@article{18848,
  keywords = {Cytoplasm, Humans, Interleukin-15, leprosy, Monocytes, Mycobacterium leprae, RNA, Messenger, T-Lymphocytes},
  author = {Jullien D and Sieling P A and Uyemura K and Mar N D and Rea T H and Modlin R L},
  title = {IL-15, an immunomodulator of T cell responses in intracellular infection.},
  abstract = {<p>IL-15 is a novel cytokine with potent T cell growth factor activity. Here, we investigated the role of IL-15 in the human immune response to intracellular infection by studying patients leprosy. We found that IL-15 mRNA and protein were more strongly expressed in immunologically resistant tuberculoid patients than in with unresponsive and susceptible lepromatous patients. In vitro, Mycobacterium leprae induced IL-15 secretion from peripheral blood monocytes. Furthermore, rIL-15 by itself and in combination with rIL-2 or rIL-7 augmented PBMC proliferative responses to the pathogen. Although rIL-15 expanded the CD3-CD56+ (NK) subset, rIL-15 combined with M. leprae induced the expansion of CD3+CD56+ T cells. Immunohistologic analysis of leprosy skin lesions indicated that the frequency of CD56+ cells was greatest in the group of patients with high IL-15 expression, and that >90% of the CD56+ cells in lesions were CD3+ T cells. Therefore, IL-15 augments the local T cell response to human intracellular pathogen.</p>},
  year = {1997},
  journal = {Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)},
  volume = {158},
  pages = {800-6},
  month = {1997 Jan 15},
  issn = {0022-1767},
  language = {eng},
}