Multiparameter flow cytometric approach for simultaneous evaluation of proliferation and cytokine-secreting activity in T cells responding to allo-stimulation.

We report a method combining mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) using a carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labeling technique, intracellular cytokine immunofluorescence staining (ICIS), and multiparameter flow cytometry for simultaneous determination of proliferation and cytokine-secreting activity in T cells responding to allo-stimulation. C57BL/6 (B6) mice and Balb/c mice were used in the experiments. CFSE-labeled responder splenocytes were cultured with irradiated stimulator splenocytes, followed by ICIS. In both the Balb/c stimulator-versus-B6 responder (Balb/c-vs.-B6) and the B6-vs.-Balb/c allogeneic combinations, interleukin (IL)-2 secreting cells and interferon (IFN)-gamma secreting cells were identified predominantly in proliferating CD4+ and CD8+ T cell fractions, respectively. The suitability of this method was proven by demonstrating a close relationship between the values of cytokines in culture supernatants (that were determined by Cytometric Bead Array assay) and indexes for cytokine-production (that were obtained by multiplying the percentage of cytokine-producing cells in T cells and mean fluorescence intensity of cytokine-staining determined by the combined MLR and ICIS).