title: Maturational changes in CD4+ cell subsets and lymphokine production in BXSB mice.
abstract: CD4+ cells are thought to play a significant role in the development of lupus-like disease in a variety of autoimmune disease-prone mouse strains. In one such strain, BXSB/MpJScR, male mice develop severe lupus-like symptoms early in life but females do not. In this study, splenic CD4+ cells from male and female BXSB mice were evaluated for age-related changes in: 1) membrane expression of CD4+ cell subset markers (1, 2, and 4 mo) and activation Ags (4 mo) and 2) the capacity to proliferate and produce cytokines (4 mo) in response to polyclonal stimuli. CD4+ cells from females of all age groups and from younger males were predominantly CD44lo, CD45RBhi, MEL-14hi, and 3G11hi (phenotypes associated with naive T cells). In contrast, 4-mo-old males were predominantly CD44hi, CD45RBlo, MEL-14lo, and 3G11lo (phenotypes associated with activated/memory T cells). Furthermore, an increased constitutive expression of the activation Ags RL388, IL-2R, and TfR was observed in CD4+ cells of 4-mo-old male BXSB mice in comparison with age-matched females. In 3-day cultures, purified CD4+ cells from 4-mo-old males proliferated significantly less than cells from age-matched females in response to plate-bound anti-CD3 epsilon (2C11i). The reduced proliferation was restored in large part by PMA and ionomycin. CD4+ cells from older males generally produced increased amounts of IFN-gamma and IL-4 and significantly less IL-2 than age-matched females in response to either stimulus (IL-2 mRNA was also decreased in response to 2C11i). Taken together, these studies suggest that profound phenotypic and functional changes occur with age in the CD4+ cells of male BXSB mice that are indicative of an activated state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Weigle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D015759:Ionomycin; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate