In vitro IgG1 alloreactive antibody production by circulating memory cells in humans

This study was designed to investigate the presence of IgG1 alloreactive memory cells in the peripheral blood in humans and their in vitro activation requirements. Alloreactive antibody production was measured after cell activation with cytokines: Interleukin (IL) 2, IL-4 and IL-10, interferon gamma, alloantigens and/or OKT3, lipopolysaccharide or Pokeweed mitogen and Epstein-Barr virus transformation. The examined cells were taken from ten sensitized and five nonsensitized uremic patients with previous graft loss and five normal controls. The titers and percentage panel reactive IgG1 antibody reactivity present in the respective sera was further compared with the in vitro profile. Alloreactive antibody reactivity was measured by PRA-STAT ELISA method. The results show that: 1) Short term control T cell lines or nonsensitized cells were unable to provide the necessary help to autologous B cells to produce alloreactive antibodies of the IgG subclass. 2) Activated cells from sensitized patients produced low levels of alloreactive IgGl antibodies. 3) Stimulation with any of the cytokines and/or mitogens or alloantigens or allopeptides was not sufficient to produce consistent levels of alloreactive IgG 1 antibodies, in spite of its presence in the respective sera.