V beta 5 and V beta 8 memory T cells in adults and infancy: co-ordinated increase in response to early antigen stimulus.

Blood mononuclear cells (MNC) expressing the T cell receptor V beta gene families were identified with the monoclonal antibodies 1C1 (V beta 5) or Mx6 (V beta 8). These cells were typed for expression of the T200 common leucocyte antigen with the CD45RA antibody defining the 220-kD variant (which characterizes naive cells) and the UCHL1 antibody which defines the 180-kD variant (characterizing memory cells). Of adult MNC, 3 +/- 0.44% stained for V beta 5 and 4.12 +/- 0.26% stained for V beta 8; similar results were obtained in a group of infants aged less than 3 months, who were exposed to antigen stimulus in the form of infection and/or blood transfusion. While the total percentages of V beta 5 and V beta 8 cells in the blood of adults were not correlated, the proportions of these cells expressing CD45RO was positively correlated. A similar trend which did not reach statistical significance was present in a group of infants. A minority of the infants studied showed transient deviations from the mean established for adults. The results suggest that naive and memory T cell populations have similar frequencies of V beta 5 and V beta 8 expressing cells, and that age does not affect the frequency of usage of either of these V beta families.