title: Interleukin 4-mediated induction of CD4+/CD8+ T cells during infancy.
abstract: Neonatal human CD4+ T cells will co-express CD8 on their surface following short-term culture with interleukin 4 (IL-4). Adult T cells do not respond in this manner. In this study we examine this phenomenon as a function of age and determine that IL-4 responsiveness decreases with time to approach adult levels at about 2 years. This phenomenon may be relevant to the documented ability of neonatal CD4+ T cells to function as suppressors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebisawa
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Reason
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iikura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4