Helper T-cell responses elicited by Der p 1-pulsed dendritic cells and recombinant IL-12 in atopic and healthy subjects

Background: Environmental allergens, such as Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 1 antigen (Der p 1), induce T(H2)-type responses in atopic patients, whereas healthy individuals have T(H1)-type responses to the same antigens. Because of their efficient synthesis of IL-12, dendritic cells (DCs) are potent inducers of T(H1)-type immune responses.

Objective: We sought to determine whether DCs would skew allergen-specific T(H2)-type responses from atopic individuals.

Methods: Purified CD4(+) T cells from healthy donors or atopic individuals were cultured in the absence or presence of recombinant (r)IL-12 with DCs derived from PBMCs and pulsed with Der p 1. Supernatants of DC-T cell cocultures were assayed by ELISA for IL-5 and IFN-gamma.

Results: A T(H1)-type response developed in purified CD4(+) T cells from healthy donors in response to Der p 1-pulsed DCs, as indicated by high levels of IFN-gamma in culture supernatants. In contrast, CD4(+) T cells from atopic donors displayed a T(H2)-type profile characterized by high levels of IL-5 and low levels of IFN-gamma. The addition of rIL-12 (10 ng/mL) to DC-T cell cocultures resulted in the induction of IFN-gamma secretion by Der p 1-specific CD4(+) T cells from atopic patients, whereas their production of IL-5 was not inhibited. Using flow cytometry after intracytoplasmic staining, we found that IFN-gamma and IL-5 were secreted by distinct CD4(+) T-cell subpopulations.

Conclusion: The cytokine profile of Der p 1-specific T(H2)-like cells from atopic individuals is maintained when the allergen is presented by DCs, even in the presence of exogenous rIL-12.