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A unique pattern of lymphokine synthesis is a characteristic of certain antigen-specific suppressor T cell clones
N K Nanda1, E E Sercarz, D H Hsu
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA 90024.
We report that the lymphokines (IFN-gamma) and IL-10 are co-synthesized by previously described CD3+ TCR alpha beta+, minor antigen-specific suppressor T cell clones. IFN-gamma and IL-10 are known to (i) be characteristically produced by different helper T cell types, Th1 and Th2 respectively, and (ii) inhibit the function of the reciprocal subset of T cells: IFN-gamma inhibits the function of Th2 and IL-10 that of Th1 cells. Although Th0 cells are also known to synthesize cytokines of both the Th1- and Th2-type T cells, the suppressor T cells described in this report are different from Th0 cells in that they produce (i) neither IL-2 nor IL-4 molecules and (ii) stimulation via their CD3-TCR system seems independent of both IL-2 and IL-4, the typical autocrine molecules for T cell proliferation. The lymphokine profile of these suppressor T (Ts) cell clones, as well as those of human antigen-specific Ts cells reported earlier, suggests that co-synthesis of some Th1-like and some Th2-like cytokines may be a characteristic of antigen-specific Ts cells as opposed to the type of reciprocal inhibition mediated through IFN-gamma or IL-10, which is antigen non-specific.
We report that the lymphokines (IFN-gamma) and IL-10 are co-synthesized by previously described CD3+ TCR alpha beta+, minor antigen-specific suppressor T cell clones. IFN-gamma and IL-10 are known to (i) be characteristically produced by different helper T cell types, Th1 and Th2 respectively, and (ii) inhibit the function of the reciprocal subset of T cells: IFN-gamma inhibits the function of Th2 and IL-10 that of Th1 cells. Although Th0 cells are also known to synthesize cytokines of both the Th1- and Th2-type T cells, the suppressor T cells described in this report are different from Th0 cells in that they produce (i) neither IL-2 nor IL-4 molecules and (ii) stimulation via their CD3-TCR system seems independent of both IL-2 and IL-4, the typical autocrine molecules for T cell proliferation. The lymphokine profile of these suppressor T (Ts) cell clones, as well as those of human antigen-specific Ts cells reported earlier, suggests that co-synthesis of some Th1-like and some Th2-like cytokines may be a characteristic of antigen-specific Ts cells as opposed to the type of reciprocal inhibition mediated through IFN-gamma or IL-10, which is antigen non-specific.