Phenotypic analysis of peripheral CD4+ CD8+ T cells in the rat

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Phenotypic analysis of peripheral CD4+ CD8+ T cells in the rat
Creators Name:	Kenny, E., Mason, D., Pombo, A. and Ramírez, F.
Abstract:	Among peripheral T cells, the expression of CD4 and CD8 is almost mutually exclusive. However, here we show, using flow cytometric analysis, that ex vivo approximately 6% of rat T cells stained for both CD4 and CD8. These double positive cells were also detected by confocal microscopy. Only around 50% of double positive cells expressed the CD8beta chain, the remaining cells expressed the CD8alpha chain alone. Double positive cells were blast-like with a phenotype, distinct from that of either CD4 or CD8 single positive cells, suggestive of an activated state. Previous reports of double positive T cells have also suggested that coexpression of CD4 and CD8 is linked to the activation state of the cell. There was an indication that priming animals with a hapten-carrier complex increased the ratio of CD8alphaalpha : alphabeta expressing double positive T cells, although we did not detect an increase in the frequency of double positive T cells following priming. We also show that the frequency of double positive cells was reduced following thymectomy and with age. In conclusion, these studies show that peripheral T cells expressing both CD4 and CD8 can be detected in the rat and that they are phenotypically distinct from CD4 and CD8 single positive T cells.
Keywords:	CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Immunophenotyping, Lymphocyte Activation, Confocal Microscopy, alpha-beta T-Cell Antigen Receptors, T-Lymphocyte Subsets, Thymus Gland / Immunology, Animals, Rats
Source:	Immunology
ISSN:	0019-2805
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing
Volume:	101
Number:	2
Page Range:	178-84
Date:	October 2000
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2567.2000.00071.x
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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