IL-7 plays a critical role for the homeostasis of allergen-specific memory CD4 T cells in the lung and airways.

ABSTRACT: Memory T cells respond rapidly to repeated antigen exposure and can maintain their population for extended periods through self-renewal. These characteristics of memory T cells have mainly been studied during viral infections, whereas their existence and functions in allergic diseases have been studied incompletely. Since allergic patients can suffer repeated relapses caused by intermittent allergen exposure, we hypothesized that allergen- specific memory Th2 cells are present and the factors necessary for the maintenance of these cells are provided by the lung and airways. Using a murine model of airway inflammation, we found that allergen-specific CD4 T cells survived longer than 70 days in the lung and airways in an IL-7 dependent fashion. These T cells showing homeostatic proliferation

SUBMITTER: Yeon SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5593957 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature