title: Expression of membrane receptor for tumour necrosis factor on human blood lymphocytes.
abstract: Using a monoclonal antibody against the human p75 tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR-I) combined with a high-sensitivity immunofluorescence flow cytometric procedure, a proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes can be shown to express TNFR-I constitutively. Approximately 50% of peripheral blood lymphocytes consisting mostly of CD4 cells and including most CD45R0-positive cells, express TNFR-I. Receptor expression is increased by a variety of activation signals. Only a minority (up to 30%) of tonsil B cells express measurable levels of TNFR-I. The tonsil B cells which express TNFR-I include both cells with a germinal centre cell phenotype and cells with the phenotype of the follicular mantle zone. Activation of B cells with anti-immunoglobulin, alone or in combination with interleukin-4 or interleukin-2, increases receptor expression, particularly in cells with the phenotype of mantle zone cells. The functional significance of constitutive expression of TNFR by blood and tissue lymphocytes is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zola
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flego
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weedon
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha