title: Regulation and development of cytochrome c-specific IL-4-producing T cells.
abstract: The development of Ag-specific IL-4-producing T cells in short term cultures was examined. Freshly harvested lymph node cells from B10.A mice immunized with the cytochrome c fragment 81-104 did not produce detectable amounts of IL-4 upon Ag stimulation. However, after one cycle of bulk in vitro restimulation, the same cells could be stimulated to secrete IL-4. The development of Ag-specific IL-4-producing cells during the in vitro culture could be influenced by different culture conditions. When IL-4 and IL-1, in the presence of anti-IL-2R antibodies, were added to the bulk culture, secondary stimulation of the cells revealed increased levels of IL-4 production and constant or decreased levels of IL-2 production. The addition of IFN-gamma during the bulk culture led to a decrease in IL-4 production, yet had no effect on IL-2 production. When anti-IL-4 antibodies were present during the restimulation culture, no IL-4 was produced in the final stimulation assay. In addition, T cells cultured at high cell density produced more IL-4 in a secondary stimulation than did T cells cultured at low cell density. These results demonstrate that culture conditions during a short term culture of freshly harvested primed T cells may profoundly influence the development of IL-4-producing cells. This may be caused either by selective expansion or inhibition of preexisting IL-4-producing T cells, or by the differentiation of precursors of IL-4-producing cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma