title: Lymphocide: cytokines and the control of lymphoid homeostasis.
abstract: In a human, about 10(11) excess peripheral lymphocytes die every day. This death process maintains a constant lymphocyte population size in the face of a continuous influx of new lymphocytes and the homeostatic proliferation of old ones. Death is triggered when a lymphocyte fails to acquire signals from survival factors, the availability of which, therefore, determines the size of the pool of lymphocytes. A lymphocyte acquires survival signals through receptors for cytokines, antigens, hormones and probably other extracellular factors. Here, we discuss current concepts of the intracellular signalling pathways for survival versus death that establish cytokine-regulated lymphocyte homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 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: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D019076:Transgenes; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D020169:Caspases; D005947:Glucose