title: CRTH2 is the most reliable marker for the detection of circulating human type 2 Th and type 2 T cytotoxic cells in health and disease.
abstract: Cells expressing the chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells (CRTH2) and the chemokine C receptor (CCR)4 were consistently detected in the circulation of healthy subjects, whereas numbers of cells expressing CCR3 were much lower. While all CCR4+ cells were T cells, a small proportion of CRTH2+, and about a half of the few CCR3+ cells were basophils. Only CRTH2+ T cells contained Th2 or Tc2 cells, but neither Th0 or Tc0, nor Th1 or Tc1 cells, although not all of them produced Th2-type cytokines. By contrast, CCR4+ T cells contained both Th2 or Tc2 and Th0 or Tc0 cells and even Th1 or Tc1 cells, whereas the few CCR3+ T cells were not clearly classifiable for their cytokine profile. CRTH2+ T lymphocytes were virtually devoid of chemokine CX receptor (CXCR)3+ and CCR5+ cells, but enriched in CCR3+ and CCR4+ cells. By contrast, CCR3+ or CCR4+ T cells did not show a similar clear-cut dichotomy in the expression of CCR5/CXCR3 or CCR3/ CCR4. Subjects with atopic dermatitis or HIV infection with low levels of circulating CD4+ T cells revealed a significant increase of CRTH2+ cells within both the CD4+ and the CD8+ T cell subset. These data support the concept that at present CRTH2 is the more reliable marker for detection of both human Th2 and Tc2 cells in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cosmi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Annunziato
authors.lastname: Galli MIG
authors.lastname: Maggi RME
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romagnani
mesh_terms: D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015415:Biomarkers; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000097:blood; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000097:blood; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000097:blood*; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin; D012016:Reference Values; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C515350:CCR3 protein, human; C515354:CCR4 protein, human; D008222:Lymphokines; D054397:Receptors, CCR3; D054398:Receptors, CCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin; C036293:prostaglandin D2 receptor