Pj. Haley et al., IMMUNOLOGICAL SPECIFICITY OF LYMPHOCYTE CELL-LINES FROM DOGS EXPOSED TO BERYLLIUM-OXIDE, Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 19(4), 1997, pp. 459-471
We have reported that dogs exposed twice to aerosols of beryllium oxid
e (BeO) developed Be-specific immune responses within the lung, along
with granulomatous and fibrotic lung lesions. To evaluate the specific
ity of the immune response, lymphocytes from lungs and blood of BeO-ex
posed dogs were co-cultured over an irradiated blood monocyte layer, a
lternately with interleukin 2 and BeSO4. Resultant cell lines were the
n tested for their response to different metal cations, common canine
recall antigens, and BeSO4 in an in vitro cell proliferation assay. Th
e cell lines responded to BeSO4 in a dose-dependent fashion, with mean
stimulation indices of 7, 58, 119, and 112 at concentrations of 0.01,
1.0, 10, and 100 mu M BeSO4 respectively. Cells not proliferate when
incubated with ZnSO4 or NiSO4, or with canine distemper, leptospira, a
denovirus 2, parvovirus, or parainfluenza antigens. Lymphocytes from n
ormal vaccinated dogs proliferated markedly when cultured with these a
ntigens. Cells from the cultured cell lines (91%) stained with Thy-1 (
a pan T-cell marker) and 96% stained with DT2 (a helper T-cell marker)
. Furthermore, the Be-induced proliferative response was restricted by
major histocompatibility (MHC) class II antigens. These data reinforc
e the premise that inhalation exposure of dogs to BeO produces lung le
sions and MHC class II restricted immunologic responses mediated by Be
-specific, helper T-Cells. These data further confirm the hypothesis t
hat antigen localized to the lung results in the recruitment of T-cell
s to the lung, followed by localized antigen-specific, cell-mediated i
mmune responses.