Abstract
The role of CD8+ T cells in the regulation of IgE was investigated by in vivo CD8+ T-cell depletion. Following intraperitoneal immunization with ovalbumin (OVA), OVA-specifíc T cell responses were first detected in the draining lymph nodes (LN) and subsequently in the spleen. In vitro depletion of LN CD8+ cells reduced the OVA-specific LN CD4+ T cell response; while depletion of splenic CD8+ cells enhanced the OVA-specifíc splenic CD4+ T cell response, suggesting an early helper and later suppressor function. CD8+ cell depletion in vivo up to 7 days after immunization failed to enhance IgE production, but depletion of CD8+ T cells between day 12 and day 18 increased IgE levels to over 10 μg/ml. Adoptive transfer of 1 × 107 purified CD8+ T cells ( > 95% CD8+ > 98% CD3+ < 1% NK, < 1% CD4+) from parallel immunized rats or of 1 × 106 cells of an OVA-specifíc, MHC class I restricted CD8+ T cell line suppressed the IgE, but not IgG, response by > 95%. These results provide further evidence that CD8+ T cells inhibit IgE production, possibly by preventing the generation of adequate amounts of appropriate CD4+ T cell help.