title: Cytokine production and responsiveness of fetal T-cell receptor V gamma 3 thymocytes.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the cytokine production and cytokine responsiveness of the first T-cell receptor (TcR) positive cells that appear in the murine fetal thymus, namely TcR V gamma 3 cells. It is shown that IL-2-cultured fetal TcR V gamma 3 thymocytes were capable of producing IL-3, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma upon TcR triggering. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 could not be detected. With regard to cytokine responsiveness, TcR V gamma 3 cells proliferated to a high extent when high concentrations of rIL-2 were added. rIL-4 or rIL-7 alone, but not rIL-1 alone, were capable of inducing a modest proliferation of TcR V gamma 3 thymocytes. When combined with low concentrations of IL-2, a synergistic effect could be observed with IL-1, IL-4 or IL-7. It is shown that the synergistic effect of IL-2 with IL-4 was mainly due to induction of IL-2 receptor expression. The synergistic effect of IL-2 and IL-7 on the proliferation of TcR V gamma 3 cells could only be partially inhibited by anti-IL-2 receptor MoAb, and this antibody had no effect on the IL-2 + IL-1 cultures. These observations can explain the extensive proliferation of TcR V gamma 3 thymocytes during fetal life and they indicate that TcR V gamma 3 thymocytes have the potential to play a functional role during fetal thymus development.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriology, Virology and Immunology, University Hospital of Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leclercq
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Smedt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000196:embryology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007377:Interleukin-3; D015851:Interleukin-7; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; C078584:T-cell receptor V(gamma)3; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor