Open AccessThe CD7 − T cell subset represents the majority of IL‐5‐secreting cells within CD4 + CD45RA − T cells
Author(s) -
REINHOLD U.,
LIU L.,
SESTERHENN J.,
SCHNAUTZ S.,
ABKEN H.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-873.x
Subject(s) - ionomycin , biology , immunology , interleukin 21 , cytotoxic t cell , secretion , cd28 , cytokine , population , t cell , interleukin 5 , stimulation , in vitro , interleukin , endocrinology , immune system , medicine , biochemistry , environmental health
Absence of CD7 is a stable phenotype in a subset of normal human T cells. Most circulating CD7 − T cells express the CD4 + CD45RO + CD45RA − memory phenotype. We analysed CD4 + CD45RA − peripheral blood lymphocytes that were separated into CD7 + and CD7 − for their in vitro cytokine secretion in response to different stimuli. The CD4 + CD7 − subpopulation was found to secrete significantly higher levels of IL‐5 compared with the CD4 + CD7 + subset upon stimulation with ionomycin/phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) plus anti‐CD28 MoAbs. In contrast to IL‐5 secretion, IL‐4 and interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) secretion was not significantly different in CD7 + and CD7 − T cells upon stimulation in vitro . The data indicate that the CD4 + CD7 − T cell represents the majority of IL‐5‐secreting cells within the population of CD4 + CD45RA − memory T cells. Since CD4 + CD7 − T cells were found to be enriched in various skin lesions associated with eosinophilic infiltration, the results of our study support the hypothesis that skin‐infiltrating CD7 − T cells are one of the major sources of IL‐5 responsible for the development of eosinophilic inflammation in certain skin diseases.