Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., Vol 14, No. 1, Jan 1996, 36-43.
Production of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma by TCR-V beta- expressing T-cell subsets in allergen-sensitized mice
H Renz, K Bradley and EW Gelfand
Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Sensitization of BALB/c mice to ovalbumin (OVA) through the airways
stimulated allergen-specific immediate hypersensitivity responses and these
effects were related to the expansion of V beta 8.1/8.2+ T cells. In
contrast, splenic V beta 2+ T cells from sensitized animals inhibited V
beta 8.1/8.2+ T-cell induction of anti-OVA IgE production in vivo. To
examine whether such differences in T-cell function were associated with
differences in cytokine production, CD4+ T cells and CD4+ T cells depleted
of V beta 8.1/8.2+ T cells were analyzed for interleukin-4 (IL-4) and
interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production. In nonsensitized animals, no
differences in IL-4 and IFN-gamma production were found in mRNA levels as
well as in protein levels in these two populations of cells. In contrast,
CD4+ T cells from sensitized mice showed higher IL-4 and lower IFN-gamma
production than CD4+ cells depleted of V beta 8+ lymphocytes. Similar
results were obtained after stimulation of CD4+ T cells from OVA-sensitized
animals with anti-V beta 2 and anti-V beta 8.1/8.2 antibodies. Stimulation
of V beta 8.1/8.2+ T cells from sensitized mice with OVA or OVA peptide
323-339 also resulted in increased production of IL-4. These data indicate
that allergen sensitization via the airways stimulates the selective
expansion of certain V beta-expressing T cells and that these T-cell
subsets exhibit different functional activities in terms of cytokine
production.
