Cancer Institute A national cancer institute
designated cancer center

Eugene Butcher

Publication Details

  • The intestinal chemokine thymus-expressed chemokine (CCL25) attracts IgA antibody-secreting cells.

    Bowman EP, Kuklin NA, Youngman KR, Lazarus NH, Kunkel EJ, Pan J, Greenberg HB, Butcher EC. J Exp Med. 2002; 195 (2): 269-75

    Immunoglobulin A (IgA) provides protection against pathogens at mucosal surfaces. Chemotactic responses have been hypothesized to target IgA plasma cells involved in mucosal immune responses. We show here that thymus-expressed chemokine (TECK, CCL25) is a potent and selective chemoattractant for IgA antibody-secreting cells (ASC), efficiently recruiting IgA-producing cells from spleen, Peyer's patches, and mesenteric lymph node. Cells secreting IgA antibody in response to rotavirus, an intestinal pathogen, also respond well. In contrast, IgG- and IgM-ASC respond poorly. Epithelial cells in the small intestines, a principal site of IgA-ASC localization and IgA production in the body, highly and selectively express TECK. The migration of IgA-ASC to the intestinal epithelial cell chemokine TECK may help target IgA-producing cells to the gut wall, thus helping define and segregate the intestinal immune response.

    PubMedID: 11805153

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