Progressive changes in CD45RB phenotype and lymphokine production by murine CD4 super(+) T cells after alloantigen exposure

• Published in: Immunology Vol. 75; no. 4; pp. 632 - 638
• Main Authors: Birkeland, M L, Kraus, T, Tardelli, L, Pure, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1992
• ISSN: 0019-2805

Changes in CD45R expression correlate with changes in phenotype in mouse, rat and human T cells. It has been shown in mouse that CD45RB high T cells produce mostly interleukin-2 (IL-2) while CD45RB low T cells produce more IL-4 than IL-2 after mitogen stimulation in vitro. CD45RB expression also decreases when T cells are stimulated. In this study we compared responses of CD45RB high and low CD4 super(+) T cells to alloantigens. Although a majority of unstimulated murine T cells from unimmunized mice are CD45RB high, we were able to isolate and purify sufficient numbers of T cells to study their response to alloantigens. The response of CD45RB low cells from primed mice was specific, as the third party alloresponsive cells were again primarily contained within the CD45RB high population. In the CD45RB high population in the secondary MLR we observed an increase in the production of IL-4 relative to IL-2.