Cr. Gattass et al., CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSION OF INTERFERON GAMMA-INDUCIBLE PROTEIN-10 IN LYMPHOID ORGANS AND INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION IN T-CELLS AND THYMOCYTES, The Journal of experimental medicine, 179(4), 1994, pp. 1373-1378
Interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), a member of a family of
small proinflammatory chemotactic polypeptides, is expressed in inter
feron gamma-stimulated keratinocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, and en
dothelial cells. Here we report that IP-10 is also expressed by activa
ted but not resting T hybridoma cells, normal T cells, and thymocytes.
Although resting lymphocytes did not synthesize IP-10, surprisingly h
igh levels of IP-10 transcripts were found in lymphoid organs (spleen,
thymus, and lymph nodes). Thymic and splenic stromal cells were found
to express constitutively high levels of both IP-10 mRNA and protein,
accounting for the high level of spontaneous expression in lymphoid t
issue. Therefore, in addition to its role as a proinflammatory cytokin
e, IP-10 may participate in T cell effector function and perhaps T cel
l development.