In this study the expression of MHC class II molecules on T cells from various immunological compartments of the sheep was examined. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were characterized which react specifically with the homologues of human DRα and DQα molecules. The expression of these antigens was established on B cells and T cell subsets derived from peripheral blood, efferent lymph and afferent lymph. B cells from each of the lymphocyte sources expressed both DRα and DQα antigens. Variable expression on T cells was found. Each of the T cell subsets expressed both DR and DQ molecules at much higher levels in afferent lymph. DR expression on peripheral blood lymphocytes and efferent lymphocytes was higher than DQ on each of the T cell subsets. Afferent lymphocytes represent memory type cells and class II DR expression on these T cells may mark activation status. Expression of the class II subtypes was also examined on <I>in vivo</I> activated T cells and correlated with expression of activation markers. Increased expression of class II molecules was coincident with the increased expression of activation markers in each of the T cell subsets with the exception of γδ cells. The lack of correlation on γδ T cells may be a reflection on the type of antigen used. Levels of DQ expression on CD4 positive cells after activation showed a more dramatic increase than levels of DR expression. Cytokine profiles of concanavalin A (Con A) activated T cells (DR positive) were examined and compared with that of DR negative T cells. The data reveal that IL-6 mRNA production correlated with DR expression. IL-6 was induced after activation of the total T cell population and was not induced in the DR negative T cells. No detectable differences in IL-4, Il-10 and γIFN mRNA profiles were observed between the total T cell population and the DR negative T cells.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:653243 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Keating, Paula |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/30336 |
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