title: Ex vivo activation of naturally occurring IL-17-producing T cells does not require IL-6.
abstract: Interleukin (IL-)17 is a potent proinflammatory cytokine for which an important role in the immune response against infections and in autoimmune diseases has been demonstrated. Recently, it has been shown that - in addition to mature T cells which are primed in the immune periphery - this cytokine can also be produced by T cells in the thymus, so-called naturally occurring IL-17-producing T cells (nT17 cells). In this study we demonstrate that the generation and activation of nT17 cells in the thymus do not depend on the cytokine IL-6. In addition, nT17 cells are not regulated by IL-2. These properties of nT17 cells significantly differ from induced IL-17-producing T cells primed in the immune periphery (iT17 cells). Given the strong association of IL-17-producing T cells with immune responses against infections and human autoimmune diseases, closer characterization of nT17 cells is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Vsevolod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Smolianov
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dehmel
authors.forename: Bernd C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kieseier
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Harald H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6