Premium
Interleukin‐4‐induced loss of CD 8 expression and cytolytic function in effector CD 8 T cells persists long term in vivo
Author(s) -
Olver Stuart,
Apte Simon H.,
Baz Adriana,
Kelso Anne,
Kienzle Norbert
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.12068
Subject(s) - cd8 , biology , cytotoxic t cell , cytolysis , perforin , in vivo , adoptive cell transfer , microbiology and biotechnology , interleukin 2 , effector , interleukin 3 , immunology , interleukin 21 , t cell , cytokine , immune system , in vitro , biochemistry
Summary Activation of naive CD 8 + T cells in the presence of interleukin‐4 modulates their CD 8 co‐receptor expression and functional differentiation, resulting in the generation of CD 8 low cells that produce type 2 cytokines and display poor cytolytic and anti‐tumour activity. Although this CD 8 low phenotype becomes stable after about a week and can persist with further stimulation in vitro , it is not known whether it can be maintained long term in vivo . Here we report that CD 8 low cells derived from oval‐bumin 257–264 ‐specific T‐cell receptor‐transgenic CD 8 + T cells activated in the presence of interleukin‐4 could be detected in the spleen for at least 4 months after adoptive transfer into normal mice. A significant proportion of the long‐term surviving cells retained their CD 8 low phenotype in vivo and after clonal re‐activation in vitro . Although long‐term surviving CD 8 low cells lacked detectable cytolytic activity or perforin expression, they showed some anti‐tumour function in vivo . The persistence of functional cells with a CD 8 low phenotype in vivo raises the possibility that such cells can contribute to effector or regulatory responses to tumours or pathogens.