CD4-CD8- splenic T cells from Lewis rats recovered from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis respond to encephalitogenic T cells that mediate this disorder.
We previously demonstrated that encephalitogenic CD4+ T lymphocytes from the long-term cultured line S1, specific for myelin basic protein, induce a CD8+ T cell population in vivo that protects naive Lewis rats against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis caused by S1 cells. In order to determine the contribution of individual T cell population in the development of induced resistance, we have analyzed the in vitro proliferative capacity of phenotypically distinct T cell populations isolated from S1-immunized rats. We found that both CD8+ and CD8-CD4- T cells show striking proliferative responses when stimulated with S1 cells, whereas CD4+ T cells show only minimal responses. In addition, a significant proportion of the CD8-CD4- cells, after stimulated by S1 cells, became CD8+ and had a strong cytolytic activity toward S1 cells. These results suggest a contribution of double-negative splenic T cells in the regulatory circuit associated with autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Sun
D
D
Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38101-0318.
Wekerle
H
H
Raper
K
K
Gold
D P
DP
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002469:Cell Separation; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens