title: Stimulation with dendritic cells decreases or obviates the CD4+ helper cell requirement in cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses.
abstract: We investigated the need for CD4+ helper T (Th) cells in the induction of murine cytotoxic T lymphocyte (Tc) responses across minor or major histocompatibility (MHC) antigenic differences with either normal spleen cells (NSC) or purified dendritic cells (DC) as antigen-presenting cells (APC). Generation of a secondary in vitro class II MHC-specific Tc response was totally CD4+ Th cell-dependent with both types of APC. Likewise, male antigen (H-Y)-primed class II mutant bm12 T cells, which do not respond to H-Y presented on NSC, do respond to H-Y presented on DC in a completely CD4+ Th cell-dependent fashion. All other Tc responses, including primary anti-class I MHC, primary anti-class I + II MHC plus anti-minor H, and secondary C57BL/6 (B6) anti-H-Y, although not completely CD4+ Th cell dependent, were greatly augmented in the presence of CD4+ Th cells, but only with NSC as APC. In contrast, with DC as APC these responses were entirely or largely CD4+ Th cell independent. Similarly, H-Y primed class I MHC mutant bm14 T cells, which do not respond to H-Y presented on NSC, do respond to H-Y presented on DC in a completely CD4+ Th cell-independent fashion. The combined results indicate that DC can directly present class I MHC alloantigen or class I MHC plus nominal antigen (e.g. minor H) to CD8+ cells and generate a Tc response by these cells without the requirement for CD4+ Th cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Boog
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boes
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Melief
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008912:Minor Histocompatibility Loci; D010641:Phenotype; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D006182:H-Y Antigen