ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cell Research (2006)16: 902-907
© 2006 IBCB, SIBS, CAS All rights reserved 1001-0602/06 $ 30.00
www.nature.com/cr

Expression and regulation of IL-22 in the IL-17-producing CD4+ T lymphocytes

Yeonseok Chung, Xuexian Yang, Seon Hee Chang, Li Ma, Qiang Tian, Chen Dong

¹Department of Immunology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; 2Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98103, USA

Correspondence: Chen Dong Tel: +1-713-563-3203; Fax: +1-713-563-0604; E-mail: cdong@mdanderson.org Received 26 September 2006; revised 6 October 2006; accepted 10 October 2006; published online 7 November 2006

Download as printable (PDF) file Full Text (html)file Search Medline for articles by: Yeonseok Chung

IL-22 is a novel cytokine in the IL-10 family that functions to promote innate immunity of tissues against infection. Although CD4+ helper T lymphocytes (TH) were found as a source of IL-22, the regulation of this cytokine has been poorly understood. Here, we show that IL-22 is expressed at both mRNA and protein levels by a novel subset of TH cells that also makes IL-17. IL-22 and IL-17 were found to be coordinately regulated by TGFb and IL-6 during TH differentiation by real-time PCR as well as ELISA analysis. However, IL-22 does not regulate TH differentiation; exogenous IL-22 or an IL-22 antagonist had no effect on TH differentiation. These data demonstrate a novel cytokine expressed by IL-17-producing T cells, and suggest interaction and synergy of IL-22 and IL-17 signaling pathways in tissue inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

Cell Research (2006) 16:902-907. doi:10.1038/sj.cr.7310106; published online 7 November 2006

Keywords: cytokines, helper T cells, T cell activation, gene regulation