Comparison of sensitivity of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis

Following activation through the TCR, CD4+ T cells can differentiate into three major subsets: Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells. IL-17-secreting Th17 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases and in immune responses to pathogens, but little is known about the regulation of apoptosis in Th17 cells. In this study, the sensitivity of in vitro-polarized Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis was compared directly by different methods. The order of sensitivity of T cell subsets to Fas-mediated apoptosis is: Th1 > Th17 > Th2. The greater sensitivity of Th17 cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis compared with Th2 cells correlated with their higher expression of FasL and comparable expression of the antiapoptotic molecule FLIP. The decreased sensitivity of Th17 compared with Th1 cells correlated with the higher expression of FLIP by Th17 cells. Transgenic overexpression of FLIP in T cells protected all three subsets from Fas-mediated apoptosis. These findings provide new knowledge for understanding how survival of different subsets of T cells is regulated.