Growing evidence indicates that the affinity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for CD16 (Fc␥RIII) plays a central role in the ability of the mAb to mediate antitumor activity. We evaluated how CD16 polymorphisms, and mAb with modified affinity for target antigen and CD16, affect natural killer (NK) cell phenotype when CD20 ؉ malignant B cells were also present. The mAb consisted of rituximab (R), anti-CD20 with enhanced affinity for CD20 (AME-B), and anti-CD20 with enhanced affinity for both CD20 and CD16 (AME-D).Higher concentrations of mAb were needed to induce CD16 modulation, CD54 up-regulation, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) on NK cells from subjects with the lower affinity CD16 polymorphism. The dose of mAb needed to induce NK activation was lower with AME-D irrespective of CD16 polymorphism. At saturating mAb concentrations, peak NK activation was greater for AME-D. Similar results were found with measurement of CD16 modulation, CD54 up-regulation, and ADCC. These data demonstrate that cells coated with mAb with enhanced affinity for CD16 are more effective at activating NK cells at both low and saturating mAb concentrations irrespective of CD16 polymorphism, and they provide further evidence for the clinical development of such mAbs with the goal of improving clinical response to mAb.

A protein engineering strategy based on efficient and focused mutagenesis implemented by codon-based mutagenesis was developed. Vitaxin, a humanized version of the antiangiogenic antibody LM609 directed against a conformational epitope of the ␣ v ␤ 3 integrin complex, was used as a model system. Specifically, focused mutagenesis was used in a stepwise fashion to rapidly improve the affinity of the antigen binding fragment by greater than 90-fold. In the complete absence of structural information about the Vitaxin-

When applied to the basolateral (serosal) side of the T84 coIonic epithelial monolayer, taurodeoxycholate caused net Clsecretion in a dose-dependent manner with a threshold effect observed at 0.2 mM. In contrast, when applied to the apical (luminal) surface, concentrations of taurodeoxycholate below 1 mM had little or no effect. Only when the concentration of taurodeoxycholate present on the apical side was 2 1 mM did apical addition results in an electrolyte transport effect. This apical effect on electrolyte transport was associated with an abrupt increase in the permeability of the monolayer. Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in the T84 monolayers were not increased by the bile salt, but in the presence of extracellular Ca2", free cytosolic Ca2" increased with a graded dose effect and time course that corresponded approximately to the changes in short circuit current (ISC). The results suggest that luminal bile salts at a relatively high concentration (2 1 mM) increase tight junction permeability. Once tight junction permeability increases, luminal bile salts could reach the basolateral membrane of the epithelial cells where they act to increase free cytosolic Ca2" from extracellular sources. The resulting increases in free cytosolic Ca2", rather than in cyclic nucleotides, appear to be involved in transcellular Cl-secretion.

Addition of either 10(-8) M vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) or 10(-6) M A23187 to T84 cell monolayers, grown on permeable supports and mounted in Ussing chambers, stimulated net Cl- secretion. The effect of 10(-6) M A23187 on Cl- flux was consistently smaller than that observed with 10(-8) M VIP. In both cases the increase in net Cl- secretion accounted for the entire change in the observed short-circuit current (Isc). Since Cl- enters the cells through a basolaterally localized Na+-K+-Cl(-)-cotransport system (J. Clin. Invest. 75: 462, 1985), the fate of K+, which is cotransported with Cl- during VIP, and A23187-mediated Cl- secretion was explored. Unidirectional and net transepithelial 42K+ flux rates were negligible compared with 36Cl- flux rates (less than 4% of Cl- flux), indicating that little K+ was secreted along with Cl-. K+ recycling across the basolateral membrane was suggested from experiments in which 86Rb+ efflux (as a tracer for K+) was measured across the apical and basolateral membranes of 86Rb+ -preloaded monolayers under voltage-clamped conditions. In the absence of secretagogues, 86Rb+ efflux was 10-fold higher across the basolateral membrane than across the apical membrane. 86Rb+ efflux across the basolateral membrane was accelerated two- to threefold by addition of either VIP or A23187. In each case accelerated efflux was inhibited by 5 mM Ba2+. Cl- secretion induced by VIP or A23187 was also inhibited by serosal addition of Ba2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)