Despite over 20 years of clinical use, IL-2 has not fulfilled expectations as a safe and effective form of tumour immunotherapy. Expression of the high affinity IL-2Rα chain on regulatory T cells mitigates the anti-tumour immune response and its expression on vascular endothelium is responsible for life threatening complications such as diffuse capillary leak and pulmonary oedema. Here we descr...

T cells integrate cell-specific Ag receptor signaling with shared signals mediated by secreted cytokines, which often involve regulatory feedback loops. IL-2 signaling, for example, reduces the synthesis of IL-2 and increases the synthesis of IL-2Rα-chain, whereas both genes require TCR signaling for their activation. The ways by which T cells dynamically integrate these private and public sign...

Interkeukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) is comprised of three different subunits (α, β, and γ chain) and is expressed on B cells and NK cells besides T cells. CD25 is also known as the IL-2Rα chain on cell membranes, while soluble IL-2R (sIL-2R) is generated by the proteolytic cleavage of the IL-2Rα chain. Levels of sIL-2R in sera are monitored as a marker of disease activity in patients with lymphoma. ...

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes central to anti-viral and anti-tumour responses. Activated NK upregulate IL-2Rα, promoting the formation of a high-affinity heterotrimeric IL-2Rαβγ that mediates cell expansion enhances cytotoxicity. Several applications cancer immunotherapy, including using chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), have shown early success in clinical studies. ...

GB virus type C (GBV-C) viremia is associated with reduced CD4+ T cell expansion following IL-2 therapy and with a reduction in T cell activation in HIV-infected individuals. The mechanism(s) by which GBV-C might alter T cell activation or IL-2 signaling have not been studied. In this study, we assess IL-2 release, IL-2R expression, IL-2 signaling, and cell proliferation in tet-off Jurkat cells...

The IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) α chain (CD25), but not the IL-2R β chain, is induced on dendritic cells (DC) by brief periods of culture. To test if this IL-2Rα is important for DC function, DC were isolated from the spleens of mutant mice with the IL-2Rα gene disrupted and compared with normal DC for ability to stimulate proliferation of allogeneic CD4 and CD8 T cells in culture. The IL-2Rα null DC...

BACKGROUND Blood and plasma donor screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), and antibodies to surface (anti-HBs) and core (anti-HBc) antigens allows identification of individuals who acquired HBV despite previous HBV vaccination. METHODS Of 14 HBV acute infection donor panels (HBV-DNA-positive/anti-HBc-negative), 6 donors were previously vaccinated (anti-HBs+). W...

Cytokines are fundamental for a functioning immune system, and thus, potentially serve as important indicators of animal health. Quantitation of mRNA using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is an established immunological technique. It is particularly suitable for detecting the expression of proteins against which monoclonal antibodies are not available. In ...

OBJECTIVE To identify plasma markers predictive of therapeutic response in patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). METHODS Fifty HIV-negative patients with active pulmonary MDR-TB were analysed for six soluble analytes in plasma at the time of initiating treatment (baseline) and over six months thereafter. Patients were identified as sputum culture positive or negative at bas...