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IL-17 initiates tertiary lymphoid organ formation

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 9, pages 9–10 (2012)Cite this article

Chronic inflammatory infiltrates that take on the form of organized lymphoid organs are called tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs). The inflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 is now found to be the critical participant driving the development of a type of TLO called inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) in an animal model of neonatal pulmonary inflammation.1

The highly organized architecture of secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs), characterized by distinct B-cell and T-cell areas, is evolved to optimize the efficiency of cellular and humoral immune responses.2 The organization of SLOs is formed during development as a result of the highly orchestrated interplay between hematopoietic cells, stromal cells and naive lymphoid cells. TLOs arise from chronic inflammation in non-lymphoid tissues and bear morphological resemblance to SLOs. TLOs are composed of discrete T-cell and B-cell areas, follicular dendritic cells, resident dendritic cells (DCs), high endothelial venules and lymphatics. However, unlike lymph nodes, TLOs are not encapsulated, suggesting an intimate interaction with the inflamed tissues. The presence of TLOs is thought to allow antigen presentation at the local mucosal tissue with high efficiency and reduce the possibility of disseminating infection. Many molecules that drive the formation of TLOs, a process known as lymphoid neogenesis, are the same as those involved in the development of conventional lymph nodes.3 The development of SLOs is initiated by lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, which express lymphotoxin-α1β2 (LT-α1β2).4 LT-α1β2 stimulates the expression of CXCL13 and CCL21 in stromal cells, which are required for the homing of B and T cells to the SLOs.5 Transgenic expressed LT-α, under the rat insulin promoter, induced chronic inflammatory infiltrates characterized by the presence of T cells, B cells and high endothelial venules, and an increased expression of adhesion molecules mediating the homing of naive lymphocytes to SLOs.3 Subsequent studies also demonstrated that overexpression of lymphoid homeostatic chemokines such as CCL21 or CXCL13 promoted SLO generation.6, 7 Despite these studies, the initiation of lymphoid neogenesis is poorly understood. Randall and colleagues1 recently identified IL-17 produced by T cells as being required for the formation of iBALT, a type of TLO that forms in the lungs during chronic inflammation and infection. This study provides exciting novel mechanistic insights into the initiating events and the cell components that participate in iBALT formation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Xueguang Zhang & Binfeng Lu

  2. Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittesbureg, PA, USA

    Binfeng Lu

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  1. Xueguang Zhang
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  2. Binfeng Lu
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Correspondence to Xueguang Zhang.

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Zhang, X., Lu, B. IL-17 initiates tertiary lymphoid organ formation. Cell Mol Immunol 9, 9–10 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2011.48

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