Short-term culture of CD8 cells and intracellular cytokine staining.

CD8 T cells play an important role in the regulation of allergic disease. Human and murine CD8 T cells have been shown to be capable of differentiating into distinct subsets defined by cytokine profiles analogous to the Th1 and Th2 subsets and termed T cytotoxic 1 (Tc1, IFN-gamma producing) and 2 (Tc2, IL-4 producing). Effector cell phenotype can be analyzed in vitro on a single cell basis using intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry or analysis of other phenotypic markers.

Poor response to recombinant erythropoietin is associated with loss of T-lymphocyte CD28 expression and altered interleukin-10 production.

Background: Recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) therapy is well established as an effective treatment for the anaemia of end-stage renal disease. However, 5-10% of such patients do not respond adequately and an important contributory factor to this is chronic inflammation.

Methods: The present study compares the circulating T-cell phenotypes of haemodialysis patients who respond poorly to Epo with those who respond well, along with normal controls.