T lymphocytes need IL-7 but not IL-4 or IL-6 to survive in vivo.
The role of IL-4, -6 and -7 in the survival of T lymphocytes was studied in vivo. The decay of polyclonal populations of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was monitored in thymectomized anti-cytokine receptor mAb-treated and/or cytokine-deficient mice. The lack of IL-4 or -6 did not have any detectable effect on T cell survival, but IL-7 played an important role in the survival of the naive T cell compartment, especially of naive CD4(+) T cells.
Vivien
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L
Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire (CNRS/INSERM/ULP), 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404 Illkirch, C. U. de Strasbourg, France.
Benoist
C
C
Mathis
D
D
D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
D015850:Interleukin-6; D015851:Interleukin-7; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D015847:Interleukin-4