IL-21 is a member of the common γ-chain signaling family of cytokines. Analyses of the behavior of immune cells in response to IL-21 in vitro and studies of mice deficient in IL-21 or its receptor indicate that IL-21 has a role in lymphocyte activation, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. IL-21-producing CD4(+) Th cells constitute a broad array of helper subtypes including T follicula...

IL-21 is a recently described cytokine, produced by activated Th cells, that shares significant homology with members of the IL-2 family of cytokines. IL-21 mediates its biological effects via the IL-21R in conjunction with the common receptor gamma-chain that is also shared by members of the IL-2 family. We report that culture of human primary NK and CD8+ T cells with IL-21 in combination with...

Gene profiling studies have indicated that in vitro differentiated human megakaryocytes express the receptor for IL-21 (IL-21R), an immunostimulatory cytokine associated with inflammatory disorders and currently under evaluation in cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IL-21 modulates megakaryopoiesis. We first checked the expression of IL-21 receptor on human bone ma...

INTRODUCTION The present study aimed to explore a possible role for IL-21 producing Th-cells in the immunopathogenesis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS Peripheral blood from 42 GPA patients in remission and 29 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were stimulated in vitro, and the frequencies of IL-21 producing Th-cells were determined by flow cytometry. Since Th17-cells produc...

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that target the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) can prevent virus acquisition, but several Env properties limit its ability to induce an antibody response that is of sufficient quantity and quality. The immunogenicity of Env can be increased by fusion to co-stimulatory molecules and here we describe novel soluble Env trimers with embedded interleukin-4...

INTRODUCTION Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a cytokine which plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Genetic polymorphisms in the IL-21 gene may alter the synthesis of IL-21. The aim of this study was to examine IL-21 and IL-21R polymorphisms in patients with RA. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined 422 patients with RA and 338 healthy controls. ...

Inflammation is an important reaction underlying lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Th17 cells play a critical role in immune activation. Interleukin (IL)-21 controls the functional activity of effector T-helper cells and the differentiation of Th17 cells, and promotes B-cell differentiation. It plays important roles in chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. However, little is known about rel...

High expression of IL-21 and/or IL-21R has been described in T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases characterized by defects of counterregulatory mechanisms. CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are a T cell subset involved in the control of the immune responses. A diminished ability of these cells to inhibit T cell activation has been documented in immune-inflammatory diseases, raising the p...

Interleukin (IL-21) is a member of the type I cytokine family with sequence homology to IL-2, IL-4, and IL-15. IL-21 has been reported to improve symptoms of allergic rhinitis in mice. In this study we examined whether IL-21 signaling involved in allergic airway inflammation and remodeling in vivo by using ovalbumin (OVA)-induced chronic asthma model. We showed IL-21 level was increased in the ...