Abstract
T cell clones are classified as type 0, 1 or 2 depending on the lymphokines they produce. However, it has remained unclear whether single cells of a given type produce one or several cytokine species. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from 20 healthy donors for the production of the type 1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 revealed very few cells that co-expressed both cytokines independently of the mitogenic stimulus used for PBL activation. Similarly, kinetic studies of cytokine synthesis indicated a low per centage of IFN-γ/IL-2 double-positive T cells at all time points. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of sorted IL-2- and IFN-γ-positive T cells showed the presence of IL-2- or IFN-γ-specific mRNA only in those cells expressing the corresponding cytokine. This segregation of the two type 1 cytokines was lost in long-term cultured T cells and in T cell clones. A high percentage of cells expressing only IL-2 or IFN-γ was observed even when the production of these cytokines was evaluated on CD4+ and CD8+ subsets. Moreover, in some healthy individuals, IFN-γ and IL-2 production by CD8+ T cells was related to CD8+ expression levels and cell size, i.e. IL-2-expressing cells were generally smaller with more intense CD8+ staining as compared with IFN-γ-producing T cells. These data indicate that activated T lymphocytes are strongly committed in vivo to produce IFN-γ or IL-2 and emphasizes the independent regulation of the two cytokine genes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3630-3638 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | European Journal of Immunology |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 1998 |
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Keywords
- CD8
- Flow cytometry
- IFN-γ
- IL-2
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
Cite this
Segregation of type 1 cytokine production in human peripheral blood lymphocytes : Phenotypic differences between IFN-γ and IL-2-producing cells in the CD8+ T cell subset. / Caruso, Arnaldo; Licenziati, Stefano; Morelli, Daniele; Fiorentini, Simona; Ricotta, Doris; Malacarne, Fabio; Sfondrini, Lucia; Balsari, Andrea.
In: European Journal of Immunology, Vol. 28, No. 11, 11.1998, p. 3630-3638.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Segregation of type 1 cytokine production in human peripheral blood lymphocytes
T2 - Phenotypic differences between IFN-γ and IL-2-producing cells in the CD8+ T cell subset
AU - Caruso, Arnaldo
AU - Licenziati, Stefano
AU - Morelli, Daniele
AU - Fiorentini, Simona
AU - Ricotta, Doris
AU - Malacarne, Fabio
AU - Sfondrini, Lucia
AU - Balsari, Andrea
PY - 1998/11
Y1 - 1998/11
N2 - T cell clones are classified as type 0, 1 or 2 depending on the lymphokines they produce. However, it has remained unclear whether single cells of a given type produce one or several cytokine species. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from 20 healthy donors for the production of the type 1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 revealed very few cells that co-expressed both cytokines independently of the mitogenic stimulus used for PBL activation. Similarly, kinetic studies of cytokine synthesis indicated a low per centage of IFN-γ/IL-2 double-positive T cells at all time points. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of sorted IL-2- and IFN-γ-positive T cells showed the presence of IL-2- or IFN-γ-specific mRNA only in those cells expressing the corresponding cytokine. This segregation of the two type 1 cytokines was lost in long-term cultured T cells and in T cell clones. A high percentage of cells expressing only IL-2 or IFN-γ was observed even when the production of these cytokines was evaluated on CD4+ and CD8+ subsets. Moreover, in some healthy individuals, IFN-γ and IL-2 production by CD8+ T cells was related to CD8+ expression levels and cell size, i.e. IL-2-expressing cells were generally smaller with more intense CD8+ staining as compared with IFN-γ-producing T cells. These data indicate that activated T lymphocytes are strongly committed in vivo to produce IFN-γ or IL-2 and emphasizes the independent regulation of the two cytokine genes.
AB - T cell clones are classified as type 0, 1 or 2 depending on the lymphokines they produce. However, it has remained unclear whether single cells of a given type produce one or several cytokine species. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from 20 healthy donors for the production of the type 1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 revealed very few cells that co-expressed both cytokines independently of the mitogenic stimulus used for PBL activation. Similarly, kinetic studies of cytokine synthesis indicated a low per centage of IFN-γ/IL-2 double-positive T cells at all time points. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of sorted IL-2- and IFN-γ-positive T cells showed the presence of IL-2- or IFN-γ-specific mRNA only in those cells expressing the corresponding cytokine. This segregation of the two type 1 cytokines was lost in long-term cultured T cells and in T cell clones. A high percentage of cells expressing only IL-2 or IFN-γ was observed even when the production of these cytokines was evaluated on CD4+ and CD8+ subsets. Moreover, in some healthy individuals, IFN-γ and IL-2 production by CD8+ T cells was related to CD8+ expression levels and cell size, i.e. IL-2-expressing cells were generally smaller with more intense CD8+ staining as compared with IFN-γ-producing T cells. These data indicate that activated T lymphocytes are strongly committed in vivo to produce IFN-γ or IL-2 and emphasizes the independent regulation of the two cytokine genes.
KW - CD8
KW - Flow cytometry
KW - IFN-γ
KW - IL-2
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031771132&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0031771132&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1521-4141(199811)28:11<3630::AID-IMMU3630>3.0.CO;2-6
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1521-4141(199811)28:11<3630::AID-IMMU3630>3.0.CO;2-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 9842905
AN - SCOPUS:0031771132
VL - 28
SP - 3630
EP - 3638
JO - European Journal of Immunology
JF - European Journal of Immunology
SN - 0014-2980
IS - 11
ER -