title: T cell functions in granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor deficient mice.
abstract: Immunological functions were analyzed in mice lacking granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The response of splenic T cells to allo-antigens, anti-mouse CD3 mAb, interleukin 2 (IL-2), or concanavalin A was comparable in GM-CSF +/+ and GM-CSF -/- mice. To investigate the responses of CD8(+) and CD4+ T cells against exogenous antigens, mice were immunized with ovalbumin peptide or with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells with specificity for ovalbumin peptide could not be induced in GM-CSF -/- mice. After immunization with KLH, there was a delay in IgG generation, particularly IgG2a, in GM-CSF -/- mice. Purified CD4+ T cells from GM-CSF -/- mice immunized with KLH showed impaired proliferative responses and produced low amounts of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-4 when KLH-pulsed B cells or spleen cells were used as antigen presenting cells (APC). When enriched dendritic cells (DC) were used as APC, CD4+ T cells from GM-CSF -/- mice proliferated as well as those from GM-CSF +/+ mice and produced high amounts of IFN-gamma and IL-4. To analyze the rescue effect of DC on CD4(+) T cells, supernatants from (i) CD4(+) T cells cultured with KLH-pulsed DC or (ii) DC cultured with recombinant GM-CSF were transferred to cultures of CD4(+) T cells and KLH-pulsed spleen cells from GM-CSF -/- mice. Supernatants from both DC sources contained a factor or factors that restored proliferative responses and IFN-gamma production of CD4(+) T cells from GM-CSF -/- mice.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York Branch at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Old
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor