Figure 1M. tuberculosis infection resulted in apparent increases in numbers of T cells capable of producing IL-22 without in vitro Ag re-stimulation, and drove distribution of these cells more dramatically in lungs than in blood and lymphoid tissues.
(A) Graphic data show percentage numbers of T cells capable of producing IL-22 or IL-17 de novo in the blood (left) and BAL fluid (right) during M. tuberculosis infection. The cells were directly measured by ICS in the presence of CD28/CD49d but without in vitro Ag stimulation. This would allow direct evaluation of regulatory effect by Vγ2Vδ2 T effector cells in the presence or absence of HMBPP. Data are mean percentage numbers in CD3 T cells with error bars of SEM derived from nine cynomolgus macaques. Data were gated on CD3 although most IL-22 cells were CD4 T cells (Fig. S1). This would allow direct comparisons with Vγ2Vδ2 T cells within CD3 T-cell population as shown in Figs. 3–5. CD3+ T cells producing IL-22 or IL-17 in this and other figures included Vγ2Vδ2 T cells. The magnitude of increase in IL-22+ T cells in PBL (#) at weeks 4, 6 and 8 and in BAL fluid at week 8 were significantly greater than that in IL-17+ T cells (*) (P<0.005). # or *, P<0.05, **, P<0.01, ### or ***, P<0.001. (B) Bar graphic data show that appreciable numbers of IL-22-producing T cells directly measured in medium alone were comparable with those detected in medium plus CD28/CD49d mAbs or in medium plus CD3/CD28 mAbs. Data were mean ± SEM from PBMC obtained at necropsy (8 weeks after infection) from nine cynomolgus macaques. Similar data were seen at weeks 4 and 6 after M. tuberculosis infection. Data were gated on lymphocytes. (C) Representative flow-cytometry histograms of intracellular cytokine staining analysis show that IL-22- and IL-17-producing T cells appear to be two distinct cell populations. The percentage numbers of IL-22 (bottom, right), IL-17 (top, left) producing T cells and IL-22/IL-17 co-expressing T cells (top, right) in CD3 T cells are marked in the individual histograms. Data are CD3 gated. Similar data were repeatedly seen from at least 15 monkeys in blood (n = 21), BAL fluid (n = 21), lung (n = 15), spleen (n = 17), mesenteric lymph node (n = 20). (D) Bar graphic data show percentage numbers of T cells capable of producing IL-22 (left) and IL-17 (right) within CD3+ T cells in lymphocytes isolated from blood, BAL fluid, lungs, spleens and lymph nodes (LN) at 8 weeks after M. tuberculosis infection. Data are mean ± SEM derived from up to 16 macaques' lungs (n = 15, rhesus), spleens (n = 16, rhesus), mesenteric lymph nodes (n = 16, rhesus), blood (n = 9, cynomolgus), and BAL fluid (n = 9, cynomolgus). Data were measured by the ICS without antigen re-stimulation in the presence of medium plus CD28/CD49d mAb. Similar numbers of these cells were detected by the ICS in the presence of medium only (data not shown). Data were gated on CD3. *, P<0.05, **, P<0.01, ***, P<0.001. All rhesus macaques included for all the figures are Chinese rhesus macaques.