CD8(+) T cells express a T-helper 1--like phenotype after burn injury.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies suggest that CD8(+) T cells are immunosuppressive after burn injury, but recent reports indicate that CD8(+) T cells have several functions similar to CD4(+) T cells, including the secretion of cytokines. This study uses HY male antigen in transgenic HY female mice to determine the antigen-specific response of activated CD8(+) T cells after burn injury.


METHODS
HY TCR transgenic female mice underwent burn or sham injury. Seventy-two hours after the burn, splenocytes were stimulated with 20 micromol/L HY peptide for 16, 48, and 64 hours; cellular proliferation, intracellular interferon-gamma and interleukin-2, and apoptosis were measured.


RESULTS
Burn injury significantly impaired proliferation to HY antigen (P < or =.05). Activated CD8(+) T cells from burned mice showed increased intracellular interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 16 hours after stimulation compared with sham (P < or =.05) and at no time was less than control mice. The percent of CD8(+) T cells decreased with the time of stimulation but was not due to apoptosis by Annexin V staining.


CONCLUSIONS
Activated CD8(+) T cells express a T(h1)-like phenotype after burn injury. This provides evidence that CD8(+) T cells are not simply suppressive and that is consistent with data that CD4(+) T cells are primed for a T(h1) response after burn injury.
Cairns
B A
BA
Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 27599-7210, USA.
Maile
R
R
Buchanan
I
I
Pilati
D
D
DeSerres
S
S
Collins
E J
EJ
Frelinger
J A
JA
Meyer
A A
AA
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell