Role of Leptin and Ghrelin in Induction of Differentiation of IL-17-Producing and T-Regulatory Cells

• Published in: Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine 2014-04, Vol.156 (6), p.819-822
• Main Authors: Orlova, E. G., Shirshev, S. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Cell Biology; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Female; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescence; Forkhead Transcription Factors - metabolism; Ghrelin - pharmacology; Humans; Immunology and Microbiology; Interleukin-17 - metabolism; Internal Medicine; Laboratory Medicine; Leptin; Leptin - pharmacology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Pathology; Pregnancy; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - physiology
• ISSN: 0007-4888; 1573-8221
• DOI: 10.1007/s10517-014-2459-3

We studied isolated and combined effects of leptin and ghrelin on the formation of ILproducing and T-regulatory cells. Leptin in concentrations comparable with its normal blood concentration during pregnancy (trimester II-III) promotes differentiation of peripheral blood CD4 + cells to IL-17-producing cells and enhances IL-17A production, but suppresses the formation of T-regulatory cells in vitro . In contrast, ghrelin in a concentration typical of trimester I-II of pregnancy reduces the number of IL-17-producing cells, but stimulated the formation of T-regulatory cells. The effects of leptin and ghrelin in combination typical of trimester I-II of pregnancy stimulated the formation of T-regulatory cells, while in combination typical of trimester II-III did not shift the balance of T-regulatory cells and IL-17-producing cells, but stimulated the formation of IL-17A. We conclude that leptin and ghrelin play an important role in the maintenance of the balance of IL-17-producing and T-regulatory cells during pregnancy.