Expression and Function of Surface Antigens on Scleroderma Fibroblasts

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Abstract
Dermal fibroblasts from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) bound a much greater number of T lymphocytes than did normal dermal fibroblasts. Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against classes I and II antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and their receptors, CD8 and CD4, had no effect on T cell interaction with SSc and normal cells, while MAb against lymphocyte function–associated antigen type 3 (LFA-3) and CD2 both strongly inhibited lymphocyte attachment. MAb against intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1) and LFA-1 also prevented binding of T lymphocytes, but had a more marked effect on adhesion to SSc fibroblasts than to normal fibroblasts; they also completely abolished the increased binding to fibroblasts treated with interleukin-1α, tumor necrosis factor α, and interferon-γ. No difference was found in the proportion of normal and SSc fibroblasts that expressed MHC classes I and II and LFA-3, but more SSc cells expressed ICAM-1, and at a higher level, than did normal fibroblasts. These results show that cultured SSc cells have elevated binding to T lymphocytes, which possibly results from expansion of a subset of fibroblasts that produces high levels of ICAM-1.

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