title: Cytokine production in varicella zoster virus-stimulated limiting dilution lymphocyte cultures.
abstract: Human blood lymphocytes were stimulated with varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen in limiting dilution cultures and the amounts of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-4 measured in the supernatants. The results indicate that up to 85% of proliferating cells of young adults produce IFN-gamma and up to 10% make IL-4. At limiting dilution, few if any wells were positive for both IFN-gamma and IL-4. The amount of IFN-gamma per well increased in the presence of antibody to IL-4, but anti-IFN-gamma not increase IL-4 production. The frequency of wells containing IFN-gamma was lower in subjects < 19 or > 55 years of age, and the amounts of IFN-gamma in positive wells was significantly lower in cultures of the older subjects' lymphocytes. The frequency of IL-4-making cells did not fall significantly with age. The data suggest that the age-related decline in the frequency of blood T cells which responds to VZV affects mainly the cells with a Th1-like cytokine phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre, Denver.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosyns
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hayward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma