DIFFERENTIAL PRODUCTION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA AND INTERLEUKIN-4 IN RESPONSE TO TH1-STIMULATING AND TH2-STIMULATING PATHOGENS BY GAMMA-DELTA T-CELLS IN-VIVO
Da. Ferrick et al., DIFFERENTIAL PRODUCTION OF INTERFERON-GAMMA AND INTERLEUKIN-4 IN RESPONSE TO TH1-STIMULATING AND TH2-STIMULATING PATHOGENS BY GAMMA-DELTA T-CELLS IN-VIVO, Nature, 373(6511), 1995, pp. 255-257
EXPOSURE to various pathogens can stimulate at least two patterns of c
ytokine production by CD4-positive T cells(1-4) Responses that result
in secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), lymphotoxin and interleu
kin-2 (IL-2) are classified as T-helper-1 (Th1)(5,6); CD4(+) T-cell pr
oduction of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10 and IL-13 is called a T-helper-2 r
esponse (Th2)(5,6). Differentiation of CD4(+) T cells into either Th1
or Th2 cells is influenced by the cytokine milieu in which the initial
antigen priming occurs(7-9). Here we use flow cytometry to identify t
he presence of intracellular cytokines (cytoflow) and analyse T-cell p
roduction of IFN-gamma and IL-4 from mice infected with Listeria monoc
ytogenes or Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. We show that T cells bearing
ya receptors discriminate early in infection between these two pathog
ens by producing cytokines associated with the appropriate T-helper re
sponse. Our results demonstrate that gamma delta T cells are involved
in establishing primary immune responses.