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1: Science. 1995 Nov 10;270(5238):985-8.Click here to read Links
Comment on:
Science. 1995 Nov 10;270(5238):932-3.

Lymphoproliferative disorders with early lethality in mice deficient in Ctla-4.

Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The role of the cell-surface molecule CTLA-4 in the regulation of T cell activation has been controversial. Here, lymph nodes and spleens of CTLA-4-deficient mice accumulated T cell blasts with up-regulated activation markers. These blast cells also infiltrated liver, heart, lung, and pancreas tissue, and amounts of serum immunoglobulin were elevated. The mice invariably became moribund by 3 to 4 weeks of age. Although CTLA-4-deficient T cells proliferated spontaneously and strongly when stimulated through the T cell receptor, they were sensitive to cell death induced by cross-linking of the Fas receptor and by gamma irradiation. Thus, CTLA-4 acts as a negative regulator of T cell activation and is vital for the control of lymphocyte homeostasis.

PMID: 7481803 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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