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Cytokine Production and Responsiveness of Fetal T‐Cell Receptor Vγ3 Thymocytes
Author(s) -
LECLERCQ G.,
SMEDT M.,
PLUM J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1992.tb03145.x
Subject(s) - t cell receptor , cytokine , biology , receptor , immunology , t cell , fetus , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , medicine , immune system , biochemistry , pregnancy , genetics
The aim of this study was to examine the cytokine production and cytokine responsiveness of the first T‐cell receptor (TcR) positive cells that appear in the murine fetal thymus, namely TcR Vγ3 cells. It is shown that IL‐2‐cultured fetal TcR Vγ3 thymocytes were capable of producing IL‐3, GM‐CSF, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ upon TcR triggering. IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐6 could not be detected. With regard to cytokine responsiveness, TcR Vγ3 cells proliferated to a high extent when high concentrations of rIL‐2 were added. rIL‐4or rIL‐7 alone, but not rIL‐1 alone, were capable of inducing a modest proliferation of TcR Vγ3 thymocytes. When combined with low concentrations of IL‐2, a synergistic effect could be observed with IL‐1, IL‐4 or IL‐7. It is shown that the synergistic effect of IL‐2 with IL‐4 was mainly due to induction of IL‐2 receptor expression. The synergistic effect of IL‐2 and IL‐7 on the proliferation of TcR Vγ3 cells could only be partially inhibited by anti‐IL‐2 receptor MoAb, and this antibody had no effcet on the IL‐2 + IL‐1 cultures. These observations can explain the extensive proliferation of TcR Vγ3 thymocytes during fetal life and they indicate that TcR Vγ3 thymocytes have the potential to play a functional role during fetal thymus development.