HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rochman, I. Articles by Leonard, W. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rochman, I. Articles by Leonard, W. J.

Cutting Edge: Direct Action of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin on Activated Human CD4⁺ T Cells

Irina Rochman^*, Norihiko Watanabe^1,, Kazuhiko Arima, Yong-Jun Liu and Warren J. Leonard^2,*

^* Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and Department of Immunology, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine that promotes CD4⁺ T cell homeostasis and contributes to allergic and inflammatory responses. TSLP can act directly on mouse CD4⁺ T cells, but in humans, the available data have indicated that TSLP receptors are not expressed on CD4⁺ T cells and that TSLP instead activates dendritic cells, which in turn promote the proliferation and differentiation of CD4⁺ T cells. We now unexpectedly demonstrate the presence of TSLP receptors on activated human CD4⁺ T cells. Strikingly, whereas freshly isolated peripheral blood human T cells show little if any response to TSLP, TCR stimulation allows a potent response to this cytokine. Moreover, TSLP increases the sensitivity of human CD4⁺ T cells to low doses of IL-2, augmenting responsiveness of these cells to TCR engagement. Our results establish that human CD4⁺ T cells are direct targets for TSLP.

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

¹ Current address: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

² Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Warren J. Leonard, Building 10, Room 7B05, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1674. E-mail: wjl{at}helix.nih.gov

³ Abbreviations used in this paper: TSLP, thymic stromal lymphopoietin; KO, knockout; DC, dendritic cell; 7-AAD, 7-aminoactinomycin D.