title: Vdelta2 T-lymphocyte responses in cord blood samples from Italy and Côte d'Ivoire.
abstract: Cord blood T lymphocytes are immature and their functional defect partially reflects a suboptimal level of costimulatory signals provided by neonatal antigen-presenting cells. Neonatal Vdelta2 T lymphocytes, a small component of cellular immunity involved in the response against bacteria, protozoa, virus-infected cells and tumours, are also considered to be immature. Cord blood Vdelta2 T lymphocytes are mostly naïve, proliferate poorly and do not produce cytokines in response to the model phosphoantigen isopentenyl pyrophosphate. We cultured cord blood mononuclear cells with the aminobisphosphonate Pamidronate or with live bacille Calmette-Guérin, and showed that both elicit a strong cord blood Vdelta2 T-cell proliferative response, inducing the expression of activation markers and promoting the differentiation from naïve to memory cells. Our results suggest that cord blood Vdelta2 T cells are not inherently unresponsive and can mount strong responses to aminobisphosphonates and mycobacteria. Neonatal Vdelta2 T lymphocytes may be important participants in responses to microbial infections early in life.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. ccairo@ihv.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cairo
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancino
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: C David
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pauza
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colizzi
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007558:Italy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D000077268:Pamidronate; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000097:blood*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004164:Diphosphonates; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D000077268:Pamidronate