Differential Effects of lnterleukin-7 and lnterleukin-2 on T-Cell Receptor γδ-Expressing Cells within CD4––CD8–– Postnatal Human Thymocytes
- 1 January 1993
- journal article
- research article
- Published by S. Karger AG in International Archives of Allergy and Immunology
- Vol. 102 (4) , 321-326
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000236578
Abstract
Highly purified CD4––8–– double-negative (DN) human thymocytes proliferated significantly more in response to interleukin (IL)-7 than to IL-2 in a dose-dependent fashion. Both IL-7 and IL-2 promoted the appearance of T-cell receptor (TCR) γδ-expressing cells in single cell suspension culture of DN thymocytes. While IL-7 exerted a vigorous growth-stimulating effect on TCR γδ-bearing DN thymocytes, IL-2 preferentially maintained the viability of γδ thymocytes without promoting their strong proliferation. In both instances, the major subset of γδ thymocytes expressed Vδ1 rather than Vδ2 as a variable δ-chain element on their surface. These results reveal differential effects of IL·7 and IL·2 on TCR γδ-bearing human thymocytes and underline the importance of both ILs in the development of DN thymocytes.Keywords
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