Identification of a T follicular helper cell subset that drives anaphylactic IgE

We report a rare population of IL-13–producing TFH cells present in mice and humans with IgE to allergens, but not when allergen-specific IgE was absent or only low-affinity. These "TFH13" cells have an unusual cytokine profile (IL-13hiIL-4hiIL-5hiIL-21lo) and coexpress the transcription factors BCL6 and GATA3. TFH13 cells are required for production of high- but not low-affinity IgE and subsequent allergen-induced anaphylaxis. Blocking TFH13 cells may represent an alternative therapeutic target to ameliorate anaphylaxis.

Source: ScienceNOW - August 28, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Gowthaman, U., Chen, J. S., Zhang, B., Flynn, W. F., Lu, Y., Song, W., Joseph, J., Gertie, J. A., Xu, L., Collet, M. A., Grassmann, J. D. S., Simoneau, T., Chiang, D., Berin, M. C., Craft, J. E., Weinstein, J. S., Williams, A., Eisenbarth, S. C. Tags: Immunology, Online Only r-articles Source Type: news