title: Naive T cells from cord blood have the capacity to make Types 1 and 2 cytokines.
abstract: We wanted to determine whether naive T cells could make the Types 1, 2 and 0 defining cytokines Interleukin (IL)-4 and Interferon (IFN)gamma. We show that stimulation of naive T cells (CD3+ CD45RA+) derived from cord blood by phorbol ester (phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate: PMA) plus lonomycin induced detection of Types 1, 2 and 0 cells. Conversely, when we stimulated the naive T cells through the T cell receptor (with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody alone) there was no detection of IFNgamma or IL-4 producing cells. Stimulation with PMA and CD3 induced detection of only Type 2 cells. This unexpected finding shows that there is a high frequency of Type 2 cells within the naive T cell population, contrary to previously published reports. The highest percentage of Type 2 naive cells (10.5%) was obtained with 50 ng/ml PMA plus 50 microg/ml anti-CD3. Thus, we have shown that naive T cells derived from cord blood have the capacity to make both Types 1 and 2 cytokines and the frequency of cells producing these cytokines can be greater than 20%, depending on the stimulus used.
authors.affiliation: The Anthony Nolan Research Institute, The Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perez-Cruz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fallen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Madrigal
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines