Anti-CD2 monoclonal antibody-induced receptor changes. II. Interaction of CD2 and CD3.

Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and anti-CD2 mAbs each prolong allograft survival and cause transient downmodulation of homologous receptor expression. Anti-CD2 mAbs also act synergistically with anti-CD3 mAbs to prolong allograft survival and induce tolerance. The effect of combined anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAb treatment on receptor expression was further analyzed with an in vitro model. The anti-CD2 mAb 12-15 caused CD2 expression on purified splenic T cells to decrease from 72.6% [mean channel fluorescence (MCF) 0.68] to 41.5% (0.45) total positive cells while CD3 expression remained unchanged [69.1% (3.47) to 76.4% (4.04)]. The anti-CD3 mAb 2C11 caused CD2 expression to increase from 72.6% (0.68) to 93.0% (1.74) while CD3 expression decreased from 69.1% (3.47) to 62.6% (2.15). The combination of anti-CD2 plus anti-CD3 preserved CD2 expression (72.6 to 71.1%) while still decreasing CD3 expression [69.1% (3.47) to 69.9% (2.37)]. Modulation of CD2 and CD3 expression was similar on mixed splenic T lymphocytes and isolated CD4 and CD8 subsets. Modulation did not change with the addition of the cytokines IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF alpha, or TGF beta. Kinetic studies showed that modulation of CD2 was rapid, persistent, and of the same magnitude from Day 1 to Day 7 of culture while CD3 downmodulation was transient. The results of transcriptional analysis and receptor distribution suggested that downmodulation was due to receptor internalization while upmodulation was due to increased transcription. Analysis of expression of other adhesion molecules demonstrated that CD11a, CD18, CD44, CD45, CD48, CD54, and CD62L were significantly increased by either anti-CD2 or anti-CD3 mAbs while the combination was not synergistic. However, anti-CD3 significantly decreased VLA-4 alpha (CD49d) expression and anti-CD2 enhanced this decrease. Conversely anti-CD3 significantly increased IL-2R (CD25) expression and anti-CD2 profoundly inhibited the increase. These results show that anti-CD2 and anti-CD3 mAbs significantly modulate CD2 and CD3 expression on T cells and modulation is accompanied by changes in the array of other T cell surface receptors. Changes in cell surface receptor display may provide an additional explanation for the synergistic effect of anti-CD2 plus anti-CD3 in prolonging allograft survival.