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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
IL-17 contributes to CD4-mediated graft-versus-host disease
Lucy W Kappel1, Gabrielle L Goldberg, Christopher G King
1Department of Medicine and Immunology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Interleukin-17 (IL-17) plays a role in the early stages of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by promoting inflammatory cytokines. However, IL-17 is not essential for overall GVHD mortality or graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Transplantation immunology
- Cellular immunology
Background:
- CD4(+) T helper 17 (Th17) cells are linked to allograft rejection and autoimmune diseases.
- The specific role of Th17 cells in acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of IL-17-producing T cells in acute GVHD.
- To determine the contribution of IL-17 to GVHD mortality and graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity.
Main Methods:
- Allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) model in mice.
- Comparison of GVHD and GVT activity between wild-type (WT) and IL-17(-/-) T-cell recipients.
- Analysis of T-cell populations, cytokine production, and inflammatory markers.
Main Results:
- IL-17(-/-) CD4(+) T cells delayed GVHD development but did not affect overall mortality.
- Recipients of IL-17(-/-) CD4(+) T cells showed reduced Th1 cells and decreased proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-6).
- IL-17 was dispensable for GVT activity mediated by whole T cells.
Conclusions:
- IL-17 is not essential for acute GVHD or GVT activity when considering whole T cells.
- IL-17 contributes to the early phase of CD4-mediated GVHD by enhancing the production of proinflammatory cytokines.
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