Central role for TCR/CD3 ligation in the differentiation of CD4+ T cells toward A Th1 or Th2 functional phenotype.
Activated CD4+ T cells can be classified into distinct subsets; the most divergent among them may be considered to be the IL-2 and IFN-gamma-producing Th1 clones and the IL-4 and IL-5-producing Th2 clones. Because Th1 and Th2 clones can usually be detected only after several months of culture, we used conditions that modulate the IL-2 and IL-4 production in short term culture. Here we show that freshly isolated and subsequently in vitro-activated CD4+ T cells that were cultured for 11 days with rIL-2 and restimulated showed a IFN-gamma+ IL-2+ IL-3+ IL-4- IL-5- pattern. Because these cells were not capable of providing B cell help for IgG1, IgG2a, or IgE in an APC- and TCR-dependent T-B cell assay, they expressed a phenotype typical for most Th1 clones. In contrast, activated T cells that were cultured for 11 days with IL-2 plus a mAb to CD3 and then restimulated produced a IFN-gamma- IL-2- IL-3+ IL-4+ IL-5+ pattern. These cells were capable of providing B cell help for IgG1, IgG2a, and IgE synthesis and thus presented a phenotype typical for Th2 clones. Similar results were observed when mitogenic mAb to Thy-1.2 or to framework determinants of the alpha beta TCR were used. The induction of Th1- and Th2-like cells did not depend on the relative expression of CD44 or CD45 by the T cells before activation in vitro. Because the incubation of activated T cells with anti-CD3/TCR mAb induced high unrestricted lymphokine production, the latter might be responsible for the Th2-like lymphokine pattern observed after restimulation. To address this point, TCR V beta 8+ and V beta 8- T cell blasts were co-cultured in the presence of mAb to V beta 8. After restimulation, V beta 8+ cells had a IL-4high IL-2low phenotype and V beta 8- cells had a IL-4low IL-2high phenotype. This demonstrates that TCR ligation but not lymphokines alone are capable of inducing Th2-like cells, and this points out a central role for the TCR in the generation of T cell subsets.
Röcken
M
M
Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Geneva, Switzerland.
Müller
K M
KM
Saurat
J H
JH
Müller
I
I
Louis
J A
JA
Cerottini
J C
JC
Hauser
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000502:physiology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000502:physiology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000166:cytology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D004768:Enterotoxins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D015847:Interleukin-4; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; D007371:Interferon-gamma