Comparison of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and isolated T cells after activation with polyclonal t cell activators

✍ Scribed by Salvador Gonzalez; Lucinda Beck; Nevin Wilson; Dr. Hans L. Spiegelberg

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 631 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-8013
• DOI: 10.1002/jcla.1860080506

✦ Synopsis

Controversial data have been reported regarding the ability of peripheral blood T cells to secrete interferon-y (IFN-y) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) from atopic patients as compared to nonatopic healthy controls. In most of these studies, T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cell preparations (PBMC) were stimulated with polyclonal T cell activators. Some of these activators are able to activate cells other thanT cells in the PBMC preparations which may influence the lymphokine levels in supernatants of PBMC. To evaluate this, we compared the IFN-y and IL-4 levels in PBMC and isolatedTcell preparations after activation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), Concanavalin A (ConA), anti-CD3 plus phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), or ionomycin plus PMA. The IFN-y and IL-4 levels in the supernatants were calculated based on the percent T cells in the preparations. Whereas all activators induced significant IFN-y secretion, only ionomycin plus PMA stimulation induced large IL-4 secretion. In virtually all cases, the IFN-y levels calculated on a per T cell basis differed for PBMC versus isolated T cells. Whereas in some donors the IFN-ylevels were higher in PBMC preparations than inT cells, in others it was the opposite. Similarly, in about one half of both normal and atopic donors tested, the IL-4 levels of activated PBMC were 2-to 7-fold lower than levels in isolated T cells. The data suggest that non-T cells have a significant effect on the IFN-y and IL-4 levels in supernatants of polyclonally activated PBMC. This indicates that isolated T cells rather than PBMC should be analyzed for determining possible differences in the ability ofTcellsfrom patients or normals to secrete lymphokines. o 1994 ~i ~e y -~i s s , Inc.