Abstract
Interleukin 7 (IL-7), originally described as a B cell growth factor, has recently been found to play a critical role in T and B lymphocyte development and function. This study evaluated the effects of IL-7 on myelin specific T cells. IL-7 strongly enhanced proliferation of proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151 specific T cells in association with elevated secretion of the T cell growth factor IL-2. Co-stimulation with IL-7 preferentially increased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by PLP 139-151 specific T cells and adoptive transfer of these cells into naive recipients induced a profound enhancement of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model for the human disease multiple sclerosis. These results suggest that IL-7 may be a critical co-stimulatory factor that enhances the extrathymic expansion of inflammatory T cells and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory autoimmune disorders. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 324-331 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Cytokine |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2000 |
Keywords
- EAE
- Interleukin 7
- T lymphocytes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
- Hematology
- Molecular Biology