European Journal of Immunology 

About: European Journal of Immunology is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): T cell & Antigen. It has an ISSN identifier of 0014-2980. Over the lifetime, 16429 publications have been published receiving 901342 citations. The journal is also known as: EJI & European journal of immunology.

A rapid method for the isolation of functional thymus‐derived murine lymphocytes

Abstract: A rapid method is described for effectively removing immunoglobulin-bearing cells from either primed or unprimed mouse spleen and lymph node cell suspensions. Incubation of cell suspensions in nylon wool columns for 45 min at 37 °C resulted in a 9 to 100-fold depletion of immunoglobulin-bearing cells and a complementary 1.5 to 2-fold enrichment of T cells in the column effluent populations. The effluent population, derived from passage of spleen cells through these columns, was virtually devoid of B precursor and memory cell activity, but contained all of the helper cell and cytotoxic effector cell precursor activity when compared to unfractionated spleen cells.

Derivation of specific antibody-producing tissue culture and tumor lines by cell fusion

Abstract: Cell fusion techniques have been used to produce hybrids between myeloma cells and antibody-producing cells. The hybrid lines derived are permanently adapted to grow in tissue culture and are capable of inducing antibody-producing tumors in mice. Spleens from mice immunized against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were fused to an 8-azaguanine-resistant clone (X63-Ag8) of MOPC 21 myeloma. Over 50% of the derived hybrid lines produce and secrete immunoglobulins different from the MOPC 21 myeloma. About 10% of the hybrid lines exhibit anti-SRBC activity. The high proportion of antibody-producing hybrids suggests that the fusion involves a restricted fraction of the spleen cell population, probably cells committed to antibody production. In order to avoid the presence of the MOPC 21 heavy chain in the specific hybrids, another myeloma cell line (NSI/1-Ag4-1) has been used. This is a nonsecreting variant of the MOPC 21 myeloma which does not express heavy chains. Three anti-SRBC (probably of the mu, gamma2b and gamma1 classes, respectively) and two anti-2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (of the mu class) antibody-producing hybrids have been repeatedly cloned. By random selection and by selection of specific clones according to their lytic activity (clone plaque selection), a number of different lines have been constructed. Such lines express different combinations of the four possible chains of each hybrid line: the myeloma gamma and K chains and the specific antibody heavy and light chains. In three cases (Sp1, Sp2 and Sp7) it is shown that only the specific H and L combination has activity and that the myeloma chains are unable to substitute for them. In most cases lines have been derived which no longer express the MOPC 21 chains but only the specific antibody chains.

"Natural" killer cells in the mouse. I. Cytotoxic cells with specificity for mouse Moloney leukemia cells. Specificity and distribution according to genotype.

Abstract: In the spleens of young, adult mice there exist naturally occurring killer lymphocytes with specificity for mouse Moloney leukemia cells. The lytic activity was directed against syngeneic or allogeneic Moloney leukemia cells to a similar extent, but was primarily expressed when tested against in vitro grown leukemia cells. Two leukemias of non-Moloney origin were resistant and so was the mastocytoma line P815. Although killer activity varied between different strains of mice, the specificity of lysis was the same as indicated by competition experiments using unlabeled Moloney or other tumor cells as inhibitors in the cytotoxic assays. Capacity to compete and sensitivy to lysis by the killer cells were found to be highly positively correlated. Analysis of the kinetics of the cytotoxic assay revealed a rapid induction of lysis within one to four hours, arguing against any conventional in vitro induction of immune response. No evidence was found of soluble factors playing any role in the cytolytic assay.

F4/80, a monoclonal antibody directed specifically against the mouse macrophage

Abstract: A hybridoma clone which secretes a macrophage (MΦ)-specific monoclonal antibody, F4/80, was produced by fusing spleen cells from a rat hyperimmunized with cultured thioglycollate-induced mouse peritoneal MΦ with a mouse myeloma, NS1. Binding of antibody to primary cells and cell lines was detected by radioimmune indirect binding assay, autoradiography or fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. F4/80 binds to mouse MΦ from the peritoneal cavity or other sources, blood monocytes, MΦ derived from bone marrow precursors in culture and MΦ-like cell lines, but not to other cells, including polymorphonuclear leukocytes, lymphocytes or fibroblasts. F4/80 does not bind to MΦ via Fc receptors, is not cytotoxic and is of the rat IgG2b subclass. Since F4/80 binds to all MΦ defined by adherence, morphology and immune phagocytosis, it provides a new marker to define the MΦ in the mouse. Large differences in expression of antigen F4/80 were found, depending on intraperitoneal stimulation, time in culture and stage of maturation. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the antigen F4/80 is part of a component of Mr 160000 which is synthesized by the MΦ and, at least in part, exposed on the cell surface.

IL-6: regulator of Treg/Th17 balance.

Abstract: IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in the physiology of virtually every organ system. Recent studies have demonstrated that IL-6 has a very important role in regulating the balance between IL-17-producing Th17 cells and regulatory T cells (Treg). The two T-cell subsets play prominent roles in immune functions: Th17 cell is a key player in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and protection against bacterial infections, while Treg functions to restrain excessive effector T-cell responses. IL-6 induces the development of Th17 cells from naive T cells together with TGF-β; in contrast, IL-6 inhibits TGF-β-induced Treg differentiation. Dysregulation or overproduction of IL-6 leads to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in which Th17 cells are considered to be the primary cause of pathology. Given the critical role of IL-6 in altering the balance between Treg and Th17 cells, controlling IL-6 activities is potentially an effective approach in the treatment of various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, we review the role of IL-6 in regulating Th17/Treg balance and describe the critical functions of IL-6 and Th17 in immunity and immune-pathology.