Cytokines in Follicular Helper T Cell Biology in Physiologic and Pathologic Conditions

Jinyong Choi; Shane Crotty; Youn Soo Choi

doi:10.4110/in.2024.24.e8

Cytokines in Follicular Helper T Cell Biology in Physiologic and Pathologic Conditions

Immune Netw. 2024 Feb 14;24(1):e8. doi: 10.4110/in.2024.24.e8. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Jinyong Choi^{1

2}, Shane Crotty^{3

4}, Youn Soo Choi^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea.
² Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea.
³ Center for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
⁴ Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.
⁷ Transplantation Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea.

Abstract

Follicular helper T cells (Tfh) play a crucial role in generating high-affinity antibodies (Abs) and establishing immunological memory. Cytokines, among other functional molecules produced by Tfh, are central to germinal center (GC) reactions. This review focuses on the role of cytokines, including IL-21 and IL-4, in regulating B cell responses within the GC, such as differentiation, affinity maturation, and plasma cell development. Additionally, this review explores the impact of other cytokines like CXCL13, IL-10, IL-9, and IL-2 on GC responses and their potential involvement in autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancer. This review highlights contributions of Tfh-derived cytokines to both protective immunity and immunopathology across a spectrum of diseases. A deeper understanding of Tfh cytokine biology holds promise for insights into biomedical conditions.

Keywords: B cell; Cytokine; Follicular helper T cell; Germinal center; Plasma cell.

Publication types

Review