Immunoregulatory properties of T‐cell lines derived from the systemic and intrathecal compartments: A phenotypic and functional study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To determine whether immune regulation can differ within the intrathecal and systemic compartments, we compared phenotypic markers and functional properties of in vitro anti‐CD3 monoclonal antibody‐stimulated, interleukin 2‐expanded lymphoid cell lines simultaneously derived from peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of individual donors (n = 9). We found that the proportions of total CD8+ T cells and of the putative CD8+ suppressor effector subset (CD28−) were lower in the cell lines derived from cerebrospinal fluid compared with cultures derived from peripheral blood (p p0.025 and p p0.005, respectively; paired t test), whereas the total CD4+ T‐cell proportion was higher (p p 0.025). For a donor subgroup with normal peripheral blood cell‐mediated activated suppressor function (63 ± 2), mean suppressor cell function mediated by unfractionated or CD8+ ‐enriched cells derived from cerebrospinal fluid was significantly lower (38 ± 7%; p 0.01, paired t test). For a donor subgroup with low peripheral blood cell‐mediated suppression (‐1 ± 10%), suppression mediated by cerebrospinal fluid cells was also low (9 ± 12%). Our results support the postulate that the immune response may be differentially regulated between the central nervous system and peripheral blood compartments.