Decreased alloreactivity to human islets secreting recombinant viral interleukin 10

The objective of this study was to analyze allogeneic lymphocyte proliferative responses to cultured human pancreatic islets after gene transfer of viral interleukin (IL)-10 to the islets using replication-defective adenoviral vector. Human islets, either whole or dispersed into single cells, were cocultured with adenovector containing an expression cassette encoding the viral IL-10 gene under control of an SV40 promoter, this sequence replacing viral E1A and part of E1B early viral protein sequences. Subsequent production of recombinant protein by islets was determined by ELISA, and was found dependent on the multiplicity of infection (or ratio of vector to target cells). Protein was secreted by transfected islets at high levels 3-7 days after gene transfer. At high multiplicity of infection (100:1), islet viability was normal, but insulin secretion in response to glucose stimulation was blunted by 50%. Low-level recombinant viral IL-10 secretion by the islets was associated with increased allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation in mixed islet lymphocyte reactions. At protein levels in islet supernatant above 5 ng/ml, lymphocyte proliferation was significantly reduced. This pattern of viral IL-10 effect on lymphocyte proliferation correlated well with mixed lymphocyte reaction assays using purified protein. We conclude that transferred cytokine sequences are secreted by transfected islets as a function of the initial vector inoculum. The functional effect of the secreted cytokine viral IL-10 on allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation is dose dependent. Low-level recombinant protein secretion tended to augment lymphocyte proliferation, whereas high-level secretion significantly down-regulates this response.