Expression of Fc epsilon receptors on activated human T lymphocytes

• Published in: European journal of immunology Vol. 17; no. 6; p. 757
• Main Authors: Prinz, J C, Endres, N, Rank, G, Ring, J, Rieber, E P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 1987
• Subjects: Allergens - immunology; Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Antibody Specificity; Bee Venoms - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Hypersensitivity - blood; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes - immunology; Lymphocytes - ultrastructure; Phospholipases A - immunology; Phospholipases A2; Receptors, Fc - immunology; Receptors, Fc - physiology; Receptors, IgE; Rosette Formation; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - ultrastructure; Tetanus Toxoid - immunology; Tuberculin - immunology
• ISSN: 0014-2980; 1521-4141
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.1830170604

Our results clearly demonstrate that the low-affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon R) is an activation antigen transiently expressed on a subpopulation of human T lymphocytes. It can be selectively induced by stimulation with certain antigens or lectins, but it is not found on resting T cells. The increased numbers of activated Fc epsilon R+ T cells observed after stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from bee venom allergic patients with the specific allergen phospholipase A2 (PLA2) suggest that Fc epsilon R+ T cells might very well be involved in the regulation of the human IgE response against the respective antigen. These results were obtained by the use of two monoclonal antibodies, M-L25 and M-L47, which were raised against the human low-affinity Fc epsilon R in our laboratory. After stimulation of PBMC with phytohemagglutinin a peak of 7.6 +/- 6% Fc epsilon R+ T cells was observed on day 3, with pokeweed mitogen of 0.8 +/- 0.8% on days 2 and 3, and with concanavalin A of 0.6 +/- 0.7% Fc epsilon R+ T cells on day 2. Stimulation of PBMC with tetanus toxoid (TT) induced Fc epsilon R on maximally 0.6 +/- 0.8% of the total T cells (day 4), stimulation with purified protein derivative from tuberculin (PPD) on 0.2 +/- 0.6% of the T cells (day 2). In contrast to these antigens, stimulation of PBMC from bee venom allergic patients with PLA2 induced as a peak 2.5 +/- 2.5% of the total T cells to express Fc epsilon R (day 5), although the stimulated T cell population was much smaller than with TT or PPD, as was shown by their stimulation indices. The allergen-stimulated Fc epsilon R+ T cells were exclusively T4+. The Fc epsilon R-expression index was determined, which for a specific antigen or lectin correlates the percentage of Fc epsilon R+ T cells to the stimulated T cell population, respectively.