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Phenotypic changes in a CD4+ lymphocyte subset correlate with a conversion from suppressor to helper inducer function
A M Nesbitt1, D B Jones, K Moore
1University Department of Pathology, Southampton General Hospital, U.K.
The monoclonal antibodies WR16 (CD45RA) and WR19 were used to isolate two reciprocal subsets of CD4 lymphocytes by negative selection. The CD4+/WR16-/WR19+ subset exhibited helper-inducer activity in a pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven Ig secretion assay, whereas the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset showed suppressor activity. When the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset was cultured in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or purified protein derivative (PPD) there was increased expression of the antigen binding WR19 but the cells remained WR16 negative. Cultures of CD4+/WR16+/WR19- lymphocytes with PHA or PPD induced a phenotypic change that resulted in a population which was CD4+/WR16-/WR19+. Investigation of the functional activity of the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset, before and after activation and phenotypic change to WR16-/WR19+, indicated that the change in phenotype correlated with a functional conversion from suppressor to helper-inducer activity. These results suggest that the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- suppressor subset comprises cells that differentiate to WR16-/WR19+ helper-inducer cells after exposure to antigen or mitogen.
The monoclonal antibodies WR16 (CD45RA) and WR19 were used to isolate two reciprocal subsets of CD4 lymphocytes by negative selection. The CD4+/WR16-/WR19+ subset exhibited helper-inducer activity in a pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-driven Ig secretion assay, whereas the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset showed suppressor activity. When the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset was cultured in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or purified protein derivative (PPD) there was increased expression of the antigen binding WR19 but the cells remained WR16 negative. Cultures of CD4+/WR16+/WR19- lymphocytes with PHA or PPD induced a phenotypic change that resulted in a population which was CD4+/WR16-/WR19+. Investigation of the functional activity of the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- subset, before and after activation and phenotypic change to WR16-/WR19+, indicated that the change in phenotype correlated with a functional conversion from suppressor to helper-inducer activity. These results suggest that the CD4+/WR16+/WR19- suppressor subset comprises cells that differentiate to WR16-/WR19+ helper-inducer cells after exposure to antigen or mitogen.