title: Peripheral CD8 T-cell responses to apoptotic cell proteins and peptides.
abstract: The immune system must contend with the billions of cells that are turned over on a daily basis; many of these cells derived from the immune system itself. Recent evidence suggests that the apoptotic cells are processed and presented through classical pathways for MHC II presentation to CD4 T cells and also are cross-presented through a phagosome-cytosolic pathway or released into the cytosol for presentation to CD8 T cells. It appears that the continuous presentation of self-peptides is required for active maintenance of T-cell tolerance. Although for both CD4 and CD8 T cells, anergy is a dominant pathway for tolerance, presentation of self-peptides to CD8 and CD4 T may induce different responses. Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells leads to the production of TGF-beta and/or IL-10 by antigen-presenting cells and there is evidence to suggest that these cytokines favor the generation of CD4 T regulatory cells following encounter with self-antigen. In contrast, CD8 T cells undergo brief activation, an abortive proliferation ultimately leading to reduced long-term survival. The relative quantity and quality of all three signals of TCR engagement, costimulation versus coinhibition and quality of the cytokine response, distinguish T-cell responses to self-versus foreign antigens.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Yu Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Keith B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Elkon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017634:Self Tolerance; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D010455:Peptides