IL-12 and IL-18 induce interferon-γ production and de novo CD2 expression in porcine γδ T cells

Dev Comp Immunol. 2014 Nov;47(1):115-22. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2014.07.007. Epub 2014 Jul 15.

Abstract

γδ T cells are highly abundant in the blood and spleen of pigs but little is known about their functional differentiation. In this study the potential of the type-1 polarizing cytokines IL-12 and IL-18 in combination with IL-2 and Concanavalin A (ConA) to stimulate porcine γδ T cells was investigated. Stimulation of purified γδ T cells with ConA and IL-2 induced a strong proliferation of CD2(-) γδ T cells, whereas additional stimulation with IL-12 and IL-18 caused a stronger proliferation of CD2(+) γδ T cells. IFN-γ could only be detected in supernatants of γδ T-cell cultures supplemented with IL-12 and IL-18. Experiments with sorted CD2/SWC5-defined γδ T-cell subsets revealed that CD2(+)SWC5(-) γδ T cells are the main producers of IFN-γ following stimulation with IL-2/IL-12/IL-18. Additional stimulation with ConA led to an upregulation of CD2 within the CD2(-) γδ T cell subsets, indicating a previously unnoticed plasticity of CD2-defined γδ T cell subsets.

Keywords: CD2; IFN-γ; IL-12; IL-18; Swine; γδ T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD2 Antigens / genetics*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Interferon-gamma / genetics*
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-18 / metabolism*
  • Sus scrofa / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*

Substances

  • CD2 Antigens
  • Interleukin-18
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interferon-gamma