Recently several methods, especially methods based on flow cytometry, have emerged, avoiding the use of radioactive isotopes. Several fluorochromes that can be integrated into the target cells have been used

in a manner similar to 51Cr [2, 3]. However, the spontaneous release of these fluorescent dyes can selleck screening library also be high, with possible labelling of other cells, thus preventing sufficient discrimination between target and effector populations [4]. In this study we present adaptions to an assay, described thoroughly by Bryceson et al. [5], by flow cytometric assessment of CD107a surface expression. This assay detects the amount of possible effector cell degranulation selleck products in response to recognition of antibodies bound to epitopes presented on the target cells, rather than measuring target cell lysis directly. Upon stimulation with appropriate target cells, the effector cells will release the assayed cytotoxic proteins by fusion of secretory lysosomes with the plasma membrane,

thereby effecting target cell lysis [6]. This type of assay is used increasingly for measuring NK cell cytotoxicity [7], but it is also applicable for other types of cytotoxic effector mechanisms. With the present optimized assay we analysed different aspects of cytotoxicity reactions and the potential consequences of HERV epitope expression on MS patient PBMCs. Polyclonal antibodies against DNA ligase defined peptides, derived from specific sequences in the Env- and Gag-regions from HERV-H/F and HERV-W, were raised in rabbits. By including or excluding these antibodies in the test it is possible to assess the action of both antibody-dependent and -independent cytotoxic cell populations towards cells expressing these viral peptides/epitopes. Thus, the test contributes information about both the relevance of the constructed peptides/epitopes and also the pathogenic potential of these, when ‘seen’ by the cytotoxic cell populations. The results

then lead to subsequent analysis of both the level of cytotoxic antibodies in MS patients and to the testing of possible pathogenic activation of cytotoxic cells in the patients, thereby gauging the potential of own lymphocytes in reactions against ‘self’ or ‘self with up-regulated HERV expression’. For the present study, PBMCs from 10 healthy donors [five females (aged 24–52 years), five males (aged 27–62 years)] were used as effector cells in NK and ADCC assays. Venous blood was drawn and processed on the same day in our laboratory or the respective clinics. PBMCs were prepared by standard Isopaque-Ficoll centrifugation. The separated cells were aliquoted and cryopreserved in RPMI-1640 with the addition of 20% human serum (HS) and 10% dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) at −135°C until use.