Chemokine Receptor Expression Identifies Pre–T Helper (Th)1, Pre–Th2, and Nonpolarized Cells among Human CD4+ Central Memory T Cells

Abstract

We previously reported that central–memory T cells (TCM cells), which express lymph node homing receptors CCR7 and CD62L, are largely devoid of effector functions but acquire characteristics of effector–memory T cells (TEM cells) (i.e., CCR7− T helper [Th]1 or Th2 cells) after stimulation with T cell receptor agonists or homeostatic cytokines. Here we show that three chemokine receptors identify functional subsets within the human CD4+ TCM cell pool. TCM cells expressing CXCR3 secreted low amounts of interferon γ, whereas CCR4+ TCM cells produced some interleukin (IL)-4, but not IL-5. In response to IL-7 and IL-15, CXCR3+ TCM and CCR4+ TCM cells invariably generated fully differentiated CCR7− Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively, suggesting that they represent pre-Th1 and pre-Th2 cells. Conversely, CXCR5+ TCM cells lacking CXCR3 and CCR4 remained nonpolarized and retained CCR7 and CD62L expression upon cytokine-driven expansion. Unlike naive cells, all memory subsets had a low T cell receptor rearrangement excision circle content, spontaneously incorporated bromodeoxyuridine ex vivo, and contained cells specific for tetanus toxoid. Conversely, recall responses to cytomegalovirus and vaccinia virus were largely restricted to CXCR3+ TCM and TEM cells. We conclude that antigen-specific memory T cells are distributed between TEM cells and different subsets of TCM cells. Our results also explain how the quality of primary T cell responses could be maintained by TCM cells in the absence of antigen.