CD31 (PECAM-1) is a differentiation antigen lost during human CD4 T-cell maturation into Th1 or Th2 effector cells.
The CD31 antigen (PECAM-1) has been reported to be a stable marker for a human CD4 T-cell subpopulation unable to produce interleukin-4 (IL-4). We show here that CD31 expression is not stable inasmuch as CD4 T-cell lines and clones derived from cell-sorted neonatal CD31+ cells lose CD31 upon repetitive cycles of stimulation and IL-2 expansion. Moreover, various cytokines (IL-1 alpha, IL-4, IL-6, transforming growth factor-beta) fail to reinduce CD31 on CD31- clones. Whereas all CD31+ CD4 T cells rapidly express high levels of the CD45RO antigen and down-regulate the L-selectin antigen after priming, CD31 disappears more slowly because only part of the cells lose CD31 expression upon each cycle of stimulation. Loss of CD31 reflects a functional maturation of CD45RO+ cells since, in a system which favours the development of Th2 effectors, IL-4 is produced by CD31- but not CD31+ effector T cells, whereas interferon-gamma is produced by both types of cells. However, CD31 is not a Th1 marker since it is not expressed on several Th1 antigen-specific clones. We conclude that CD31 is a maturation marker expressed on the great majority of naive CD45RO- CD4 T cells and on a subset of CD45RO+ CD4 T cells that are at an intermediate stage of maturation.
Demeure
C E
CE
Centre de Recherche Louis-Charles Simard, University of Montréal, Canada.
Byun
D G
DG
Yang
L P
LP
Vezzio
N
N
Delespesse
G
G
D000328:Adult; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000502:physiology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000378:metabolism
D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015415:Biomarkers; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D019041:L-Selectin; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens