T helper 1 and T helper 2 cells respond differentially to chemokines.

T effector subsets, such as Th1 or Th2 cells, are key players in inflammatory reactions. It is not known whether chemokines are able to recruit these subsets differentially, as has been shown for memory vs naive T cells. Here we demonstrate that Th1 and Th2 cells differ in their intrinsic migratory properties and their chemotactic responsiveness toward distinct chemokines. While the CC-chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and RANTES were efficient chemoattractants for Th1 cells, inducing a dose-dependent transmigration, Th2 cells were not attracted by these chemokines. Another CC-chemokine, JE/monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and a CXC-chemokine, stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha, exerted chemotactic effects on both Th1 and Th2 cells, but differences in sensitivity and the percentage of responding cells were recorded between both subsets. These results indicate that chemokines play a distinct role in the regulation of local immune reactions by influencing the local balance between proinflammatory and antiinflammatory T cell subsets.