title: The Quantity of Autocrine IL-2 Governs the Expansion Potential of CD8+ T Cells.
abstract: Adequate responsiveness of CD8(+) T cell populations is of utmost importance for the efficacy of many vaccines and immunotherapeutic strategies against intracellular pathogens and cancer. In this study, we show in mouse models that the relative number of IL-2-producing cells within Ag-specific CD8(+) T cell populations predicts the population expansion capacity upon challenge. We further demonstrate that IL-2 producers constitute the best responding subset. Notably, we show that elevated production of IL-2 by CD8(+) T cells results in concomitant improved population expansion capacity and immunity. The amount of IL-2 produced on a per-cell basis essentially connects directly to the superior CD8(+) T cell population expansion. Together, our findings identified that autocrine IL-2 production operates in a dose-dependent fashion to facilitate the expansion potential of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cell populations, which may instigate ways to augment therapies depending on fit CD8(+) T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Redeker
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Suzanne P M
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Welten
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miranda R M
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sandra A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9125-6364
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Vloemans
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Machteld M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tiemessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank J T
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Staal
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands R.Arens@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5058-4110
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2