Interleukin-2 inhibits germinal center formation by limiting T follicular helper cell differentiation.

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells promote T cell-dependent humoral immune responses by providing T cell help to B cells and by promoting germinal center (GC) formation and long-lived antibody responses. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control Tfh cell differentiation in vivo are incompletely understood. Here we show that interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration impaired influenza-specific GCs, long-lived IgG responses, and Tfh cells. IL-2 did not directly inhibit GC formation, but instead suppressed the differentiation of Tfh cells, thereby hindering the maintenance of influenza-specific GC B cells. Our data demonstrate that IL-2 is a critical factor that regulates successful Tfh and B cell responses in vivo and regulates Tfh cell development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

André Ballesteros-Tato, Beatriz León, Beth A Graf, Amy Moquin, Pamela Scott Adams, Frances E Lund, Troy D Randall. Interleukin-2 inhibits germinal center formation by limiting T follicular helper cell differentiation. Immunity. 2012 May 25;36(5):847-56

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PMID: 22464171

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