when the proliferative response of murine CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells is suppressed in vitro by coactivated CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells. We have developed a suppression system that uses beads coated with anti-CD3 a...

In lymphocytes, integration of Ca2+ and other signaling pathways results in productive activation, while unopposed Ca2+ signaling leads to tolerance or anergy. We show that the Ca2+-regulated transcription factor NFAT has an integral role in both aspects of lymphocyte function. Ca2+/calcineurin signaling induces a limited set of anergy-associated genes, distinct from genes induced in the produc...

Skeletal muscles account for more than 30% of the human body, yet mechanisms of immunological tolerance to this tissue remain mainly unexplored. To investigate the mechanisms of tolerance to muscle-specific proteins, we generated transgenic mice expressing the neo-autoantigen OVA exclusively in skeletal muscle (SM-OVA mice). SM-OVA mice were bred with OT-I or OT-II mice that possess a transgeni...