| First Author | Hook S | Year | 1999 |
| Journal | Immunol Cell Biol | Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 385-90 |
| PubMed ID | 10540203 | Mgi Jnum | J:110538 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3640460 | Doi | 10.1046/j.1440-1711.1999.00842.x |
| Citation | Hook S, et al. (1999) Preproenkephalin is a Th2 cytokine but is not required for Th2 differentiation in vitro. Immunol Cell Biol 77(5):385-90 |
| abstractText | Preproenkephalin (PPNK) mRNA expression has been detected in many cells of the immune system, including monocytes and lymphocytes. In the present paper, the expression of PPNK mRNA in purified CD4+ Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte subpopulations is investigated and correlated with the presence of the opioid neuropeptides leu- and met-enkephalin. We found that PPNK mRNA and met-enkephalin were present at higher levels in the Th2 cultures compared with the Th1 cultures. Lymphocytes from PPNK-deficient mice were then used to look at the role of PPNK in Th2 lymphocyte differentiation. Lymphocytes from these mice could be driven into a Th2 phenotype, suggesting that cultures containing IL-4 do not require PPNK for Th2 differentiation. |