Papers by Mary Kearns-jonker
The FASEB Journal
Galactoslytransferase‐deficient (GalTKO) pig organs carry great potential as a solution to the sh... more Galactoslytransferase‐deficient (GalTKO) pig organs carry great potential as a solution to the shortage of human organ donors. These organs do not initiate hyperacute rejection but undergo acute humoral rejection mediated by xenoantibodies directed at non‐gal xenoantigens. The structure, specificity and germline origin of these antibodies has not been determined.METHODS: Three rhesus monkeys were immunized with sixty million GalTKO pig endothelial cells in order to induce high levels of xenoantibodies directed at GalTKO xenoantigens. The specificity of the immune response to GalTKO xenoantigens was confirmed by flow cytometry. Pre and post transplant peripheral blood B cells were used to prepare IgG and IgM cDNA libraries for identification of the IgVH genes encoding xenoantibodies.RESULTS: IgVH genes encoding anti‐non‐gal xenoantibodies were most closely related to the human germline progenitor V3‐21. The CDR3 region is unique and the J region is most similar to JH4 in 75.8% of the...
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Immunology, Mar 1, 2008
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Transplantation, Apr 1, 1999
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Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation, Mar 1, 2001
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Current Gene Therapy, Dec 1, 2007
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Journal of Transplantation, 2012
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Transplantation, Sep 1, 1993
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Transplantation Proceedings, Dec 1, 2006
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Xenotransplantation, May 8, 2014
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BMC Immunology, Mar 20, 2006
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Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation, Apr 1, 2010
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Immunology, May 1, 2004
CXCR3 chemokines are of particular interest because of their potential involvement in a variety o... more CXCR3 chemokines are of particular interest because of their potential involvement in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including the rejection of organ transplants. Although the rat is one of the most appropriate animals for using to study transplantation biology, the structural and functional characteristics of CXCL9 [monokine induced by interferon-γ (Mig)] in this experimental model have not been described. Therefore, we recently conducted a series of experiments to identify and characterize the rat CXCL9 gene. Accordingly, we isolated rat CXCL9 cDNA and genomic DNA. The rat CXCL9 gene encodes a protein of 125 amino acids and spans a 3·5 kbp DNA segment containing four exons in the protein-coding region. We then analysed mRNA expression in various tissues. Transcripts for the gene were found to be expressed at high levels in the lymph nodes and spleen. Then, to confirm the function of the identified gene, rat CXCL9 was transiently expressed in COS-1 cells. Rat recombinant Mig displayed chemotactic properties and induced CXCR3 internalization in CD4+ T cells. Lastly, we analysed the expression of rat CXCL9 in a heterotopic heart allograft model. Both mRNA and protein levels of intragraft CXCL9 were significantly increased following transplantation of ACI to LEW hearts when compared with syngeneic controls. These findings indicate that rat CXCL9 has an in vivo role in the infiltration of CD4+ T cells in the transplanted graft.
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Transplantation, Jul 1, 1999
We have previously reported that the early phases of the immune response of rats to hamster xenog... more We have previously reported that the early phases of the immune response of rats to hamster xenografts are characterized by the production of IgM xenoantibodies encoded by a restricted group of Ig germline V(H) genes (V(H)HAR family). In the later phases of the reaction, an IgM to IgG isotype switch occurs and our study examines the structure of the rearranged V(H)HAR genes used to encode IgG antibodies after this isotype switch. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the changes in the levels of V(H)HAR+ IgG mRNA seen after xenotransplantation. cDNA libraries specific for V(H)HAR+ Iggamma chain were established from total RNA extracted from splenocytes of naive rats and xenograft recipients of hamster hearts at days 4, 8, 21, and 28 posttransplantation. Colony filter hybridization was used to estimate the relative frequency of the use of individual V(H)HAR+ IgG subclasses. Selected IgG clones from day 21 cDNA libraries were sequenced and analyzed for VH-D-J(H) gene usage and antibody combining site structure. The level of mRNA for V(H)HAR+ IgG increased 6-fold in xenograft recipients at day 21 post-transplantation when compared with naive animals. The relative frequency of isotype usage for V(H)HAR+ IgG1 antibodies alone increased from 22.3% at day 0 to 37.4% at day 21 PTx. Ten IgG clones from the day 21 cDNA libraries have been sequenced for the rearranged V(H)-D-J(H) genes. Thirty percent (3/10) of these IgG clones used V(H)HAR genes for the coding of heavy chain variable region with limited numbers of nucleic acid substitutions (>98% identity with their germline progenitors) although others demonstrated increased variation in nucleotide sequences (95-97% identity) when compared with germline V(H) genes. Analysis of the canonical binding site structure from the predicted amino acid sequences demonstrated that the majority of IgG clones (9/10) displayed a similar pattern of conserved configurations for their combining sites. The change in IgM to IgG antibody production in the later stages of the humoral immune response of rats to hamster xenografts is associated with an IgM to IgG isotype switch and an increased production of antibodies of the IgG1 isotype. Rat anti-hamster IgG xenoantibodies continue to express the V(H)HAR family of V(H) genes, many in their original germline configuration, to encode antibody recognition of the hamster target antigens. There are, however, a majority of antibodies for which the V(H) genes express evidence of increased nucleic acid sequence variation when compared to currently available germline sequences. The source of this variation is not known but may represent the expression of as yet unidentified germline genes and/or the introduction of T cell-driven somatic mutations. Despite the appearance of this variation, the unusual level of conservation in key antigen binding sites within the V(H) region suggests the variation, independent of its origin, may have a limited influence on the restricted nature of the host antibody response to xenografts.
