Immune privilege and FasL: two ways to inactivate effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes by FasL-expressing cells.

The theory that Fas ligand (FasL)-expressing tumours are immune-privileged and can directly counterattack Fas-expressing effector T lymphocytes has recently been questioned and several alternative mechanisms have been proposed. To address this controversial issue, we analysed the impact of FasL-expressing tumours on in vivo-primed cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and the mechanisms involved. CTLs were obtained from the peritoneal cavity (PEL) after in vivo priming with syngeneic or allogeneic murine tumour cells. We have found that PEL populations undergo Fas-based apoptotic cell death when co-cultured with FasL-expressing tumour cells and that PEL destruction of cognate targets in a 51Cr-release assay was markedly inhibited by the pre-exposure to either cognate or non-cognate tumour cells expressing FasL. Furthermore, cytocidal function of PEL was markedly inhibited by preincubation with FasL-negative tumour cells, if and only if they were the cognate targets of the CTL; this CTL inhibition involved FasL-Fas interactions. The killing function of 'bystander' PELs, reactive to a third-party target cell, was inhibited by co-cultivation with PELs mixed with their cognate target. This activation-induced CTL fratricide was not influenced by the expression of FasL on the cognate target cells. These studies demonstrate the existence of two distinct pathways whereby FasL-expressing cells inhibit in vivo-primed FasL- and Fas-expressing CTLs: first, by FasL-based direct tumour counterattack, and second, by FasL-mediated activation-induced cell death of the CTLs, which is consistent with the concept that FasL expression in vivo could play a role in inducing immune privilege.