Cytokine-induced differentiation of precursor mouse CD8+ T cells into cytotoxic CD8+ T cells secreting Th1 or Th2 cytokines

AbstractAlloantigen-stimulated CD8+ mouse spleen cells, either spontaneously or in the presence of IL-12 or IFNγ plus anti-IL-4, differentiate into CD8+ T cells secreting a Th1-like cytokine pattern (IL-2 and IFNγ). IL-4 induced differentiation into CD8+ T cells secreting Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10), whereas anti-IFNγ suppressed the development of CD8+ cells secreting IFNγ. Clones of IL-4- or IFNγ-producing CD8+ T cells were relatively stable, as IL-4 or IFNγ did not cause interconversion of committed CD8+ T cells. Both CD8+ subsets were cytotoxic, failed to provide cognate help for B cell antibody production, and remained CD4−, CD8α+CD8β+. We propose the names TC1 and TC2 for cytotoxic CD8+ T cells secreting Th1-like and Th2-like cytokines, respectively