title: Control of T lymphocyte activation and IL-2 receptor expression by endogenously secreted lymphokines.
abstract: The relative contribution of endogenously secreted lymphokines, TNF-alpha and IL-2, to T cell activation has been studied. Interestingly, a neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha mAb strongly inhibited the proliferation, IL-2R alpha expression, and activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B induced on human purified T lymphocytes by an immobilized anti-CD3 mAb (imm.anti-CD3). Furthermore, the addition of exogenous TNF-alpha to T cells activated by imm.anti-CD3 or phorbol esters strongly stimulated all those activities. Similarly, neutralizing anti-IL-2R alpha Abs inhibited the cell proliferation and the IL-2R alpha expression induced by imm.anti-CD3, whereas exogenous addition of IL-2 enhanced both activities. However, exogenous addition of IL-2 did not affect NF-kappa B activation. Cyclosporin A, which prevented lymphokine mRNA transcription, inhibited more than 90% of the IL-2R alpha and NF-kappa B levels induced by TCR/CD3-mediated activation. Exogenous TNF-alpha and IL-2 were equally important to the partial recovery of this IL-2R alpha inhibition, and high doses of both lymphokines together completely abolished the inhibitory effect of cyclosporin A. However, only TNF-alpha (but not IL-2) efficiently recovered the nuclear NF-kappa B levels. Those results indicate that the autocrine secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-2, and not the primary stimulus itself, contribute mostly to the regulation of IL-2R; thereby playing a very important role in quantitative control of T cell proliferation and leaving to the specifically TCR/CD3-derived signals the triggering role in T cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular, UAM-CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Pimentel-Muiños
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Fernández
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fresno
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016328:NF-kappa B; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016572:Cyclosporine; D004247:DNA