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The functional properties of dendritic cells (DCs) are strictly dependent on their maturational state. To analyze the influence of the maturational state of DCs on priming and differentiation of T cells, immature CD83(-) and mature CD83(+) human DCs were used for stimulation of naive, allogeneic CD4(+) T cells. Repetitive stimulation with mature DCs resulted in a strong expansion of alloreactive T cells and the exclusive development of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells. In contrast, after repetitive stimulation with immature DCs the alloreactive T cells showed an irreversibly inhibited proliferation that could not be restored by restimulation with mature DCs or peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or by the addition of interleukin (IL)-2. Only stimulation of T cells with mature DCs resulted in an upregulation of CD154, CD69, and CD70, whereas T cells activated with immature DCs showed an early upregulation of the negative regulator cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated molecule 4 (CTLA-4). These T cells lost their ability to produce interferon gamma, IL-2, or IL-4 after several stimulations with immature DCs and differentiated into nonproliferating, IL-10-producing T cells. Furthermore, in coculture experiments these T cells inhibited the antigen-driven proliferation of Th1 cells in a contact- and dose-dependent, but antigen-nonspecific manner. These data show that immature and mature DCs induce different types of T cell responses: inflammatory Th1 cells are induced by mature DCs, and IL-10-producing T cell regulatory 1-like cells by immature DCs.
Jonuleit et al. (Mon,) studied this question.