THE EFFECTS OF MITOGENS, IL-2 AND ANTI-CD3 ANTIBODY ON THE T-CELL RECEPTOR V-BETA REPERTOIRE

Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Concanavalin A (Con A), interleukin-2 (IL-2 ), and monoclonal antibodies to CD3 (CD3MoAbs) are used for the assess ment of the T-cell receptor (TCR) BV gene family expression in autoimm une disorders and multiple sclerosis, and to produce clones for assess ment of cytokine profiles in progressive human immunodeficiency virus infection. The authors examined the effects of these stimulants on the TCR V beta repertoire of resting and blastic CD4(+) and CD8(+) normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes, using three-colour cytofluorometr y and a panel of anti-TCR V beta monoclonal antibodies. IL-2 was assoc iated with an increased percentage of blastic CD4(+) cells expressing V(beta)5.1 (from median of 3.7% to 8.0%, P = 0.0002) and blastic CD8() cells expressing V(beta)5.3 (1.0 to 1.5%, P = 0.0039). CD3MoAb cause d a slight increase in V(beta)6.7 + blastic CD4(+) cells (4.5 to 6.9%, P = 0.0078). PHA did not alter the V beta repertoire of blastic cells . Con A caused skewing in CD8(+) blastic cells, toward expression of V (beta)5.2/5.3 (3.1 to 8.1%) and V(beta)5.3 (0.8 to 4.8%) (P = 0.0020). Thus, IL-2 stimulation causes slight alterations in the V beta repert oire that should be taken into account in certain research settings. C on A produced skewing in CD8(+) blastic cells suggesting that, in the presence of CD8, either Con A binds selectively to certain V beta or t he three-dimensional complex created by Con A's binding to other T-cel l surface molecules induces preferential V(beta)5 stimulation.