title: Development of effector CD8+ T cells in contact hypersensitivity occurs independently of CD4+ T cells.
abstract: Contact hypersensitivity (CHS) is a T cell-mediated response to hapten sensitization of the epidermis. Recent results from this laboratory indicated that hapten sensitization induces two populations of hapten-reactive T cells: CD8+ T cells producing IFN-gamma, which mediate the response, and CD4+ T cells producing IL-4 and IL-10, which function to limit the magnitude and the duration of the response. In the current report we first examined the hapten-presenting cell priming each of these T cell populations and then examined the influence of CD4+ T cell priming on the development of the CD8+ effector T cells. Isolation of hapten-presenting Langerhans cells from the lymph nodes of oxazolone-sensitized mice and transfer to naive mice resulted in the induction of both the regulatory CD4+ and the effector CD8+ T populations. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing high levels of the activation determinants CD11a and CD44 appeared in the lymph nodes 3 days after hapten sensitization. The CD8+ T cells producing IFN-gamma and mediating CHS responses following transfer to naive mice were restricted to the high CD44-expressing population. In vitro activation of hapten-immune CD8+ T cells resulted in very low amounts (3 U/ml) of IL-2 production, whereas production of IL-2 by immune CD4+ T cells was approximately 70-fold higher (208 U/ml). Despite this discrepancy in IL-2 production and the coincidental priming of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by hapten-presenting Langerhans cells during hapten sensitization, the numbers of CD8+/high CD44-expressing T cells in the lymph nodes were nearly identical when CD4+ T cells were present or absent during hapten priming. These results indicate that coincidental priming of CD4+ (and CD8+) T cells by LC does not augment CD8+ T cell development in CHS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Dilulio
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Fairchild
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006241:Haptens; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006241:Haptens; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma