title: Cytokine production by mite-specific T cells from donors with mild atopic disease.
abstract: This study was designed to determine whether allergen-specific T cells from patients with mild atopic disease were similar to TH2 cells. Tetanus-specific and house mite-specific T-cell clones were derived from peripheral blood of donors with strong immediate epicutaneous skin tests to Dermatophagoides farinae but with mild allergic disease. Overall, the tetanus- and mite-specific clones produced similar amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and gamma interferon (INF-gamma). However, when donors were divided into those with high and low serum levels of mite-specific IgE as determined by RAST, mite-specific clones from donors with high specific IgE produced significantly more IL-4 and less IFN-gamma than mite-specific clones from donors with low levels of specific IgE. These results suggest that circulating allergen-specific T cells from patients who do not have severe allergic disease may nonetheless be skewed toward a TH2 profile. We also examined IL-4 and IFN-gamma production during primary culture of antigen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Detectable amounts of IL-4 were not produced. Stimulation with tetanus antigen induced two to three times as much IFN-gamma as did stimulation with mite antigen. However, the amount of IFN-gamma produced during primary culture did not correlate with the cytokine production of the T-cell clones subsequently generated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY 14642.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pudiak
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens; D000818:Animals; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma