INVOLVEMENT OF IL-4-PRODUCING V-BETA-8.2(-)CD45RB(-) T-CELLS IN NON-MHC GENE-CONTROLLED PREDISPOSITION TOWARD SKEWING INTO T-HELPER TYPE-2 IMMUNITY IN BALB()CD4(+)CD62L()C MICE/

If was found that freshly isolated BALB/c CD4(+) T cells produced high levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in response to immobilized anti-CD3 mAb, whi le C57BL/6 CD4(+) T cells produced low amounts of IL-4 and IL-10. The high IL-4-producing ability of BALB/c mice was demonstrated to be gene tically dominant and if was controlled by non-MHC gene (or genes). The cells responsible for IL-4 production in BALB/c mice were defined as TCRV beta 8.2(+)CD4(+)CD62L(-)CD45RB(-) memory-type T cells, which wer e distinct fro NK1.1(+)CD4(+)NKT cells, Although these memory-type T c ells were also detected in C57BL/6 mouse spleen at the same frequency, they showed a functionally different property from BALB/c CD4(+)CD62L (-)CD45RB(-) T cells in terms of IL-4 production, The fact that germfr ee BALB/c mouse spleen cells also produced high levels of IL-4 suggest ed that the IL-4 producer in BALB/c mice might be developed hinder the influence of unknown factors other than environmental Ags. The CD4(+) CD62L(-)CD45RB(-) T cells obtained from BALB/c mice accelerated the de velopment of IL-4-producing memory-type CD4(+) T cells from CD4(+)CD62 L(+)CD45RB(+) naive T cells prepared from OVA-specific TCR-transgenic mice. Therefore, IL-4-producing CD4(+)CD62L(-)CD45RB(-) T cells might play an important role in the preferential induction of Th2-dominant i mmunity in BALB/c mouse strain.