CD4+CD8+ murine intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes.
We have studied a population of CD4+ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes using two-color flow cytometric analyses, and in highly purified fluorescent-activated cell-sorted preparations. Although CD4+ T cells present within the epithelial immune compartment comprised only approximately 10-20% of the total intestinal epithelial lymphoid cells, an unusually high proportion of those CD4+ lymphocytes expressed a CD4+CD8+ phenotype which is rarely encountered in peripheral T cells. By comparison, CD4+ lymphocytes from spleen or lymph nodes existed exclusively as single-positive T cells. Analyses of CD4 and CD8 expression on lymphocytes from Peyer's patches, the lamina propria, and IEL indicated that CD4+CD8+ lymphocytes were unique to the IEL. Using CD4+CD8+ preparations obtained by fluorescent-activated cell sorting, CD4+CD8+ epithelial T cells were found also to express CD3 and Thy-1 surface markers. This heretofore undescribed extrathymic population of double-positive T cells constitutes a unique peripheral T cell subset which may be involved in intestinal T cell maturation and development, or could represent a highly specialized effector population.
Mosley
R L
RL
Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, OK 74104.
Styre
D
D
Klein
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens