Abstract
Interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing T helper cells (T(H)-17 cells) have been characterized in mice as a distinct subset of effector cells, but their identity and properties in humans remain elusive. We report here that expression of CCR6 and CCR4 together identified human memory CD4+ T cells selectively producing IL-17 and expressing mRNA encoding the human ortholog of mouse RORgammat, a transcription factor, whereas CCR6 and CXCR3 identified T(H)1 cells producing interferon-gamma and T helper cells producing both interferon-gamma and IL-17. Memory T cells specific for Candida albicans were present mainly in the CCR6+CCR4+ T(H)-17 subset, whereas memory T cells specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were present in CCR6+CXCR3+ T helper type 1 subset. The elicitation of IL-17 responses correlated with the capacity of C. albicans hyphae to stimulate antigen-presenting cells for the priming of T(H)-17 responses in vitro and for the production of IL-23 but not IL-12. Our results demonstrate that human T(H)-17 cells have distinct migratory capacity and antigenic specificities and establish a link between microbial products, T helper cell differentiation and homing in response to fungal antigens.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 639-46 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Nature Immunology |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2007 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Antigens/immunology
- Candida albicans/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Humans
- Immunologic Memory/immunology
- Interleukin-17/biosynthesis
- Interleukin-23/biosynthesis
- Mice
- Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3
- Phenotype
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Receptors, CCR4
- Receptors, CCR6
- Receptors, CXCR3
- Receptors, Chemokine/metabolism
- Receptors, Retinoic Acid/genetics
- Receptors, Thyroid Hormone/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology