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Biological effects of IL-21 on different immune cells and its role in autoimmune diseases.

Abstract
Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a member of the common γ-chain cytokines with broad pleiotropic actions that affects different immune and nonimmune cells. IL-21 can affect differentiation, proliferation and function of T and B cells; it can also induce the maturation and enhance the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells and Natural killer (NK) cells. IL-21 exerts major effects on B-cell activation and differentiation or apoptosis during humoral immune responses and induces differentiation of naïve B cells and memory B cells into plasma cells. IL-21 also affects different subtypes of T cells including T helper-17 (TH17), T follicular helper (TFH) and regulatory T (Treg) cells and thereby promotes the development of autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases. Observations have shown that the blockade of IL-21 has therapeutic effects on various autoimmune diseases in animal models. A better understanding of the regulation of cell differentiation and stabilization by IL-21 in the context of each specific autoimmune disease or tissue-specific pathological microenvironments will be helpful in developing novel treatments to control autoimmune diseases. Herein, we review the biological effects of IL-21 on different immune cells and uncover the emerging role of this interesting cytokine in autoimmune diseases.
AuthorsTohid Gharibi, Jafar Majidi, Tohid Kazemi, Rashedeh Dehghanzadeh, Morteza Motallebnezhad, Zohreh Babaloo
JournalImmunobiology (Immunobiology) Vol. 221 Issue 2 Pg. 357-67 (Feb 2016) ISSN: 1878-3279 [Electronic] Netherlands
PMID26466984 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
CopyrightCopyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
Chemical References
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Interleukins
  • interleukin-21
Topics
  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases (genetics, immunology, pathology)
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Dendritic Cells (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors (therapeutic use)
  • Interleukins (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics, immunology, pharmacology)
  • Killer Cells, Natural (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Plasma Cells (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory (drug effects, immunology, pathology)

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