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Interaction of Antithymocyte Globulins with Dendritic Cell Antigens
Author(s) -
Leitner J.,
GrabmeierPfistershammer K.,
Majdic O.,
Zlabinger G.,
Steinberger P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2010.03322.x
Subject(s) - antigen , immune system , thymoglobulin , immunology , polyclonal antibodies , immunodominance , dendritic cell , medicine , biology , epitope , transplantation , tacrolimus , surgery
The polyclonal rabbit antithymocyte globulins (ATGs), Thymoglobulin and ATG‐Fresenius S, are widely used for prevention and therapy of allograft rejection and graft versus host disease. Dendritic cells (DC) govern immune responses and thus the interaction of ATGs with these cells could potentially contribute to the clinical effects of ATG therapy. Currently there is little information on the DC‐antigens targeted by ATGs. In this study we have used a new methodology to identify DC surface antigens recognized by ATGs. By screening an eukaryotic expression library generated from DC with ATGs we could identify several novel ATG antigens including CD81, CD82, CD98, CD99 and CD147. Furthermore, we engineered cells to express previously described ATG antigens and probed them with Thymoglobulin and ATG‐Fresenius S. Our results demonstrated strong binding to some but not all of these molecules. We show that previously described antigens and antigens identified in this study account for around 80% of the DC reactivity of ATGs. Analysis of molecules induced by ATG–DC interaction are more in support for an activation of these cells by ATGs than for a specific induction of a tolerogenic DC phenotype.