Skip to main content
PMC home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2002 Dec 11;21(2):103–115. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(89)90166-5

Immunohistochemical studies of adult human glial cells

Yannick Grenier 1, Theodora CG Ruijs 1, Yves Robitaille 1, André Olivier 1, Jack P Antel 1,∗
PMCID: PMC7119854  PMID: 2913043

Abstract

Using immunohistochemical techniques, we examined major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expression on astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and macrophages-microglia derived from surgically resected tissue from young adults and maintained in dissociated cell cultures supplemented with either fetal calf or human AB serum. The majority of these cells in culture expressed class I MHC antigens. MHC class II expression was observed on only a restricted proportion of astrocytes either under basal or induction conditions (γ-interferon, activated lymphocyte supernatants), on the majority of macrophages-microglia under inducing conditions, and not on oligodendrocytes. MHC class II expression on astrocytes in culture did not correlate with the extent of in situ gliosis or with in vitro cell morphology. MHC antigen expression was not detected in situ immunohistochemically. These data extend observations on the dissociation of in vivo and in vitro expression of MHC antigens on glial cells. The apparent greater expression of MHC class II antigens on macrophages-microglia compared to astrocytes raises the issue of the relative roles of each of these cell types in promoting immune reactivity under pathologic conditions.

Keywords: Human CNS tissue, Astrocyte, Oligodendrocyte, Macrophages-microglia, Gliosis, Major histocompatibility complex

