The effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on human T and B lymphoid cells

Summary

T cells are known to use ROS as intracellular signals but also to exhibit an enhanced sensitivity, relative to other cell types, to the DNA damaging effects of various forms of radiation. These effects may be characteristic of DNA repair capacity and/or intracellular antioxidant levels. In a more physiologically-relevant situation T-lymphoid (Molt-3) cells have been shown to exhibit enhanced susceptibility to H₂O₂-induced cytogenetic damage and to have decrease intracellular catatace acitvity, relative to a B-lymphoid line (Raji) without any greater loss of cell viability. Such observations must be reconciled with the need for T cells to proliferate efficiently and accurately when initiating, regulating and participating in human immune responses of maintaining immunological memory throughut the lifespan of the individual.