Maturing dendritic cells are an important source of IL-29 and IL-20 that may cooperatively increase the innate immunity of keratinocytes

J Leukoc Biol. 2008 May;83(5):1181-93. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0807525. Epub 2008 Feb 15.

Abstract

IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, IL-26, IL-28, and IL-29 are new members of the IL-10 interferon family. Monocytes are well-known sources of IL-19, IL-20, and IL-24. We demonstrated here that monocytes also expressed IL-29, and monocyte differentiation into macrophages (Mphi) or dendritic cells (DCs) strongly changed their production capacity of these cytokines. Maturation of DCs with bacterial stimuli induced high expression of IL-28/IL-29 and IL-20. Simulated T cell interaction and inflammatory cytokines induced IL-29 and IL-20 in maturing DCs, respectively. Compared with monocytes, DCs expressed only minimal IL-19 levels and no IL-24. The differentiation of monocytes into Mphi reduced their IL-19 and terminated their IL-20, IL-24, and IL-29 production capacity. Like monocytes, neither Mphi nor DCs expressed IL-22 or IL-26. The importance of maturing DCs as a source of IL-28/IL-29 was supported by the much higher mRNA levels of these mediators in maturing DCs compared with those in CMV-infected fibroblasts, and the presence of IL-28 in lymph nodes but not in liver of lipopolysaccharide-injected mice. IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, and IL-26 do not seem to affect Mphi or DCs as deduced from the lack of corresponding receptor chains. The significance of IL-20 and IL-28/IL-29 coexpression in maturing DCs may lie in the broadly amplified innate immunity in neighboring tissue cells like keratinocytes. In fact, IL-20 induced the expression of antimicrobial proteins, whereas IL-28/IL-29 enhanced the expression of toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the response to TLR ligands. However, the strongest response to TLR2 and TLR3 activation showed keratinocytes in the simultaneous presence of IL-20 and IL-29.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Child
  • Chondrocytes / cytology
  • Chondrocytes / immunology
  • Chondrocytes / physiology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Interferons
  • Interleukins / physiology*
  • Keratinocytes / immunology*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Monocytes / cytology
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Reference Values
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / physiology
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / physiology

Substances

  • interferon-lambda, human
  • Interleukins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • TLR2 protein, human
  • TLR4 protein, human
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Interferons
  • interleukin 20