Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Isolating Lymphocytes from the Mouse Small Intestinal Immune System
11:28

Isolating Lymphocytes from the Mouse Small Intestinal Immune System

Published on: February 28, 2018

Differing lymphokine profiles of functional subsets of human CD4 and CD8 T cell clones

P Salgame1, J S Abrams, C Clayberger

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 11, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Human T cell subsets were identified by their lymphokine production. CD4 and CD8 T cells produce different lymphokines, explaining immune responses and susceptibility to infections like leprosy.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • T cells are crucial immune cells with diverse functions.
  • Lymphokines mediate T cell communication and effector functions.
  • Leprosy provides a model for studying cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate functional subsets of human T cells.
  • To correlate lymphokine production patterns with specific T cell functions.
  • To understand the role of T cell subsets in leprosy and general immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of lymphokine production by T cell clones.
  • Characterization of CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets.
  • In vitro studies of T cell suppression.

Main Results:

  • CD4 T cell clones from individuals with strong cell-mediated immunity produced interferon-gamma.
  • T cell clones enhancing antibody formation produced interleukin-4.
  • CD8 cytotoxic T cells secreted interferon-gamma, while CD8 suppressor clones produced interleukin-4.
  • Interleukin-4 was essential for in vitro suppression by CD8 T suppressor clones.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct T cell subsets are defined by their unique lymphokine secretion profiles.
  • Differential lymphokine production by T cell subsets explains reciprocal immune responses.
  • T cell subset lymphokine patterns may underlie susceptibility or resistance to infections, including leprosy.

More Related Videos

Selecting Multiple Biomarker Subsets with Similarly Effective Binary Classification Performances07:35

Selecting Multiple Biomarker Subsets with Similarly Effective Binary Classification Performances

Published on: October 11, 2018

Discrimination of Seven Immune Cell Subsets by Two-fluorochrome Flow Cytometry10:58

Discrimination of Seven Immune Cell Subsets by Two-fluorochrome Flow Cytometry

Published on: March 5, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...