Isolation and functional characterization of T cells from human sputum
T cells play a central role in the control of inflammation in the bronchial mucosa through the elaboration of proinflammatory cytokines. This study describes a method for the isolation and cloning of T cells from sputum of adult subjects. In sputum. T cells were of a minor population (<2% of total cells), and not all expressed activation markers for CD29 (very late antigen‐1 (VLA‐1)). IL‐2R and HLA‐DR. When cultured in the presence of rIL‐2 for 7 days and then cloned by limiting dilution, the ratios of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones (TCC) generated reflected those of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells found in sputum. CD4+ TCC and primary CD4+ T ceil populations produced a range of proinflammatory cytokines when stimulated with immobilized anti‐CD3 MoAb. Analysis of mRNA messages by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) and Southern blot showed good correlation with the production of cytokine in culture supernatants. A correlation existed between the pattern of cell infiltrate in sputum and the cytokine profile.