Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6119256 | Journal of Autoimmunity | 2015 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
The interleukin-15 (IL-15) system is important for regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses, however, its role in autoimmune disease remained unclear. Here we found that Il15â/â and Il15raâ/â mice spontaneously developed late-onset autoimmune phenotypes. CD4+ T cells of the knockout mice showed elevated autoreactivity as demonstrated by the induction of lymphocyte infiltration in the lacrimal and salivary glands when transferred into nude mice. The antigen-presenting cells in the thymic medullary regions expressed IL-15 and IL-15Rα, whose deficiency resulted in insufficient negative selection and elevated number of natural IL-17A-producing CD4+ thymocytes. These findings reveal previously unknown functions of the IL-15 system in thymocyte development, and thus a new layer of regulation in T cell-mediated autoimmunity.
Keywords
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Authors
Mau-Sheng Hou, Shih-Ting Huang, Ming-Han Tsai, Ching-Cheng Yen, Yein-Gei Lai, Yae-Huei Liou, Chih-Kung Lin, Nan-Shih Liao,