A minority of proliferating human CD4⁺ T cells in antigen-driven proliferation assays are antigen specific.

ABSTRACT: Antigen-driven T-cell proliferation is often measured using fluorescent dye dilution assays, such as the CFSE-based proliferation assay. Dye dilution assays have been powerful tools to detect human CD4⁺ T-cell responses, particularly against autoantigens. However, it is not known how many cells within the proliferating population are specific for the stimulating antigen. Here we determined the frequency of CD4⁺ T cells specific for the stimulating antigen within the antigen-responsive population of CFSE-based proliferation assays. We compared CD4⁺ T-cell responses to a type 1 diabetes autoantigen (proinsulin C-peptide) and to a vaccine antigen (tetanus toxoid). The TCRs expressed by antigen-responsive CD4⁺ T cells were sequenced, and their antige

SUBMITTER: Bhattacharjee P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11550966 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature