Schistosoma mansoni eggs induce antigen-responsive CD44-hi T helper 2 cells and IL-4-secreting CD44-lo cells. Potential for T helper 2 subset differentiation is evident at the precursor level.

Schistosoma mansoni eggs are potent inducers of biased Th2-like immune responses. Using a model system where mice are immunized with isolated schistosome eggs, we demonstrate that CD44 expression, up-regulation of which has been linked to Th cell development, is increased on Th2 cells. We also investigate the functional properties of CD44-lo Th cells recovered from the overtly Th2 environment constituted by lymph nodes draining sites of egg deposition. Production of high levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 by Th cells responding to egg Ag is shown to be the property of a subpopulation expressing CD44-hi. This population of Th cells cosegregates with a blasting subpopulation expressing more IL-4R (but similar amounts of IL-2R) than Th cells from normal mice. These results indicate that mature Th2 cells responding to schistosome eggs are CD44-hi and suggest that they use IL-4 as a growth factor. In contrast, CD44-lo cells sorted from lymph node populations responding to eggs are able to produce small amounts of IL-4 and IL-2, but no IL-5 or IL-10. This is surprising, because low expression of CD44 is considered a characteristic of Th cell naivite and concomitant ability to produce only IL-2. Thus, in lymph nodes responding to schistosome eggs, potential for Th2 subset differentiation is evident within the CD44-lo precursor Th subpopulation.