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Helper interleukins are produced by both CD4 and CD8 splenic T cells after mitogen stimulation
Author(s) -
Cardell Susanna,
Sander Birgitta,
Möller Göran
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.1830211028
Subject(s) - biology , cd8 , microbiology and biotechnology , concanavalin a , interleukin 4 , interleukin 2 , cytotoxic t cell , interleukin 3 , spleen , interleukin 12 , interleukin 21 , immunology , immune system , in vitro , biochemistry
Abstract We have earlier described (Cardell, S. and Sander, B., Eur. J. Immunol. 1990. 20: 389) mitogen‐induced production of interleukin (IL) 2, IL 4 and IL 5 mRNA by murine spleen cells, analyzed by in situ hybridization. In the present study we have investigated the potential of CD8 T cells to produce these interleukins, normally associated with the helper function of CD4 T cells. When concanavalin A (Con A)‐activated spleen cells were restimulated with Con A and phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA), higher levels of IL2, IL4 and IL5 mRNA were induced, as detected both by increased frequencies of positive cells, and by more mRNA per cell. Four‐to‐six‐day Con A blasts were enriched for CD4 + or CD8 + T cells, and restimulated with Con A and PMA. Both CD4 and CD8 cells were found to produce all three kinds of mRNA when restimulated. The frequencies of IL 2 mRNA‐containing CD8 cells were half of those found for CD4 cells (3.5% as compared to 7%). On the average 1% of the CD8 cells were induced to produce IL4 and IL 5 mRNA, while 9% and 3% of the activated CD4 cells contained IL4 and IL5 mRNA, respectively. CD4 and CD8 cells displayed different sensitivities to the reagents when tested alone. Con A induced the synthesis of IL 4 and IL 5 in CD4 cells, but not CD8 cells, independently of PMA. PMA alone induced extensive thymidine incorporation in CD8 cells, but not in CD4 cells, in the absence of detectable lymphokine mRNA. The results suggest that some CD8 cells have the capacity to give help in immune responses, by secretion of IL 2, IL 4 and IL 5.