Direct access to CD4+ T cells specific for defined antigens according to CD154 expression.

Frentsch M, Arbach O, Kirchhoff D, Moewes B, Worm M, Rothe M, Scheffold A, Thiel A.
Nat Med. 2005 Oct;11(10):1118-24. Epub 2005 Sep 25.

The direct assessment of T helper (T(H))-cell responses specific for antigens is essential to evaluate pathogenic and protective immunity. Presently, analysis and isolation of antigen-specific T(H) cells is restricted to cells that produce cytokines, or can be performed only with a rare selection of specific peptide major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) multimers. Here we report a new method that enables the assessment and isolation of T(H) cells specific for a defined antigen according to CD154 expression induced after stimulation in vitro. We show that antigen-induced CD154 expression is highly sensitive and specific for human and mouse antigen-specific T(H) cells. Moreover, the isolation of antigen-specific CD154(+) T(H) cells necessitates only surface staining with antibodies, thereby enabling the fast generation of antigen-specific T(H) cell lines. Our approach allows assessment of T(H) cells with a defined specificity for the combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of T(H)-cell immunity as well as for the isolation of specific T(H) cells for targeted cellular immunotherapies.

URL: http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v11/n10/abs/nm1292.html

Pub Med: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16186818

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