title: The role of cytokines in lymphocyte homeostasis.
abstract: The size of lymphocyte populations is regulated by replication and death. Cytokines produced by non-lymphoid cells provide key survival and replication signals for several lymphocyte subpopulations. The availability of these cytokines thus serves as a homeostatic regulatory mechanism by determining the upper limit of the population size. IL-7 is required for survival of naive CD4+ and CD8+ cells and memory CD8+ cells. IL-15 is required for survival of memory CD8+ cells. IL-12 and IL-4 also promote memory CD8+ survivaL BAFF is required for survival of mature B cells. Antigen receptor signals, together with these cytokine signals, are required for survival of mature B cells and naive T cells. The list of extracellular survival signals for lymphocytes remains incomplete, and the intracellular pathways leading to survival are poorly understood.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
authors.forename: Annette R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Khaled
authors.forename: Scott K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Durum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines