Antigen-stimulated IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-gamma production by human T cells at a single-cell level.
To understand the intricate balance and the coordinate expression of the Th1 and Th2 cytokines following a natural mode of T cell triggering, antigen-stimulated IL-4, IL-13 and IFN-gamma production was studied in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures at a single-cell level. Cells from filariasis patients who respond to parasite antigen by producing not only IFN-gamma but also IL-4 and IL-13 were stimulated with Brugia malayi adult worm antigen and analyzed for co-expression of cytokines by intracellular staining. IL-4 and IL-13 were frequently co-expressed (54% of IL-4+ cells stained for IL-13 and 29% of IL-13+ cells expressed IL-4 at all time points), whereas IFN-gamma expression was totally segregated from both IL-4 and IL-13. These data indicate that in human peripheral T cells the co-expression of the dominant Th1 and Th2 cytokines within a single cell is a rare event and that IL-13 is clearly more frequently associated with a Th2 than a Th1 type response in primary T cell cultures.
de Boer
B A
BA
Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
Fillié
Y E
YE
Kruize
Y C
YC
Yazdanbakhsh
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D017178:Brugia malayi / Q000276:immunology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005368:Filariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D018793:Interleukin-13; D007476:Ionophores; D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000001:Calcimycin; D007371:Interferon-gamma