IL-15 augments TCR-Induced CD4+ T Cell Expansion In Vitro by Inhibiting the Suppressive Function of CD25High CD4+ T Cells

Van Belle, Tom L., Dooms, Hans, Boonefaes, Tom, Wei, Xiao-Qing ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6274-8503, Leclercq, Georges and Grooten, Johan 2012. IL-15 augments TCR-Induced CD4+ T Cell Expansion In Vitro by Inhibiting the Suppressive Function of CD25High CD4+ T Cells. Plos One 7 (9) , e45299. 10.1371/journal.pone.0045299

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Abstract

Due to its critical role in NK cell differentiation and CD8+ T cell homeostasis, the importance of IL-15 is more firmly established for cytolytic effectors of the immune system than for CD4+ T cells. The increased levels of IL-15 found in several CD4+ T cell-driven (auto-) immune diseases prompted us to examine how IL-15 influences murine CD4+ T cell responses to low dose TCR-stimulation in vitro. We show that IL-15 exerts growth factor activity on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in a TCR-dependent and Cyclosporin A-sensitive manner. In CD4+ T cells, IL-15 augmented initial IL-2-dependent expansion and once IL-15Rα was upregulated, IL-15 sustained the TCR-induced expression of IL-2/15Rβ, supporting proliferation independently of secreted IL-2. Moreover, IL-15 counteracts CD4+ T cell suppression by a gradually expanding CD25HighCD4+ T cell subset that expresses Foxp3 and originates from CD4+CD25+ Tregs. These in vitro data suggest that IL-15 may dramatically strengthen the T cell response to suboptimal TCR-triggering by overcoming an activation threshold set by Treg that might create a risk for autoimmune pathology.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
Schools:	Dentistry
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
ISSN:	1932-6203
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	21 May 2023 23:37
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/39809

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