References

  1. Barna B.P., Chou S.M., Jacobs B., Ranssohoff R.M. Induction of HLA-DR antigen expression in cultured human adult nonneoplastic glial cells. Ann. Neurol. 1987;222:152. [Google Scholar]
  2. Beller D.I. Functional significance of the regulation of macrophage Ia expression. Eur. J. Immunol. 1984;14:138–143. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830140207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carrel S., Tosi R., Gross N., Tanigaki N., Carmagnola A.L., Accola R.S. Subsets of human Ia-like molecules defined by monoclonal antibodies. Mol. Immunol. 1981;18:403–411. doi: 10.1016/0161-5890(81)90102-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. De Tribolet N., Hamou M.F., Mach J.P., Carrel S., Schreyer M. Demonstration of HLA-DR antigens in normal human brain. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 1984;47:417–418. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.47.4.417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fontana A., Erb P., Pircher H., Zinkernagel R., Weber E., Fierz W. Astrocytes as antigen-presenting cells. Part II: Unlike H-2K-dependent cytotoxic T cells, H-2Ia-restricted T cells are only stimulated in the presence of interferon-γ. J. Neuroimmunol. 1986;12:15–28. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(86)90093-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fontana A., Frei K., Bodner S., Hofer E. Immune-mediated encephalitis or the role of antigen-presenting cells in brain tissue. Immunol. Rev. 1987;100:185–201. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065X.1987.tb00532.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frei K., Siepl C., Grosweth P., Bodmer S., Schwendel C., Fontana A. Antigen presentation and tumor cytotoxicity by interferon-γ treated microoglial cells. Eur. J. Immunol. 1987;17:1271–1278. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830170909. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hauser S.L., Bhan A.K., Gilles F., Kemp M., Kerr C., Weiner H.L. Immunohistochemical analysis of the cellular infiltrate in multiple sclerosis lesions. Ann. Neurol. 1986;19:578–587. doi: 10.1002/ana.410190610. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hickey W.F., Kumura H. Perivascular microglial cells of the CNS are bone marrow-derived and present antigen in vivo. Science. 1988;239:290–292. doi: 10.1126/science.3276004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hirayama M., Yokochi T., Shimokata K., Iida M., Fujika N. Induction of human leukocyte antigen-A,B,C, and -DR on cultured human oligodendrocytes and astrocytes by human gamma interferon. Neurosci. Lett. 1986;72(3):369–374. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(86)90543-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hofman F.M., von Hanwehr R.F., Dinarello C.A., Mizel S.B., Hinton D., Merril J.E. Immunoregulatory molecules and IL-2 receptors identified in multiple sclerosis brain. J. Immunol. 1986;136:3279. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kim S.U. Antigen expression by glial cells grown in culture. J. Neuroimmunol. 1985;8:255–282. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(85)80066-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kim S.U., Sato Y., Silberberg D.H., Pleasure D.E., Rorke L.B. Long-term culture of human oligodendrocytes. J. Neurol. Sci. 1983;62:295–301. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(83)90206-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kim S.U., Moretto G., Shin D.H. Expression of Ia antigens on the surface of human oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in culture. J. Neuroimmunol. 1985;10:141–149. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(85)90004-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lampson L.A., Hickey W.F. Monoclonal antibody analysis of MHC expression in human brain biopsies: tissue ranging from ‘histologically normal’ to that showing different levels of glial tumor involvement. J. Immunol. 1986;136:4054–4062. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lassman H., Vass K., Brunner C., Seitelberger F. Characterization of inflammatory infiltrates in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. In: Zimmerman H.M., editor. Vol. 6. Raven Press; New York: 1986. p. 33. (Progress in Neuropathology). [Google Scholar]
  17. Lisak R., Hirayama M., Kuchmy D., Rosenzweig A., Kim S.U., Pleasure D., Silberberg D. Cultured human and rat oligodendrocytes, and rat Schwann cells do not have immune response gene associated antigen (Ia) on their surface. Brain Res. 1983;289:285–292. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(83)90029-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Massa P.T., Ter Meulen V., Fontana A. Vol. 84. 1987. Hyperinducibility of Ia antigen on astrocytes correlates with strain-specific susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; pp. 4219–4223. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.). [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parham P., Burnstable C.J., Bodmer W.F. Use of a monoclonal antibody (W6/32) in structural studies of HLA-A,B,C antigens. J. Immunol. 1979;123(1):342–349. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pulver M., Carrel S., March J.P., de Tribolet N. Cultured human fetal astrocytes can be induced by interferon-gamma to express HLA-DR. J. Neuroimmunol. 1987;14(2):123–133. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(87)90047-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rodriguez M., Pierce M.L., Howie E.A. Immune response gene products (Ia antigens) on glial and endothelial cells in virus-induced demyelination. J. Immunol. 1987;138:3438. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sakai K., Tabira T., Endoh M., Steinman L. Ia expression in chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced by long term cultured T cell lines in mice. Lab. Invest. 1986;54:345. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Skias D., Kim D., Antel J.P., Lanke D., Fitch F. Susceptibility of astrocytes to class I MHC-antigen restricted cytotoxicity. J. Immunol. 1987;138:3254–3258. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Suzumura A., Levi E., Weiss S.R., Silberberg D.H. Coronavirus infection induces H-2 antigen expression on oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Science. 1986;232:991–993. doi: 10.1126/science.3010460. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Suzumura A., Mezitis G.E., Gonatas N.K., Silberberg D.H. MHC antigen expression on bulk isolated macrophage-microglia from newborn mouse brain: induction of Ia antigen expression by γ-interferon. J. Neuroimmunol. 1987;15:263–278. doi: 10.1016/0165-5728(87)90121-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Takiguchi M., Frelinger J.A. Induction of antigen presentation ability in purified cultures of astroglia by interferon-γ. J. Mol. Cell. Immunol. 1986;2:269–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Traugott U., Lebon P. Multiple sclerosis: association between intercurrent infections and diffuse astrocyte immunopathology. Neurology. 1988;38(Suppl. 1):236. [Google Scholar]
  28. Traugott U., Scheinberg L.C., Raine C.S. On the presence of Ia positive endothelial cells and astrocytes in multiple sclerosis lesions and its relevance to antigen presentation. J. Neuroimmunol. 1985;8:1–14. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(85)80043-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Umetsu D.T., Katzen D., Jabara H.H., Geha R.S. Antigen presentation by human dermal fibroblasts: activation of resting T lymphocytes. J. Immunol. 1986;136:440–445. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Watson A.J., DeMars R., Trowbridge I.S., Bach F.H. Detection of a novel human class II HLA antigen. Nature. 1983;304:358–361. doi: 10.1038/304358a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wong G.H.W., Barlett P.F., Clark-Lewis I., Battye F., Schrader J.W. Inducible expression of H-2 and Ia antigens on brain cells. Nature. 1984;310:688–691. doi: 10.1038/310688a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wong G.H.W., Barlett P.F., Clark-Lewis I., McKimm-Breschkin J.L., Schrader J.W. Interferon-γ induces the expression of H-2 and Ia antigens on brain cells. J. Neuroimmunol. 1985;7:255–278. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(84)80026-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neuroimmunology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES