| First Author | Gagnon J | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 180 |
| Issue | 12 | Pages | 7958-68 |
| PubMed ID | 18523259 | Mgi Jnum | J:137246 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3798371 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.180.12.7958 |
| Citation | Gagnon J, et al. (2008) IL-6, in synergy with IL-7 or IL-15, stimulates TCR-independent proliferation and functional differentiation of CD8(+) T lymphocytes. J Immunol 180(12):7958-68 |
| abstractText | Recent reports have shown that IL-21, in synergy with IL-15, stimulates proliferation of CD8(+) T lymphocytes in the absence of signaling via the TCR. In this study, we show that IL-6, which induces phosphorylation of STAT3 similarly to IL-21, also can stimulate proliferation of CD8(+) T cells in synergy with IL-7 or IL-15. IL-6 displays a stronger synergy with IL-7 than with IL-15 to stimulate naive CD8(+) T cells. Concomitant stimulation by IL-6 or IL-21 augments phosphorylation and DNA-binding activity of STAT5 induced by IL-7 or IL-15. Like IL-21, IL-6 reduces the TCR signaling threshold required to stimulate CD8(+) T cells. Prior culture of P14 TCR transgenic CD8 T cells with IL-6 or IL-21 in the presence of IL-7 or IL-15 augments their proliferation and cytolytic activity upon subsequent stimulation by Ag. Furthermore, cytokine stimulation induces quantitatively and qualitatively distinct phenotypic changes on CD8(+) T cells compared with those induced by TCR signaling. We propose that the ability of IL-6 to induce TCR-independent activation of CD8(+) T cells in synergy with IL-7 or IL-15 may play an important role in the transition from innate to adaptive immunity. |
