title: [CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells: their physiology and role in modulating immune response].
abstract: Understanding the role of immune system homeostatic balance is crucial for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of many diseases. The efficient regulation of immune response has been recently investigated in numerous studies that emphasize the important role of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. These regulatory cells suppress the proliferation and cytokine secretion of effector cells directly via cell-cell contact and probably indirectly via TGF-beta. This makes T regulatory cells responsible for the control and suppression of inappropriate immune response to self antigens. Moreover, CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells have an important function in the immunopathology of cancer, allotransplantion, and allergy. Based on murine and human studies, this review presents a characterization of the origin, phenotype, and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. In addition, we show a hypothetical mode of the in vivo action of regulatory T cells, which play a central role in maintaining immune homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Immunologii Klinicznej, Instytut Centrum Zdrowia Matki Polki w Łodzi, 93-338 Łódź. natalewk@wp.pl
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewkowicz
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lewkowicz
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tchórzewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2