CD8+ T cells express a T-helper 1–like phenotype after burn injury

• Published in: Surgery 2001-08, Vol.130 (2), p.210-216
• Main Authors: Cairns, Bruce A., Maile, Rob, Buchanan, Ian, Pilati, David, deSerres, Suzan, Collins, Edward J., Frelinger, Jeffrey A., Meyer, Anthony A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Burns - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - cytology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Dermatology; Female; Flow Cytometry; Immunophenotyping; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - genetics; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - immunology; Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - immunology; Th1 Cells - cytology; Th1 Cells - immunology
• ISSN: 0039-6060; 1532-7361
• DOI: 10.1067/msy.2001.115835

Background. Previous studies suggest that CD8+ T cells are immunosuppressive after burn injury, but recent reports indicate that CD8+ T cells have several functions similar to CD4+ T cells, including the secretion of cytokines. This study uses HY male antigen in transgenic HY female mice to determine the antigen-specific response of activated CD8+ T cells after burn injury. Methods. HY TCR transgenic female mice underwent burn or sham injury. Seventy-two hours after the burn, splenocytes were stimulated with 20 μmol/L HY peptide for 16, 48, and 64 hours; cellular proliferation, intracellular interferon-γ and interleukin-2, and apoptosis were measured. Results. Burn injury significantly impaired proliferation to HY antigen (P ≤.05). Activated CD8+ T cells from burned mice showed increased intracellular interferon-γ and interleukin-2 16 hours after stimulation compared with sham (P ≤.05) and at no time was less than control mice. The percent of CD8+ T cells decreased with the time of stimulation but was not due to apoptosis by Annexin V staining. Conclusions. Activated CD8+ T cells express a TH1-like phenotype after burn injury. This provides evidence that CD8+ T cells are not simply suppressive and that is consistent with data that CD4+ T cells are primed for a TH1 response after burn injury. (Surgery 2001;130:210-6.)