| First Author | Ozaki K | Year | 2002 |
| Journal | Science | Volume | 298 |
| Issue | 5598 | Pages | 1630-4 |
| PubMed ID | 12446913 | Mgi Jnum | J:80474 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2445909 | Doi | 10.1126/science.1077002 |
| Citation | Ozaki K, et al. (2002) A critical role for IL-21 in regulating immunoglobulin production. Science 298(5598):1630-4 |
| abstractText | The cytokine interleukin-21 (IL-21) is closely related to IL-2 and IL-15, and their receptors all share the common cytokine receptor gamma chain, gammac, which is mutated in humans with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disease (XSCID). We demonstrate that, although mice deficient in the receptor for IL-21 (IL-21R) have normal lymphoid development, after immunization, these animals have higher production of the immunoglobulin IgE, but lower IgG1, than wild-type animals. Mice lacking both IL-4 and IL-21R exhibited a significantly more pronounced phenotype, with dysgammaglobulinemia, characterized primarily by a severely impaired IgG response. Thus, IL-21 has a significant influence on the regulation of B cell function in vivo and cooperates with IL-4. This suggests that these gammac-dependent cytokines may be those whose inactivation is primarily responsible for the B cell defect in humans with XSCID. |
