The Effect of Beta Interferon on Dendritic Cells and Cytokine Synthesis by CD4+ T Cells

Abstract

<b>Background</b>: Dendritic cells (DC) are a key regulator of the immune response, and interferon- beta (IFN-β) is considered an immunomodulatory molecule for DC. <br/><b>Objective</b>: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of IFN-β treated DC to induce cytokine secretion by CD4+ T cells. <br/><b>Methods</b>: Dendritic cells were generated from blood monocytes with granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4 with or without IFN-β. We analyzed the production of CD4+ T helper cytokines (IL-17, IFN- γ and IL-10) in the supernatant of the dendritic cell-T cell co- cultures by ELISA. We also studied the effects of HLA-G and costimulatory molecules on immature and mature DC. <br/><b>Results</b>: IFN-γ and IL-17 decreased significantly in the presence of HLA-Gbearing DC compared to control cultures (p<0.05). <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: Using the mixed leukocyte reaction, we found that DC treated with IFN-β mediated the inhibition of T cell activation via cytokine production. We conclude that this is important for preventing overactivation of the immune system.