title: High IL-13 production by human neonatal T cells: neonate immune system regulator?
abstract: Neonates are highly susceptible to diseases and display biased type 2 immune responses, although no skewing to type 2 cytokines has been reported. In view of the emerging importance of IL-13 in type 2 inflammatory responses and clinical allergy, we analyzed IL-13 production by neonatal T cells. We found that, mainly CD8 T cells produced high levels of IL-13, while producing low levels of IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-gamma, upon primary and secondary stimulation. Our results point towards a possible immunoregulatory role of CD8 T cells in neonate responses. Moreover, they suggest that the abundance of IL-13 in the neonate immune system might account for the type 2 bias in neonates, providing a basis for the high disease susceptibility of newborns, for instance to allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Laboratory for Vaccine Research (LVR), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-do-Couto
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Boeije
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kroon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hooibrink
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Breur-Vriesendorp
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Aarden
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Boog
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1