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Hu H, Moller G, Abedi-Valugerdi M: Major histocompatibility complex class II antigens are required for both cytokine production and proliferation induced by mercuric chloride in vitro. J Autoimmun. 1997 Oct;10(5):441-6.
Autoimmune diseases induced by mercuric chloride are genetically determined, at least one gene being major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked. Previously, we showed that in vitro mercury stimulation induced a high proliferative response in lymphocytes from susceptible mice (high-responders) and that the proliferative response could be restored in lymphocytes from low-responders by pretreating the cells with mercury. We also found that the continuous presence of mercury induced IL-2 and IFN-gamma production, while pretreatment with mercury induced IL-4 production. In this study, we showed that anti-MHC class II monoclonal antibodies blocked both the mercury-induced proliferative responses in lymphocytes from high-responders and the restored proliferative responses in low-responders. In addition, anti-MHC class II antibodies also inhibited the mercury-induced IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-4 cytokine production in vitro. The results demonstrate that MHC class II antigens directly participate in mercury-induced cytokine production and cell activation, and are required at the onset of the initiation. |
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