title: Maturation of adult peripheral blood CD38(+)CD4(+) T cells demonstrated by cytokine production in response to a superantigen, TSST-1.
abstract: This study looks at immunoincompetent CD4(+) T cells in adult peripheral blood (APB) using cytokine production in response to a superantigen as a measure of function. We compared the function of APB CD38(+)CD4(+) and CD38(-/low)CD4(+) T cells to that of cord blood (CB) CD4(+) T cells. APB CD4(+) T cell blasts produce substantial amounts of IL-2 in response to TSST-1 restimulation, while CB CD4(+) T cell blasts produce less. APB CD38(+)CD4(+) T cells produce low levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma in response to TSST-1, even after activation, while APB CD38(-/low)CD4(+) T cells retain their ability to produce high levels of these cytokines despite high CD38 expression. These results suggest that the developmental stage of APB CD38(+)CD4(+) T cells lies between that of CB CD4(+) T cells and APB CD38(-/low)CD4(+) T cells and that APB CD38(+)CD45RO(-)CD4(+) T cells gradually cease to express CD38 as they acquire full function. We reconsider CD4(+) cell maturation and response to TSST-1 and discuss the implications of T cell maturity on infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. imanis17@research.twmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ken'ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imanishi
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hisaichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
mesh_terms: D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase / Q000032:analysis*; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018089:Superantigens / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D004768:Enterotoxins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018089:Superantigens; C030107:enterotoxin F, Staphylococcal; D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1