A large amount of effort has gone into the elucidation of the mechanism of suppression of the immune system. This level of immunoregulation has been demonstrated to be mediated by both antigen-nonspecific and antigen-specific protein factors elicited by leukocytes.
In this work, two different modes of immunosuppression were investigated. First, an attempt was made to purifiy an antigen-nonspecific protein factor, SIF (Suppressor Inducer Factor) secreted by the Natural Suppressor cell line M1-A5. M1-A5 culture supernatants were subjected to ion exchange chromatogrphy (IEC) and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Bioactivity of eluted fractions was determined by the plaque forming cell assay and followed through the purification. Reducing SDS-PAGE of selected fractions suggested that bands with Mr's of >110 KD and/or 55 KD were mediating the suppressive activity. In addition, an assay was developed to further investigate the mode of action of SIF.
Second, the binding of two antisera raised to components associated with murine antigen-specific suppression was studied using human peripheral leucocytes and several human tumour cell lines. Anti-p80 and anti-p30 binding was found to be variable (within a range) and to involve two populations of human mononuclear cells. Subsequently, it was found that all CD3⁺ (T cells), CD19⁺ (B cells) and neutophils expressed both the p80 and p30 determinants.
Four human leukemic cell lines were found to express varying levels of the p80 and p30 determinants. Cell lysates from each of the cell lines were subjected to Western blot analyses using anti-p30. The results showed that anti-p30 binds to a major band of 42 KD and minor bands of 60 and 80 KD in all lysates. In addition, a 25 KD band was observed in RAJI and CEM-CM3 lysates only. Thus, it appears that HuT 78 cells sythesize but are unable to express the p30-containing, 42 KD molecule on the cell surface.
No firm conclusions can be made with respect to the biochemical nature or mechanisism of action of either of the two suppressor factors studied in this work. Research into the mechanisms of suppression of the immune system is complex and multi-faceted, and it seems that for now, there will remain a gap in our overall understanding of immune regulation. / Science, Faculty of / Microbiology and Immunology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/29691 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Norman, Nadine Elizabeth |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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