A 37-color spectral flow cytometry panel to characterize phenotype and cytokine expression in human intestinal T cells

We developed a 37-color spectral flow cytometry panel to characterize T cell function, with a focus CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, in the human intestine. The panel includes lineage-defining transcription factors, markers for memory status, tissue residency and T cell activation, and 11 cytokines representing multiple Th cell lineages. The panel is currently being used to investigate CD4+ Th cell function in intestinal and peripheral blood samples of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. The panel could however be applied to investigate both peripheral and tissue-resident T cell function in a range of immune-mediated diseases.