Comparative accessory cell function of human peripheral blood dendritic cells and monocytes

The capacity of human peripheral blood (PB) dendritic cells (DC) and monocytes to facilitate T cell activation and the interaction molecules employed were compared. We have shown that precursors of DC constitute 2 to 3% of circulating PBMC, and can be isolated as CD33+CD14dim cells, whereas monocytes are CD33+CD14bright. Freshly obtained DC expressed similar densities of HLA-DR and the accessory molecules LFA-3, ICAM-1, and B7 as monocytes; after a 36-h incubation the expression of HLA-DR, ICAM-1, and B7 increased on both APC. Accessory cell function was examined in PB T cell cultures stimulated by suboptimal concentrations of immobilized mAb to CD3, and by stimulation of an allospecific T cell line. Freshly isolated monocytes and DC were comparable accessory cells in these assays, but their accessory function was increased by in vitro preincubation, although cultured DC and monocytes were comparably active. In contrast, DC were much more effective stimulators of freshly isolated allogeneic T cells than monocytes. DC were much more effective stimulators of freshly isolated allogeneic PB CD4+ naive and memory T cells than monocytes, whereas DC and monocytes were comparable accessory cells for memory and naive T cells stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3. The accessory molecules ICAM-1, LFA-3, and B7 were used comparably by DC and monocytes for accessory function in the presence of immobilized anti-CD3 and in the MLR, and none was unique for either APC population. These accessory molecules costimulated T cells in an additive fashion. Although immature blood DC and monocytes expressed minimal B7 and did not utilize it as an accessory molecule, B7 played an important role in the increased accessory function of differentiated APC. The results indicate that PB DC and monocytes function most efficiently after differentiation into mature cells that express increased amounts of MHC and other accessory molecules. Because DC and monocytes exhibit comparable accessory function in anti-CD3 T cell stimulation, differences in the expression of MHC molecules and/or their bound peptides are likely to explain the markedly enhanced capacity of DC to stimulate allogeneic PB T cells.