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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Mouse Naïve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets
Published on: April 16, 2015
IL-1 acts directly on CD4 T cells to enhance their antigen-driven expansion and differentiation
Shlomo Z Ben-Sasson1, Jane Hu-Li, Juan Quiel
1Laboratory of Immunology, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1892, USA..
IL-1 causes a marked increase in the degree of expansion of naïve and memory CD4 T cells in response to challenge with their cognate antigen. The response occurs when only specific CD4 T cells can respond to IL-1beta, is not induced by a series of other cytokines and does not depend on IL-6 or CD-28. When WT cells are primed in IL-1R1(-/-) recipients, IL-1 increases the proportion of cytokine-producing transgenic CD4 T cells, especially IL-17- and IL-4-producing cells, strikingly increases serum IgE levels and serum IgG1 levels. IL-1beta enhances antigen-mediated expansion of in vitro primed Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells transferred to IL-1R1(-/-) recipients. The IL-1 receptor antagonist diminished responses to antigen plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by approximately 55%. These results indicate that IL-1beta signaling in T cells markedly induces robust and durable primary and secondary CD4 responses.
IL-1 causes a marked increase in the degree of expansion of naïve and memory CD4 T cells in response to challenge with their cognate antigen. The response occurs when only specific CD4 T cells can respond to IL-1beta, is not induced by a series of other cytokines and does not depend on IL-6 or CD-28. When WT cells are primed in IL-1R1(-/-) recipients, IL-1 increases the proportion of cytokine-producing transgenic CD4 T cells, especially IL-17- and IL-4-producing cells, strikingly increases serum IgE levels and serum IgG1 levels. IL-1beta enhances antigen-mediated expansion of in vitro primed Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells transferred to IL-1R1(-/-) recipients. The IL-1 receptor antagonist diminished responses to antigen plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by approximately 55%. These results indicate that IL-1beta signaling in T cells markedly induces robust and durable primary and secondary CD4 responses.
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