Peterson J

Herzenberg L,Vasquez K,Waltenbaaugh C

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ABSTRACT Current thinking attributes the balance between
T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokine response patterns in
immune responses to the nature of the antigen, the genetic
composition of the host, and the cytokines involved in the early
interaction between T cells and antigen-presenting cells. Here
we introduce glutathione, a tripeptide that regulates intracellular
redox and other aspects of cell physiology, as a key
regulatory element in this process. By using three different
methods to deplete glutathione fromT cell receptor transgenic
and conventional mice and studying in vivo andyor in vitro
responses to three distinct antigens, we show that glutathione
levels in antigen-presenting cells determine whether Th1 or
Th2 response patterns predominate. These findings present
new insights into immune response alterations in HIV and
other diseases. Further, they potentially offer an explanation
for the well known differences in immune responses in ‘‘Th1’’
and ‘‘Th2’’ mouse strains.

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Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA

Vol. 95, pp. 3071–3076

1998

http://www.pnas.org/content/95/6/3071.full.pdf