title: Fever-range whole-body heat treatment stimulates antigen-specific T-cell responses in humans.
abstract: Increase in body temperature has been thought to play an important role in the regulation of immune responses, although its precise mechanisms are still under investigation. Here, we examined the effects of physiologically relevant thermal stress on the cytokine production from human peripheral T cells. Volunteers were heated using a whole-body hyperthermia device, the rectal temperature was maintained above 38.5 °C for more than 60 min, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained before and after the treatment. When T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies, marked increases in the production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 were observed in PBMCs prepared immediately after and 24h after the treatment. Similarly, enhanced production of IFN-γ in response to the tuberculin purified protein derivative or antigenic viral peptides was also observed immediately after and 24h after the treatment. Fluorescence photo-bleaching analyses showed heat-induced increase of membrane fluidity in T cells, which probably enables them to induce rapid and efficient cluster formation of molecules involved in antigen recognition and signal transduction for T-cell stimulation. We concluded that physiologically relevant thermal stress could efficiently modify T-cell responsiveness to various stimuli, including enhanced responses to specific antigens.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Thera Clinic, 5-6-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan. Electronic address: ykobayashi@bio-c.jp.
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Bio-Thera Clinic, 5-6-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Bio-Thera Clinic, 5-6-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan.
authors.forename: Valentina V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Ostapenko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawata-Cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawata-Cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Norimasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawata-Cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Shin-Itabashi Clinic, 4-4-4 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-Cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aruga
authors.affiliation: Bio-Thera Clinic, 5-6-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan.
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanigawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001831:Body Temperature; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008875:Middle Aged; D037182:T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Hyperthermia; IFN-γ; IL-2; T cell