Abstract
Objective:CD4+CD8+ double-positive T-cells (DPTs) have been classified as a separate T-cell subpopulation, with two main phenotypes: CD4high CD8low and CD4low CD8high. In recent years, the relevance of DPTs in the pathogenesis of infections, tumors, and autoimmune diseases has been recognized. Reference values among healthy individuals remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study is to provide a reference value for DPTs in peripheral blood from healthy donors in a blood bank in Bogotá, Colombia, and to determine the activation status using a surface marker.Materials and Methods:One hundred healthy donors were enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood cells were stained for CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD154 (CD40L), and cellular viability was assessed with 7-aminoactinomycin D and analyzed by flow cytometry.Results:The median value for DPTs was 2.6% (interquartile range=1.70%-3.67%). Women had higher percentages of DPTs than men (3.3% vs. 2.1%). The subpopulation of CD4low CD8high showed higher expression of CD154 than the other T-cell subpopulations.Conclusion:DPT reference values were obtained from blood bank donors. A sex difference was found, and the CD4low CD8high subpopulation had the highest activation marker expression.
Highlights
T-cells have been classified according to the cell surface markers CD4 and CD8
double-positive T-cells (DPTs) reference values were obtained from blood bank donors
DPTs can be found in different compartments; they increase in peripheral blood among patients with myasthenia gravis [18] but are found infiltrating the affected tissues in autoimmune thyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis [19,20]
Summary
T-cells have been classified according to the cell surface markers CD4 and CD8. With the use of multiparametric cellular analysis methods, a variety of minor T-cell subpopulations have been described [1], such as mature CD4+CD8+ or double-positive T-cells (DPTs) [2,3]. This T-cell phenotype was initially described in the thymus, where more than 80% of thymocytes expressed both CD4+CD8+, which later commit to one cell lineage In chronic parasitic infections such as Chagas disease, DPTs are increased in peripheral blood [21] but are found infiltrating the cardiac tissue in patients with advanced chagasic cardiomyopathy [22,23]
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