title: Dual-color ELISPOT assay for analyzing cytokine balance.
abstract: A dual-color enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay enabled us to analyze three kinds of cytokine-secreting cells simultaneously. T helper (Th) cells can be subdivided into at least two distinct functional subsets based on their cytokine secretion profiles. The first type of clones (Th1) produces interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma but not IL-4 or IL-5. The second type of clones (Th2) produces IL-4 and IL-5 but not IL-2 or IFN-gamma. Furthermore, the presence of the third type (Th0) cell, which is a precursor of Th1 or Th2 cells, has been demonstrated to produce both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines. The dual-color ELISPOT assay is developed to differentiate these three subtypes of Th cells in an identical well. In the system, the red spots corresponding to IL-2-secreting cells (Th1) were developed with horseradish peroxidase and amino-ethyl-carbazole/H2O2. The light blue spots corresponding to IL-4-secreting cells (Th2) were developed with alkaline phosphatase and Vector blue (chromogenic substrate for alkaline phosphatase). The mixed colored (indigo) spots corresponding to both kinds of cytokine-secreting cells (Th0 cells) were developed with both chromogenic substrates. With this system, we could detect the IL-2- and/or IL-4-secreting cells simultaneously in a murine spleen cell or human peripheral mononuclear cell preparation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma