Generation of MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic T cell lines and clones against colonic epithelial cells from ulcerative colitis

We established CTL lines and clones against colonic epithelial cells from P BLs of patients with ulcerative colitis by continuous stimulation with HLA- A locus-matched colonic epithelial cell lines. We developed a nonradioactiv e europium release cytotoxicity assay to detect CTLs. PBLs from 3 of 12 pat ients but not from any of 14 normal controls who shared at least one haplot ype of HLA-A locus with two colonic epithelial cell lines, CW2 and ACM, sho wed increased cytotoxicity against these lines. Three CTL lines established from the PBLs of patients showed increased cytotoxicity against HLA-A locu s-matched CW2 or ACM but not against matched lung or esophagus cell lines. The phenotypes of CTL lines were alpha beta-TCR(+)CD3(+)CD8(+)CD16(-). The CTL line MS showed increased cytotoxicity against freshly isolated colonic epithelial cells but not against cells with a different HLA-A locus. Two CT L clones were generated from MS and clone 3-2, expressing CD3(+)CD8(+)CD4(- )CD56(-), showed high MHC class I-restricted cytotoxicity against the colon ic epithelial cells. These results indicated that CTLs against colonic epit helial cells may contribute to epithelial cell damage in ulcerative colitis .