title: Interferon-gamma secretion of peripheral blood CD8+ T lymphocytes in patients with bronchial asthma: in vitro stimulus determines cytokine production.
abstract: It has been postulated that T lymphocytes orchestrate the chronic inflammation in bronchial asthma. In animal models, infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes into the bronchial mucosa prevented bronchial hyperresponsiveness and decreased early and late phase reaction. IFN-gamma antagonizes IL-4-dependent IgE production as well as IL-5-induced proliferation and activation of eosinophils. We therefore investigated the secretion of IFN-gamma of isolated CD8+ T lymphocytes from peripheral blood of patients with allergic asthma (n = 6) and from healthy controls (n = 7) in vitro. In this setting we compared the effect of stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies with that of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and calcium-ionophore. As expected, CD8+ T lymphocytes from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers produced significantly more IFN-gamma in the presence of PMA and calcium-ionophore than after stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies. However, in subjects with allergic asthma, IFN-gamma secretion of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher when incubated with anti-CD3 antibodies than after activation with PMA and calcium-ionophore. While IFN-gamma secretion of CD8+ T lymphocytes of patients with allergic asthma was lower than that of healthy controls in the presence of PMA/calcium-ionophore, it was significantly elevated when compared with normal controls after stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies. Thus, potent activators of cytokine secretion, such as PMA and calcium-ionophore, induce a cytokine profile different from that induced by weaker stimulants, such as anti-CD3 antibodies. These findings have implications for further studies investigating cytokine production of inflammatory cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Biller
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bade
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matthys
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luttmann
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Virchow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016853:Muromonab-CD3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007476:Ionophores; D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D000001:Calcimycin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate