Immunomodulation by endogenous B- galactoside- specific lectins

Journal/Book: in: Lectins and Glygoconjugates in Oncology, Gabius H. J.,Nagel G. A., (Hrsg.), Springer, Berlin, 207-211. 1988;

Abstract: Recently, the beta-galactoside-specific mistletoe lectin was shown tomediate immunomodulatory effects in the rabbit. Whether such lectinscould occur in tumors and whether they could induce immunoregulatingeffects was investigated. A macrophage-like tumor cell line wasemployed. beta-Galactoside-specific lectins were isolated from the cellline after in vitro cultivation (14 kD and a trace of 31 kD), after invivo growth in mice (31 kD lectin only), and after reestablishment oftumor cells from these mice in culture (14 kD). Culture of T-lymphocytesfrom healthy donors with these lectins resulted in the stimulation ofgamma-interferon secretion into the supernatants. A macrophage cell linewas incubated in the presence of the lectins (1 pg/ml), and supernatantswere collected and screened for cytotoxic activity on a murinefibroblast cell line. After 3 hr, there was a 19% decrease in cellviability in comparison to the control, indicating the presence ofcytotoxic activity in the case of the 31 kD lectin. This effectdecreased gradually with prolonged time of incubation. These dataindicate that certain beta-galactoside-specific lectins have pronouncedimmunomodulatory capacity and may be clinically important biologicalresponse modifiers. (4 Refs) ICDB.

Keyword(s): ADJUVANTS-IMMUNOLOGIC/

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