Interleukin-4 and interferon-¿ production by Leishmania stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from nonexposed individuals

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interleukin-4 and interferon-¿ production by Leishmania stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from nonexposed individuals

AU - Kurtzhals, J A

AU - Kemp, M

AU - Poulsen, L K

AU - Hansen, M B

AU - Kharazmi, A

AU - Theander, T G

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Antigens, CD2; Antigens, Protozoan; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Cells, Cultured; Culture Media; Humans; Interferon Type II; Interleukin-4; Leishmania donovani; Leishmania major; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocyte Activation

PY - 1995

Y1 - 1995

N2 - Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production by Leishmania reactive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from non-exposed individuals was investigated. IFN-gamma was measured in culture supernatants after antigen stimulation. For the measurement of IL-4, antigen stimulated cells were pulsed with PMA and ionomycin before IL-4 release was measured. L. donovani and L. major antigens induced IL-4 production (105-1748 pg/ml) in 13 and seven cultures, and IFN-gamma production (1.7 - > 66 IU/ml) in 14 and 11 of 20 cultures, respectively. IL-4 production rose steeply after 6 days of antigen stimulation suggesting a response due to antigen recognition. Both IL-4 and IFN-gamma production was abrogated by depletion of CD2+ or CD4+ but not CD8+ cells. CD2+ or CD4+ but not CD8+ enriched cultures produced cytokines as unseparated PBMC. Thus, in non-exposed individuals circulating Leishmania reactive CD4+ T cells could be demonstrated. The cells from different individuals showed different patterns of IFN-gamma and/or IL-4 production upon antigenic stimulation. In experimental leishmaniasis the early balance between IFN-gamma and IL-4 is important for the clinical outcome. Our findings call for studies of the importance of cytokine production by cross-reactive T cells for the outcome of L. donovani infections in humans and show that the method for IL-4 detection is useful for this purpose.

AB - Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production by Leishmania reactive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from non-exposed individuals was investigated. IFN-gamma was measured in culture supernatants after antigen stimulation. For the measurement of IL-4, antigen stimulated cells were pulsed with PMA and ionomycin before IL-4 release was measured. L. donovani and L. major antigens induced IL-4 production (105-1748 pg/ml) in 13 and seven cultures, and IFN-gamma production (1.7 - > 66 IU/ml) in 14 and 11 of 20 cultures, respectively. IL-4 production rose steeply after 6 days of antigen stimulation suggesting a response due to antigen recognition. Both IL-4 and IFN-gamma production was abrogated by depletion of CD2+ or CD4+ but not CD8+ cells. CD2+ or CD4+ but not CD8+ enriched cultures produced cytokines as unseparated PBMC. Thus, in non-exposed individuals circulating Leishmania reactive CD4+ T cells could be demonstrated. The cells from different individuals showed different patterns of IFN-gamma and/or IL-4 production upon antigenic stimulation. In experimental leishmaniasis the early balance between IFN-gamma and IL-4 is important for the clinical outcome. Our findings call for studies of the importance of cytokine production by cross-reactive T cells for the outcome of L. donovani infections in humans and show that the method for IL-4 detection is useful for this purpose.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 7899822

SN - 0300-9475

VL - 41

SP - 343

EP - 349

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Immunology

IS - 4

ER -