Intracellular expression of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-stimulated CD4+ CD57+ T-cell subpopulation with memory phenotype in tuberculosis patients.
In some chronic pathological conditions, antigen persistence activates and expands the CD4+ CD57+ T-cell subset. The host immune response against tuberculosis infection is maintained through the continuous presence of antigen-stimulated effector/memory helper T cells. To determine whether CD4+ CD57+ T cells were also expanded in human tuberculosis, we analysed (by flow cytometry) the phenotype of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from 30 tuberculosis patients and 30 healthy controls. We observed a significant increase in the CD4+ CD57+ T-cell subset in tuberculosis patients in comparison to healthy controls (P < 0.001). Most CD4+ CD57+ T cells exhibited a CD28- CD45RO+ CD62L- phenotype, which is associated with memory cells. In vitro, a higher number of antigen-stimulated CD4+ CD57+ T cells produced intracellular interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 compared with antigen-stimulated CD4+ CD57- T cells (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that the majority of CD4+ CD57+ T cells correspond to a phenotype of activated memory T cells.
Jiménez-Martínez
Maria C
MC
Departamento de Investigación en Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, México.
Linares
Marisela
M
Báez
Renata
R
Montaño
Luis F
LF
Martínez-Cairo
Salvador
S
Gorocica
Patricia
P
Chávez
Raúl
R
Zenteno
Edgar
E
Lascurain
Ricardo
R
D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma