title: Differential effects of leukotriene B4 on T4+ and T8+ lymphocyte phenotype and immunoregulatory functions.
abstract: Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) can regulate several lymphocyte functions, including the augmentation of cytotoxic activity and the induction of suppressor cells. When T lymphocytes were preincubated with picomolar concentrations of LTB4, they would suppress the proliferative response of unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes to concanavalin A in a subsequent co-culture system. Such a suppression did not occur when the responding population was depleted of monocytes. Furthermore, the effect was reversed to an enhancement when the responding unfractionated population was treated with indomethacin, suggesting a role for monocytes and cyclooxygenase products in the effector phase of LTB4-induced suppressor activity. When sorted into T4+ and T8+ cells before preincubation with LTB4, both T cell subsets could be induced by LTB4 to exert suppression. T4+ cells, however, required the presence of monocytes in the responder population in order to manifest suppressor activity, whereas T8+ cells were active even in the absence of monocytes. When LTB4-preincubated T cells or T4+ cells were sorted into T4+ and T8+ subsets after preincubation, suppressor cell activity was found only in the T8+ subset. Furthermore, T8+ cell-depleted T lymphocyte cultures, incubated for 24 hr with LTB4, showed a significant increase in the proportion of T8+ cells. Together, these data suggest that LTB4 induces suppressor T cells which can derive from either T4+ or T8+ subpopulations but which are phenotypically T8+ when exerting their suppressive activity. Thus, by interacting with both T4+ and T8+ lymphocytes, LTB4 can modulate immune responses with the cooperation of functionally competent accessory monocytes.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rola-Pleszczynski
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007975:Leukotriene B4