Human thymic epithelial cells: adhesion molecules and cytokine production.
The ability to culture human thymic epithelial cells has greatly facilitated studies of direct cell-cell interaction between thymic epithelial cells and T lymphocytes in vitro, as well as cytokine production and regulation of cytokine production. In vitro, human thymic epithelial cells bind to T lymphocytes via two adhesion pathways: CD2-lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1-intercellular adhesion molecule-1. Cultured human thymic epithelial cells produce interleukins-1 alpha, -1 beta, -3, -6 and -8, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, leukemia inhibitory factor and transforming growth factor-alpha. Production of thymic epithelial cell-derived cytokines is regulated by both adhesion molecules (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3) and soluble factors via both autocrine (interleukin-1 alpha, transforming growth factor-alpha) and paracrine (interleukin-4, interferon-gamma) pathways. Transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor regulate various cytokine mRNA at a post-transcriptional level by increasing cytokine mRNA stability.
Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153.
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D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines