title: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin signaling in CD4(+) T cells is required for TH2 memory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a key factor in the development of allergic asthma. Numbers of TH2 memory cells gradually increase in allergic patients with the progression of disease and persist in the lungs during remission, although the mechanism is not clear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to define the role of TSLP in TH2 memory cell generation and maintenance in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adoptive transfer of wild-type and thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLPR)-deficient ovalbumin-specific CD4(+) T cells before TH2 sensitization was used to define T cell-specific TSLP effects. Atopic dermatitis and increased serum TSLP concentrations were induced by topical application of the vitamin D3 analog MC903. Memory cells in peripheral blood were monitored weekly with flow cytometry. Memory recall was tested after intranasal ovalbumin challenge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TSLP signaling in CD4(+) T cells is required for the generation/maintenance of memory cells after in vivo priming. TSLPR-deficient CD4(+) T cells have no defects in proliferation but do not survive 1 week after sensitization, and increased TSLP expression during sensitization significantly increased the frequency of memory cells. Although in vitro-differentiated TSLPR-deficient TH2 cells develop into memory cells with equal efficiency to wild-type cells, the recall response to airway antigen challenge is impaired. Moreover, after antigen challenge of mice with established TH2 memory, TSLP signaling in CD4(+) T cells significantly affects memory cell generation/maintenance from secondary effector cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TSLP signaling in CD4(+) T cells is required for not only TH2 memory cell formation in vivo but also the recall response of the memory cells to local antigen challenge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind.
authors.forename: Jianguang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University at Rongchang, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind. Electronic address: zhoub@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Baohua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D016207:Cytokines; C055085:calcipotriene; D010047:Ovalbumin; D002117:Calcitriol; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin; C000721967:TSLP protein, mouse
keywords: T(H)2 memory; Thymic stromal lymphopoietin; allergic airway inflammation; eosinophilia; memory recall