Gr. Foster et al., Human T cells elicit IFN-alpha secretion from dendritic cells following cell to cell interactions, EUR J IMMUN, 30(11), 2000, pp. 3228-3235
Major insights into events that control Th1/Th2 differentiation have been a
cquired recently, and highlight the role of Type I IFN in Th1 generation, b
y inducing up-regulation of the IL-12 receptor beta (2) subunit. IFN-alpha
induces responsiveness to IL-12, and here we have investigated the source a
nd the circumstances under which IFN-alpha is produced, in the absence of v
iral infections. Human dendritic cells (DC) were co-cultured with autologou
s T cells activated by cross-linking the CD3 complex. DC were also cultured
with L cells expressing human CD40 ligand (CD40L). Our results show that l
arge amounts (>200 IU IFN-alpha from 2.5x10(4) cells) of IFN-alpha are prod
uced by DC following interaction with stimulated T cells. Similar effects w
ere observed when DC were cultured with CD40L-expressing transfectants, alt
hough the amount of IFN-alpha produced was reduced, suggesting that the CD4
0-CD40L interaction may be important. These results show that stimulated T
cells can solicit the signals from DC that allow their polarization towards
a Th1 phenotype. Type I DC produce Type I IFN not only following viral inf
ection but also during an immunological interaction and this may be the bas
ic mechanism that assists in the development of a Th1 response.