Maintenance of IL-12-responsive CD4+ T cells during a Th2 response in Leishmania major-infected mice.
BALB/c and anti-IL-12-treated C3H mice infected with Leishmania major develop a Th2 cell response. However, in contrast to BALB/c mice, C3H mice treated transiently with an anti-IL-12 monoclonal antibody switch from a Th2 to a Th1 response and resolve their lesions once treatment is terminated. We report here that the critical difference in the Th2 response between BALB/c and C3H mice is in their ability to respond to IL-12. Thus, C3H mice with a Th2 response maintain a CD4+ T cell population that expresses IL-12 receptor beta1 and beta2 mRNA and produces IFN-gamma after exposure to IL-12. These results indicate that Th2 cell populations from different genetic backgrounds differ in their stability, and that this difference can be related to differential regulation of the IL-12 receptor.
Hondowicz
B D
BD
University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Park
A Y
AY
Elloso
M M
MM
Scott
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology*; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000276:immunology; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C508440:Il12rb1 protein, mouse; C508443:Il12rb2 protein, mouse; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D019041:L-Selectin; D018664:Interleukin-12