Higher proliferative capacity of T lymphocytes from patients with Crohn disease than from ulcerative colitis is disclosed by use of Herpesvirus saimiri-transformed T-cell lines

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 2004-12, Vol.39 (12), p.1236-1242
• Main Authors: Aguilera-Montilla, N., Pérez-Blas, M., Valeri, A. P., López-Santalla, M., Rodríguez-Juan, C., Mencía, Á., Castellano, G., Manzano, M. L., Casis, B., Sánchez, F., Martín-Villa, J. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; Cell Transformation, Viral; Colitis, Ulcerative - metabolism; Colitis, Ulcerative - physiopathology; Crohn disease; Crohn Disease - metabolism; Crohn Disease - physiopathology; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Herpesvirus 2, Saimiriine; Herpesvirus saimiri; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; proliferation; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0036-5521; 1502-7708
• DOI: 10.1080/00365520410008015

Background: T lymphocytes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Achieving stable T-cell lines, rather than continuous bleeding of patients, is desirable in order to dissect their implication in the disease. Methods: Long-lasting T-cell lines from patients with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis and from healthy volunteers have been obtained by transformation of T lymphocytes using the lymphotropic Herpesvirus saimiri. Lines were subjected to phenotypic and functional analyses, and the results compared with freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results: Fresh cells revealed only minor differences between patients and controls, with regard to phenotype and proliferative capacity. In contrast, the use of T-cell lines showed that cells from Crohn disease patients, but not ulcerative colitis patients, over-responded to several membrane or cytoplasmic stimuli when compared to control T-cell lines. Thus, higher responses were found when stimulated with αCD3 and IL2, αCD3 and αCD28, IL2 alone, phorbol esters (PMA) and αCD3 and, finally, PMA and αCD2 (P < 0.05 in all instances). Further, lines from patients with Crohn disease responded more vigorously to αCD3 and αCD28 or αCD3 and PMA when compared to ulcerative colitis (P < 0.05 in both instances). Conclusions: The data obtained with these lines suggest that T cells from patients with Crohn disease differ in vivo in their proliferative capacity, as compared with those from ulcerative colitis patients, a finding that may reflect the clear Th-1 phenotype found in the former and absent in the latter.