Roles of interleukin-21 and its receptor in autoimmune diseases.
- Author:
De-Juan YANG
1
,
2
;
Bo HAN
Author Information
1. Department of pediatric Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250021, China. hanbo35@
2. com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
Autoimmune Diseases;
etiology;
immunology;
Dendritic Cells;
immunology;
Humans;
Interleukins;
physiology;
Killer Cells, Natural;
immunology;
Lymphocytes;
immunology;
Receptors, Interleukin-21;
physiology
- From:
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
2016;18(5):466-471
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a new member of the interleukin-2 family. It is mainly synthesized and secreted by the activated of CD4(+) T cells and natural killer T cells. IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) is mainly expressed in T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. After binding to its receptor, IL-21 can regulate the activation and proliferation of T cells, B cells, and NK cells through activating JAKs-STATs signaling pathways. As a new immunoregulatory factor, IL-21 and its receptor play important roles in the development and progression of various autoimmune diseases. Regulation of the expression levels of IL-21 and IL-21R and blocking of their signal transduction pathways with blockers may be new treatment options for autoimmune diseases.
