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T Cell Differentiation/Maturation of CD34⁺ Stem Cells from HIV-Seropositive Hemophiliacs in Cultured Thymic Epithelial Fragments

^a Pediatric Research Institute and
^b Department of Pathology, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Key Words. AIDS • HIV • CD34⁺ stem cells • Cultured thymic epithelial fragments • Thymocyte differentiation/maturation

Dr. Alan P. Knutsen, Pediatric Research Institute, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, 3662 Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.

The clinical manifestations of AIDS are predominantly due to the cellular and humoral immune dysfunction caused by HIV infection, and thymic dysplasia caused by HIV infection probably contributes to the T cell lymphopenia. In the present study, T cell differentiation and/or maturation was assessed when enriched CD34⁺ stem cells (SCs or SC) purified from bone marrow of HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs were cocultured with allogeneic cultured thymic epithelial fragments (CTEFs).

When HIV-seropositive hemophiliacs' enriched CD34⁺ SC were cocultured with allogeneic CTEFs, acquisition of the T cell phenotypic markers CD7, CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8 and T cell receptor for antigen (TCR)ß was observed from cells harvested from the culture media peaking at approximately 28 days. Origin of the differentiated and matured T cells from the CD34⁺ SC was confirmed by labeling the SC with 5-(and -6)-(((4-chloromethyl) benzoyl)amino)tetra-methyl-rhodamine (CMTMR), a fluorescent cytoplasmic dye, and detecting fluorescence in the differentiated and matured T cell by flow cytometry. In one experiment, CMTMR labeling was omitted and double positive CD4⁺CD8⁺ and triple positive CD3⁺CD4⁺CD8⁺ thymocytes were identified. These studies confirmed that thymocyte differentiation/maturation from SC had occurred.

In addition, T cells obtained from the CD34⁺ SC and CTEF cocultures proliferated to phytohemagglutinin stimulation maximally with stem cell donor antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and also proliferated to pooled B cells in a mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC). Furthermore, the T cells produced were tolerant to thymus donor B cell HLA antigens (p < 0.025); though there was slight MLC reactivity to autologous stem cell donor B cell HLA compared to thymic B cells (p < 0.025). These T cells demonstrated positive self-alloreactivity to stem cell HLA antigens in four of nine persons, though decreased compared to pool B cell alloantigens. Furthermore, in three experiments, responsiveness to stem cell donor B cells subsequently disappeared upon further duration of CD34⁺ SC-CTEF coculture. These studies suggested that CD34⁺ SC gave rise to accessory cells populating the thymus that contributed to HLA restriction. To further evaluate this hypothesis, two different donors of CD34⁺ SC were cultured simultaneously with thymic epithelial fragments and MLC reactivity was then examined toward APC of the stem cell donors. In these experiments, T cells responded to stimulation with HLA antigens of the pool B cells and did not respond to thymus donor B cells. In six of eight experiments, the chimeric SC-CTEF T cells did not respond to stimulation with B cells of either stem cell donor. These studies suggest that HLA restriction and tolerance were induced by cells of the stem cell donor as well as the thymic epithelial cell HLA antigens

In summary, these studies demonstrated that HIV-infected hemophiliac bone marrow-derived nonadherent CD34⁺ SC were capable of differentiating and/or maturing into T cells when cocultured in a normal allogeneic thymic environment. Furthermore, the T cells derived from derived CD34⁺ SC were capable of differentiating into T cells when cocultured in a normal allogeneic thymic environment, proliferated maximally with APCs from the stem cell donor and were tolerant of thymic HLA class II antigens, and to a lesser degree to stem cell donor B cell HLA antigens.

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