IL-2-dependent gene expression by human regulatory T cells

This study determined the genes that are differetially expressed when regulatory T cells were stimulated in vitro with IL-2 388 Affymetrix targets were found to be up or down regulated in human regulatory T cells by IL-2 by two-fold or more. Gene enrichment analyss identified that IL-2 functions to regulate gene expression for mRNAs important for immune system processes, cell growth, cell death, inflammatory response, cell migration, and the Jak/Stat pathway, among others. A subset of these differentially expressed genes were distinctively expressed between individual subjects. Human regulatory T cells (Tregs) cells were FACS purified based on expression of CD4+ CD127-lo CD25-HI. These cells were cultured for 24 hr in media with or without IL-2 (100 u/ml). The cells were harvested, total RNA was prepared and processed to probe Affymetrix human Gene ST1.0 arrays.