Activated CD3- CD16+ natural killer cells express a subset of the lymphokine genes induced in activated αβ+ and γδ+ T cells

In this study we analysed the potential of highly purified polyclonal TcR αβ⁺, TcR γδ⁺ and CD3^- NK cells, to produce lymphokines in response to mitogenic stimulation. RNA hybridizations were performed to detect with high sensitivity the induction of multiple lymphokine genes. Upon stimulation with lectin and phorbol ester TcR γδ⁺ lymphocytes expressed the same set of lymphokine genes as the TcR αβ⁺ lymphocytes, which included IL-2, -3, -4, -5, GM-CSF, TNFα and β, IFNγ. In contrast, a more limited set of lymphocykine genes (GM-CSF, TNFα and β, IFNγ) was induced in activated CD3^- NK cells, thus indicating that this subpopulation of cells may display different regulatory functions, with respect to CD3⁺ T lymphocytes.