title: Cutting edge: soluble IL-6R is produced by IL-6R ectodomain shedding in activated CD4 T cells.
abstract: IL-6 trans-signaling via the soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R) plays an important role in the progression of several autoimmune diseases and cancer by providing IL-6-responsiveness to cells lacking IL-6R. However, the potential sources of sIL-6R are less understood. In this study we show that sIL-6R is produced by both naive and memory CD4 T cells upon TCR activation. The production of sIL-6R by activated CD4 T cells is mediated by shedding of the membrane-bound IL-6R, and this process correlates with the expression of the metalloproteinase ADAM17 in these cells. In contrast to CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells do not express ADAM17 and their production of sIL-6R is negligible. Thus, during an immune response CD4 T cells are an important source of sIL-6R. Production of sIL-6R by autoreactive CD4 T cells may contribute to their role in the development of autoimmune disease by conferring IL-6-responsiveness to cells lacking IL-6R such as synoviocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Immunobiology Program, University of Vermont, Burlington VT 05405, USA.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Briso
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dienz
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rincon
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072197:ADAM10 Protein; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072197:ADAM10 Protein; C491236:ADAM10 protein, human; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; C000606462:ADAM17 protein, human