title: The capacity of Th2 lymphocytes to deliver B-cell help requires expression of the transcription factor STAT3.
abstract: CD4(+) T-cell help for B cells is crucial for effective Ab responses. Although follicular T helper (Tfh) cells have emerged as the main providers of T-cell help to B lymphocytes during the germinal center reaction, much less is known about the helper capacities of other effector CD4(+) T cells. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the acquisition of B-cell help capacity of canonically derived T helper 2 (Th2) cells, a Th-cell subset originally considered responsible for B-cell help in vivo. We demonstrate herein that developing Th2 cells in mice co-express activated forms of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) and STAT3 and that STAT3 expression was required for the capacity of Th2 cells to provide B-cell help. Thus, Th2 lymphocytes share a common, STAT3-mediated activation program for the acquisition of optimal B-cell help capacity with Tfh cells. Moreover, the expression of STAT3 in Th2 cells enhanced the IgG1-to-IgE class switch ratio in vivo, a finding with important implications for understanding the molecular basis of allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunobiologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hercor
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Denanglaire
authors.forename: Oberdan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching / Q000235:genetics; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000235:genetics; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000235:genetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050800:STAT6 Transcription Factor; D007073:Immunoglobulin E