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Transplantation, May 1, 1998
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Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Jan 31, 2007
CXCL11 is thought to play a critical role in allograft rejection. To clarify the role of CXCL11 i... more CXCL11 is thought to play a critical role in allograft rejection. To clarify the role of CXCL11 in the rat transplantation model, we cloned CXCL11 cDNA from rat liver tissue and used it to study CXCL11 structure, function and expression. The rat CXCL11 gene encodes a protein of 100 amino acids and spans approximately a 2.8 kb DNA segment containing 4 exons in the protein coding region. Tissue distribution of rat CXCL11 was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR and showed that rat CXCL11 mRNA is expressed in various tissues and, in particular, at high levels in the spleen and lymph nodes. COS-1 cells were transfected with a plasmid vector encoding rat CXCL11 and used to study CXCL11 effects on cell migration and internalization of CXCR3, the CXCL11 receptor. The recombinant CXCL11 showed chemotactic properties and induced CXCR3 internalization in CD4(+) T cells. Expression of CXCL11 mRNA also was measured in rat acute (ACI to LEW) and chronic (LEW to F344) heart transplant rejection models. CXCL11 mRNA expression in allografts increased in both models, compared with controls, and was primarily observed in infiltrating macrophages and donor endothelial cells. These results indicate that, like the other CXCR3 chemokines, rat CXCL11 seems to have a role in the homing of CD4(+) T cells in both acute and chronic rejection models of heart allotransplantation.
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Journal of Virology, Nov 1, 1991
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BMC Immunology, Feb 11, 2008
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日本外科学会雑誌, Mar 5, 2006
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Circulation Research, Dec 9, 2011
We determined whether co-transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hES... more We determined whether co-transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) had additive effects on left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling compared with hESC-CMs treatment alone in a rat myocardial infarction model. One week after myocardial infarction induced by left coronary ligation, nude rats received hESC-CMs (n=15), hESC-CMs + MSCs (n=16), hESC-CMs + MSCs transduced to over-express hemeoxygenase 1(HO-1) (n=14), or saline (n=19). At 4 weeks after treatment, LV function was assessed by left ventriculography, echocardiography and Millar catheter. Some hearts were processed for histology. The LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in sham noninfarcted hearts was 78.1±1.8% (n=5) in the nude rat model. LVEF in the 3 cell treated groups (hESC-CMs: 67.6±1.4%; hESC-CMs + MSCs: 67.2±1.6%; and hESC-CMs + MSCs with HO-1: 66.3±1.7%) were comparable, and significantly higher than in the saline group (60.6±1.2%, n=19; p=0.0022). There was a trend for less left ventricular akinesis and dyskinesis (expressed as % of LV circumference) assessed by left ventriculography at 8.96±1.9% in hESC-CMs group, 8.37±1.67% in hESC-CMs + MSCs group and 4.57±1% in hESC-CMs + MSCs with HO-1 group compared to 10.73±1.76% in the control group (p=0.056). There was a nonsignificant trend for LV fractional shortening assessed by echocardiography to be greater in the 3 cell groups (32.1±3.9% in hESC-CMs; 30.2±2% in hESC-CMs + MSCs; 31.0±1.9% in hESC-CMs + MSCs with HO-1) compared to 24.8±2.2% in the saline group (p=0.18). Expansion index reflecting thinning and dilatation of the infarct was significantly worse in the control group at 0.71±0.05 versus the other 3 groups at 0.32±0.05 (p=0.0039). Thus, cell therapy by hESC-CMs alone or combination transplantation of hESC-CMs and MSCs (with or without HO-1) significantly improved LV function assessed by left ventriculography and reduced expansion index. However, co-transplantation of hESC-CMs and MSCs did not provide better functional improvement compared with hESC-CMs treatment alone after left coronary artery occlusion in nude rats over a period of 4 weeks, suggesting that there may be a ceiling effect above which LV function can not further improve after cell therapy.
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Transplantation, Apr 1, 1999
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Papers by Mary Kearns-jonker