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,¶,||,¶ Department of Biochemistry Biophysics and Genetics, the Department of Immunology, the || Department of Pharmacology, and the ¶ Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80262
Antigen injection into animals causes antigen-specific T cells to become activated and, rapidly thereafter, die. This antigen-induced death is inhibited by inflammation. To find out how inflammation has this effect, various cytokines were tested for their ability to interfere with the rapid death of activated T cells. T cells were activated in vivo, isolated, and cultured with the test reagents. Two groups of cytokines were active, members of the interleukin 2 family and the interferons (IFNs)
and β. This activity of IFN-/β has not been described previously. It was due to direct effects of the IFNs on the T cells and was not mediated by induction of a second cytokine such as interleukin 15. IFN-
did not slow the death of activated T cells, and therefore the activity of IFN-/β was not mediated only by activation of Stat 1, a protein that is affected by both classes of IFN. IFN-/β did not raise the levels of Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL in T cells. Therefore, their activity was distinct from that of members of the interleukin 2 family or CD28 engagement. Since IFN-/β are very efficiently generated in response to viral and bacterial infections, these molecules may be among the signals that the immune system uses to prevent activated T cell death during infections.
Key Words: interferon • apoptosis • interferon type I • cell survival • T cell
1 Abbreviations used in this paper: CFSE, carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester; CY, cychrome; SEB, staphylococcal enterotoxin B.
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