Intercellular exchange of MHC molecules has been reported between many cells, including professional and nonprofessional APCs. This phenomenon may contribute to T cell immunity to pathogens. In this study, we addressed whether the transfer of MHC class I:peptide complexes between cells plays a role in T cell responses and compare this to conventional cross-presentation. We observed that dsRNA-matured bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) acquired peptide:MHC complexes from other BMDCs either pulsed with OVA257–264 peptide, soluble OVA, or infected with a recombinant adenovirus expressing OVA. In addition, BMDCs were capable of acquiring MHC:peptide complexes from epithelial cells. Spleen-derived CD8α+ and CD8α− dendritic cells (DCs) also acquired MHC:peptide complexes from BMDCs pulsed with OVA257–264 peptide. However, the efficiency of acquisition by these ex vivo derived DCs is much lower than acquisition by BMDC. In all cases, the acquired MHC:peptide complexes were functional in that they induced Ag-specific CD8+ T cell proliferation. The efficiency of MHC transfer was compared with cross-presentation for splenic CD8α+ and CD8α− as well as BMDCs. CD8α+ DCs were more efficient at inducing T cell proliferation when they acquired Ag via cross-presentation, the opposite was observed for BMDCs and splenic CD8α− DCs. We conclude from these observations that the relative efficiency of MHC transfer vs cross-presentation differs markedly between different DC subsets.

Revision of Ab L chains by secondary rearrangement in mature B cells has the potential to change the specific target of the immune response. In this study, we show for the first time that L chain revision is normal and widespread in the largest Ab producing population in man: intestinal IgA plasma cells (PC). Biases in the productive and non-productive repertoire of λ L chains, identification of the circular products of rearrangement that have the characteristic biases of revision, and identification of RAG genes and protein all reflect revision during normal intestinal IgA PC development. We saw no evidence of IgH revision, probably due to inappropriately orientated recombination signal sequences, and little evidence of κ-chain revision, probably due to locus inactivation by the κ-deleting element. We propose that the λ L chain locus is available and a principal modifier and diversifier of Ab specificity in intestinal IgA PCs.

Patients with relatively advanced HIV infection interrupting antiretroviral therapy after failing a protease inhibitor-containing regimen require frequent monitoring because CD4 cell counts appear to fall quite rapidly, at least in the first few weeks after interruption.