Superantigen-induced T cell responses in acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease patients.
CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from healthy donors, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD) patients responded variably to a superantigen from Streptococcus pyogenes--Streptococcal pyrogenic erythrogenic toxin A (SPE-A). In vitro culture of CD4+ T cells from ARF patients (CD4-ARF) with SPE-A exhibited a Th1 type of response as they produced high levels of IL-2, while CD4+ T cells from CRHD patients (CD4-RHD) secreted IL-4 and IL-10 in large amounts, i.e. Th2 type of cytokine profile. The skewing of human CD4+ T cells (in response to SPE-A stimulation) to Th1 or Th2 type reflects the role of the two subsets in a disorder with differing intensities at the two extremes of the spectrum. Moreover, the anergy induction experiments revealed that CD8-ARF and CD8-RHD undergo anergy (to different extents), whereas CD4+ T cells do not, in response to re-stimulation by SPE-A. These results initially demonstrate that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells respond differentially to SPE-A, and hence it is an important observation with respect to the pathogenesis of ARF/CRHD. Anergy in CD8+ T cells in the presence of SPE-A in vitro goes a step further to show the clinical relevance of these cells and their possible role in suppression of the disease.
Bhatnagar
A
A
Department of Experimental Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Grover
A
A
Ganguly
N K
NK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017635:Clonal Anergy; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D018089:Superantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D005098:Exotoxins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C117980:SpeA protein, Streptococcus pyogenes; D018089:Superantigens; C027951:erythrogenic toxin