C-C Chemokine Receptor 4 Expression Defines a Major Subset of Circulating Nonintestinal Memory T Cells of Both Th1 and Th2 Potential

Abstract

CCR4, a chemokine receptor for macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), has been implicated as a preferential marker for Th2 lymphocytes. Following in vitro polarization protocols, most Th2 lymphocytes express CCR4 and respond to its ligands TARC and MDC, whereas Th1 lymphocytes express CXC chemokine receptor 3 and CCR5 (but not CCR4). We show in this study that CCR4 is a major receptor for MDC and TARC on T lymphocytes, as anti-CCR4 mAbs significantly inhibit the migration of these cells to MDC and TARC. CCR4 is also highly expressed in most single-positive CD4⁺ thymocytes and on a major fraction of blood nonintestinal (α₄β₇⁻) memory CD4 lymphocytes, including almost all skin memory CD4⁺ cells expressing the cutaneous lymphocyte Ag (CLA), but weakly or not expressed in other subsets in thymus and blood. Interestingly, major fractions of circulating CCR4⁺ memory CD4 lymphocytes coexpress the Th1-associated receptors CXC chemokine receptor 3 and CCR5, suggesting a potential problem in using these markers for Th1 vs Th2 lymphocyte cells. Moreover, although production of Th2 cytokines in blood T cells is associated with CCR4⁺ CD4 lymphocytes, significant numbers of freshly isolated circulating CCR4⁺ memory CD4 lymphocytes (including both CLA⁺ and CLA⁻ fractions) readily express the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ after short-term stimulation. Our results are consistent with a role for CCR4 as a major trafficking receptor for systemic memory T cells, and indicate that the patterns and regulation of chemokine receptor expression in vivo are more complex than indicated by current in vitro models of Th1 vs Th2 cell generation.