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Interleukin-13 interferes with activation-induced t-cell apoptosis by repressing p53 expression

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 13, pages 669–677 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

The etiology and the underlying mechanism of CD4+ T-cell polarization are unclear. This study sought to investigate the mechanism by which interleukin (IL)-13 prevents the activation-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells. Here we report that CD4+ T cells expressed IL-13 receptor α2 in the intestine of sensitized mice. IL-13 suppressed both the activation-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells and the expression of p53 and FasL. Exposure to recombinant IL-13 inhibited activation-induced cell death (AICD) along with the expression of p53, caspase 3, and tumor necrosis factor-α in CD4+ T cells. Administration of an anti-IL-13 antibody enhanced the effect of specific immunotherapy on allergic inflammation in the mouse intestine, enforced the expression of p53 in intestinal CD4+ T cells, and enhanced the frequency of CD4+ T-cell apoptosis upon challenge with specific antigens. In summary, blocking IL-13 enhances the therapeutic effect of antigen-specific immunotherapy by regulating apoptosis and thereby enforcing AICD in CD4+ T cells.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of China (81370497, 81373176 and 31400856), the Research Project in the 12th five-year-plan of Ministry of Science and Technology (2011BAZ03384), the Innovation of Science and Technology Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (JCYJ20140418095735538 and JCYJ20140411150916749), and the Natural Science Foundation of SZU (No. 000004).

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Author notes

  1. Dr. Ping-Chang Yang, (Room 204 of Medical School Building, 3688 Nanhai Ave, Shenzhen, China. Tel: 8675586172722; Fax: 8675586671906. E-mail: pcy2356@163.com)

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, the Zhengzhou People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China

    Li Yang

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China

    Li Yang & Peng-Yuan Zheng

  3. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease for Allergy at Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China

    Ling-Zhi Xu, Zhi-Qiang Liu, Gui Yang, Xiao-Rui Geng, Li-Hua Mo, Zhi-Gang Liu & Ping-Chang Yang

  4. ENT Institute of Shenzhen University, Longgang Central Hospital, Shenzhen, China

    Zhi-Qiang Liu, Zhi-Qiang Liu, Gui Yang, Gui Yang, Xiao-Rui Geng & Xiao-Rui Geng

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Yang, L., Xu, LZ., Liu, ZQ. et al. Interleukin-13 interferes with activation-induced t-cell apoptosis by repressing p53 expression. Cell Mol Immunol 13, 669–677 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2015.50

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