期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2002
卷号：99
期号：20
页码：13031-13036
DOI：10.1073/pnas.192162899
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Regulatory CD25+CD4+ T cells are considered as important players in T cell homeostasis and self-tolerance. Here we report that the integrin E{beta}7, which recognizes epithelial cadherin, identifies the most potent subpopulation of regulatory CD25+ T cells. Strikingly, CD25-negative E+CD4+ T cells displayed regulatory activity. Both E+ subsets, CD25+ and CD25-, express CTLA-4, suppress T cell proliferation in vitro, and protect mice from colitis in the severe combined immunodeficient model (SCID) in vivo. Whereas E+CD25+ T cells produce almost no cytokines, E+CD25- T cells represent a unique subset in which high IL-2, IFN-{gamma} and T helper 2-cytokine production is linked with suppressive function. Thus, the integrin E{beta}7 can be regarded as a novel marker for subsets of highly potent, functionally distinct regulatory T cells specialized for crosstalk with epithelial environments.
