title: CD27 expression discriminates porcine T helper cells with functionally distinct properties.
abstract: Differentiation of porcine T helper cells is still poorly investigated, partly due to a lack of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for molecules involved in this process. Recently, we identified a mAb specific for porcine CD27 and showed that CD27 is expressed by all naïve CD8α- T helper cells but divides CD8α+ T helper cells into a CD27+ and a CD27- subset. In the present study, detailed phenotypical and functional analyses of these T-helper cell subpopulations were performed. Naïve CD8α-CD27+ T helper cells predominantly resided in various lymph nodes, whereas higher proportions of CD8α+CD27+ and CD8α+CD27- T helper cells were found in blood, spleen and liver. Both CD8α+CD27+ and CD8α+CD27- T helper cells were capable of producing IFN-γ upon in vitro polyclonal stimulation and antigen-specific restimulation. Experiments with sorted CD8α-CD27+, CD8α+CD27+ and CD8α+CD27- T-helper cell subsets following polyclonal stimulation revealed the lowest proliferative response but the highest ability for IFN-γ and TNF-α production in the CD8α+CD27- subset. Therefore, these cells resembled terminally differentiated effector memory cells as described in human. This was supported by analyses of CCR7 and CD62L expression. CD8α+CD27- T helper cells were mostly CCR7- and had considerably reduced CD62L mRNA levels. In contrast, expression of both homing-receptors was increased on CD8α+CD27+ T helper cells, which also had a proliferation rate similar to naïve CD8α-CD27+ T helper cells and showed intermediate levels of cytokine production. Therefore, similar to human, CD8α+CD27+ T helper cells displayed a phenotype and functional properties of central memory cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna 1210, Austria. wilhelm.gerner@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reutner
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leitner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müllebner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladinig
authors.forename: Sabine E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Essler
authors.forename: J Catharina
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Duvigneau
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritzmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinberger
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saalmüller
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein / Q000662:veterinary; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7