CD57+/CD28- T cells in untreated hemato-oncological patients are expanded and display a Th1-type cytokine secretion profile, ex vivo cytolytic activity and enhanced tendency to apoptosis.
Three-color flow cytometry immunophenotyping revealed significant increases of CD57+ and CD28- cells among both circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of untreated hemato-oncological patients (n = 54) as compared to healthy donors (n = 55), with CD57 and CD28 expression on the patients' T cells being largely reciprocal. Marked expansion of CD57+ cells among circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes was frequently detected in patients with chronic leukemia of B cell origin (B-CLL, hairy cell leukemia) but not in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, suggesting a causal relation with the tumor's major histocompatibility complex class II expression. Using immunomagnetic separation techniques, we further demonstrate that the patients' CD57+/CD28- T cells display a typical Th1-type cytokine secretion profile upon anti-CD3 stimulation, with a markedly higher secretion of the Th1-type cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha than their CD57-/CD28+ counterparts. Cytotoxic activity of circulating CD8+ T lymphocytes, measured ex vivo in an anti-CD3-redirected assay, was almost exclusively exerted by the CD57+/CD28- subset. Moreover, a marked cytotoxic activity was detected within CD4+CD57+ T cells from some B-CLL patients. Finally, the patients' CD57+/CD28- T cells displayed an increased tendency to apoptosis in culture. Collectively, our results indicate that the expanded CD57+/CD28- T cells in hemato-oncological patients represent differentiated effector cells, similar to their (quantitatively minor) counterpart in healthy donors. The reason for their expansion and their pathophysiologic significance, however, remains unclear.
Van den Hove
L E
LE
Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Van Gool
S W
SW
Vandenberghe
P
P
Boogaerts
M A
MA
Ceuppens
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D017209:Apoptosis; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D018959:CD57 Antigens