Zhan Y, Kelso A, Cheers C. Differential activation of Brucella-reactive CD4+ T cells by Brucella infection or immunization with antigenic extracts.
Infect Immun 1995;
63:969-75. [PMID:
7868269 PMCID:
PMC173097 DOI:
10.1128/iai.63.3.969-975.1995]
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Abstract
In order to induce acquired cellular resistance to facultative bacterial pathogens, infection with live organisms is required. We have previously demonstrated that spleen cells from Brucella-infected mice produced gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in response to Brucella antigens in vitro, while spleen cells from mice immunized with soluble Brucella proteins (SBP) produced substantial amounts of IL-2 but no detectable amount of IFN-gamma. In this study, we further analyzed the response of T cells from Brucella-infected mice and SBP-immunized mice and demonstrated that CD4(+)-enriched cells from SBP-immunized mice also produced significant amounts of IL-4, which was not detected in bulk cultures of spleen cells from infected mice. Limiting dilution analysis showed that infection resulted in a higher precursor frequency of IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells and a lower precursor frequency of IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells, while immunization with SBP resulted in a higher precursor frequency of IL-4-producing cells and a very low frequency of IFN-gamma-producing cells. The precursor frequencies of IL-2-producing cells for the two groups were similar. Furthermore, IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells from infected donor mice were capable of mediating resistance against challenge infection in recipient mice, but IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells from immunized mice failed to do so. These results indicate that the form of antigen has a profound influence on the outcome of the immune response. The results are discussed in light of the supposed dichotomy between Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses.
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