Immunodeficiencies represent a high-risk factor for developing malignant diseases. Recent advances in the field of cellular immunology have led to an understanding of impaired human immune functions at the molecular level. Cell surface receptors and their ligands, which are required for immune recognition, cell-to-cell interaction, and recirculation by immunocompetent lymphocytes, have been discovered. These findings provide the basis for rational and biological interventions into the hitherto impenetrable human immune system and will contribute to tumour prevention and treatment.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CooperM. D. and LawtonA. R., Immune deficiency diseases, inHarrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, PetersdorfR. G., AdamsR. D., BraunwaldE., IsselbacherK. J., MartinJ. B. and WilsonJ. B., (Eds.), McGraw Hill Books, New York (1983).
2.
GalloR. C., HaseltineW., KleinG. and zur HausenH., Viruses and human cancer, uclaSymposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology43 (1986).
3.
KleinJ., What causes immunological non-responsiveness?Immunol. Rev. 81, 177–202 (1984).
4.
HämmerlingG. J., KlarD., PülmW., MomburgF. and MoldenhauerG., The influence of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens on tumor growth and metastatis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta907, 245 (1987).
5.
KumarR. K. and PennyR., Cell-mediated immune deficiency in Hodgkin's disease. Immunol. Today3, 269–273 (1982).
6.
ReinherzE. L. and SchlossmanS. F., The differentiation and function of human T lymphocytes. Cell19, 821–827 (1980).
7.
MeuerS. C., AcutoO., HercendTh., SchlossmanS. F. and ReinherzE. L., The human T cell receptor. Ann. Rev. Immunol. 2, 23–50 (1984).
8.
MeuerS. C., HodgdonJ. C., HusseyR. E., ProtentisJ. P., SchlossmanS. F. and ReinherzE. L., Antigen-like effects of monoclonal antibodies directed at receptors on human T cell clones. J. Exp. Med. 158, 988–993 (1983).
9.
CosimiA. B., BurtonR. C., R. B. Colvin et al., Treatment of acute renal allograft rejection with okt3 monoclonal antibody. Transplantation32, 535 (1981).
10.
MeuerS. C., SchlossmanS. F. and ReinherzE. L., Clonal analysis of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes: T4+ and T8 + effector T cells recognize products of different major histocompatibility complex regions. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. us79, 4395–4399 (1982).
11.
MomburgF., ZieglerA., HarprechtJ., MöllerP., MoldenhauerG. and HämmerlingG. J., Selective loss of hla-A or hla-B antigen expression in colon carcinoma. J. Immunol. 142, 352–358 (1989).
12.
BurroneO. R., KeffordR. F., GilmoreD. and MilsteinC., Stimulation of hla-A, B, C by ifn-alpha. The derivation of Molt 4 variants and the differential expression of hla-A, B, C subsets, emboJ. 4, 2855 (1985).
13.
MeuerS. C., HusseyR. E., FabbiM., FoxD., AcutoO., FitzgeraldK. A., HodgdonJ. C., ProtentisJ. P., SchlossmanS. F. and ReinherzE. L., An alternative pathway of T cell activation: a functional role for the 50 kd T11 sheep erythrocyte receptor protein. Cell36, 897–906 (1984).
14.
HünigT., TiefenthalerG.Meyer zum BüschenfeldeK. H. and MeuerS. C., Alternative pathway activation of T cells by binding of CD2 to its cell-surface ligand. Nature326, 298–301 (1987).
15.
DustinM. L. and SpringerT. A., Lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (lfa-1) interaction with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (icam-1) is one of at least three mechanisms for lymphocyte adhesion to cultured endothelial cells. J. Cell. Biol. 107, 321–331 (1988).
16.
GregoryC. D., MurrayR. J., EdwardsC. E. and RickinsonA. B., Downregulation of cell adhesion molecules lfa-3 and icam-1 in Epstein-Barr virus-positive Burkitt's lymphoma underlies tumor cell escape from virus-specific T cell surveillance. J. Exp. Med. 167, 1811–1824 (1988).
17.
KrenskyA. M., MentzerS. J., CalybergerC., AndersonD. C., SchmalstiegF. C., BurakoffS. J. and SpringerT. A., Heritable lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 deficiency: abnormalities of cytotoxicity and proliferation associated with abnormal expression of lfa-1. J. Immunol. 135, 3102–3108 (1985).
18.
MeuerS. C., HusseyR. E., CantrellD. A., HodgdonJ. C., SchlossmanS. F., SmithK. A. and ReinherzE. L., Triggering of the T3-Ti antigen-receptor complex results in clonal T-cell proliferation through an interleukin-2-dependent autocrine pathway. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. us81, 1509–1513 (1984).
19.
MeuerS. C., HauerM., KurzP., K.-H. Meyer zum Büschenfelde and H. Köhler, Selective blockade of the antigen-receptor-mediated pathway of T cell activation in patients with impaired primary immune responses. J. Clin. Invest. 80, 743–749 (1987).
20.
BramwellS. P., BriggsJ. D., StewartJ., WatsonM. A., TsakirisD., FollettE. A. C., McWhinnieD. L., HamiltonD. H. and JunorB. J. R., Dinitrochlorobenzene skin testing predicts response to hepatitis-B vaccine in dialysis patients. Lanceti, 1412–1415 (1985).
21.
KöhlerH., ArnoldW., RenschinG., DormeyerH. H., and MeyerK. H.zum Büschenfelde. Active hepatitis-B vaccination of dialysis patients and medical staff. Kidney Internat. 25, 124–128 (1984).
22.
MeuerS. C., DumannH., K. H. Meyer zum Büschenfelde and H. Köhler, Low-dose lnterleukin-2 induces systemic immune responses against hbsAg in immunodeficient nonresponders to hepatitis-B vaccination. Lanceti, 15–18 (1989).
