The CD7− T cell subset represents the majority of IL-5-secreting cells within CD4+CD45RA− T cells |
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Authors: | U REINHOLD L LIU J SESTERHENN S SCHNAUTZ and H ABKEN |
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Institution: | Department of Dermatology, University of Bonn, Bonn;*Department of Internal Medicine, Laboratory for Tumourgenetics and Cell Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | CD7 T lymphocytes skin-infiltrating T cells |
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