title: Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Specific IL-21+IFN-γ+CD4+ T Cells Are Regulated by IL-12.
abstract: In the current study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific T and B cells, we found that MTB-specific peptides from early secreted antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) induced the expression of IL-21 predominantly in CD4(+) T cells. A fraction of IL-21-expressing CD4(+) T cells simultaneously expressed Th1 cytokines but did not secrete Th2 or Th17 cytokines, suggesting that MTB-specific IL-21-expressing CD4(+) T cells were different from Th1, Th2 and Th17 subpopulations. The majority of MTB-specific IL-21-expressing CD4(+) T cells co-expressed IFN-γ and IL-21+IFN-γ(+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited obviously polyfunctionality. In addition, MTB-specific IL-21-expressing CD4(+) T cells displayed a CD45RO+CD62Ll(ow)CCR7(low)CD40L(high)ICOS(high) phenotype. Bcl-6-expression was significantly higher in IL-21-expressing CD4(+) T cells than IL-21-CD4(+) T cells. Moreover, IL-12 could up-regulate MTB-specific IL-21 expression, especially the frequency of IL-21(+)IFN-γ+CD4(+) T cells. Taken together, our results demonstrated that MTB-specific IL-21(+)IFN-γ(+)CD4(+) T cells from local sites of tuberculosis (TB) infection could be enhanced by IL-12, which have the features of both Tfh and Th1 cells and may have an important role in local immune responses against TB infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.|Wuhan Institute for Tuberculosis Control, Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Chest Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Suihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Binyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Sifei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yannan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Changyou
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D007378:Interleukins; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000098546:Interleukin-21