IL13Rα2 expression identifies tissue-resident IL-22-producing PLZF+ innate T cells in the human liver. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Innate lymphocytes are selectively enriched in the liver where they have important roles in liver immunology. Murine studies have shown that type I NKT cells can promote liver inflammation, whereas type II NKT cells have an anti-inflammatory role. In humans, type II NKT cells were found to accumulate in the gut during inflammation and IL13Rα2 was proposed as a marker for these cells. In the human liver, less is known about type I and II NKT cells. Here, we studied the phenotype and function of human liver T cells expressing IL13Rα2. We found that IL13Rα2 was expressed by around 1% of liver-resident memory T cells but not on circulating T cells. In support of their innate-like T-cell character, the IL13Rα2+ T cells had higher expression of promyelocytic leukaemia zinc finger (PLZF) compared to IL13Rα2- T cells and possessed the capacity to produce IL-22. However, only a minority of human liver sulfatide-reactive type II NKT cells expressed IL13Rα2. Collectively, these findings suggest that IL13Rα2 identifies tissue-resident intrahepatic T cells with innate characteristics and the capacity to produce IL-22.

publication date

  • May 25, 2018

Research

keywords

  • Immunologic Memory
  • Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha2 Subunit
  • Interleukins
  • Liver
  • Natural Killer T-Cells
  • Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC6733416

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85047475943

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1002/eji.201747334

PubMed ID

  • 29677387

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 48

issue

  • 8