Effect of dendritic cell state and antigen-presentation conditions on resulting T-cell phenotypes and Th cytokine profiles.

T cells play a pivotal role in controlling the immune response and have been the focus of extensive research. We studied the process of in vitro generation of antigen-specific T effector cells (Teffs) to assess the dynamics of antigen presentation and determine the best conditions for cell therapy. We used a peptidic construct consisting of combined HLA class I and II epitopes of the tumor antigen MAGE-3 as an antigen. Monocytes were isolated from healthy donors and were differentiated to dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro. The peptide was added to the DC culture, the pulsed cells were transferred to a co-culture with lymphocytes from the same donor, either as irradiated feeders or untreated, and were cultured in the presence or absence of IL-2. Several rounds of restimulation followed. The cells were analyzed by Flow Cytometry, and cytokine levels were measured by ELISA and Cytometric Bead Array for Th1/Th2/Th17 profiling. The results showed that the lymphocytes in culture upregulated their activation markers and produced Th1 proinflammatory cytokines in response to the peptide, optimally when it was presented by non-irradiated dendritic cells in the presence of IL-2. In contrast, DC irradiation resulted in low activation potential and a shift toward a suppressive phenotype. After prolonged antigenic stimulation, the culture displayed Th17 polarization. In conclusion, the functional integrity of DCs is necessary for the development of antigen-specific Teffs, and culture conditions can be developed to create Teffs with specific properties for eventual use in cell therapy applications.