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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Generation of Induced Regulatory T Cells from Primary Human Naïve and Memory T Cells
Published on: April 16, 2012
Differential regulation of antigen-induced IL-4 and IL-13 generation from T lymphocytes by IFN-alpha
D M Essayan1, G Krishnaswamy, A Oriente
1Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Background:
IL-4 and IL-13 are related cytokines with similar functional properties. Differential regulation of IL-4 and IL-13 has not been described.
Objective:
We have examined the effects of IFN-alpha on antigen-driven proliferation, IL-4 generation, and IL-13 generation from human PBMCs and T-cell clones.
Methods:
Proliferation was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Cytokine generation was assessed by reverse transcription PCR and ELISA. Messenger RNA stability was assessed in the presence of actinomycin D.
Results:
IFN-alpha induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of antigen-driven proliferation of TH1 and TH2 clones (median effective concentration, 150 to 200 U/mL); the sensitivity of TH1 and TH2 clones to IFN-alpha was not significantly different (P =.6). IFN-alpha induced an analogous concentration-dependent inhibition of antigen-driven IL-13 generation from TH1 and TH2 clones (median effective concentration, 100 U/mL); this effect was evident by 12 hours of culture and persisted beyond 48 hours. However, IL-4 generation from TH2 clones was insensitive to IFN-alpha at all concentrations and times tested (1 to 10,000 U/mL). A similar inhibitory effect of IFN-alpha on mitogen-driven proliferation and IL-13 generation from PBMCs was demonstrated; once again, IL-4 generation from PBMCs was insensitive to IFN-alpha. IL-13 mRNA stability was unaffected by IFN-alpha, suggesting transcriptional regulation.
Conclusion:
IFN-alpha differentially regulates antigen-stimulated IL-4 and IL-13 generation.
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