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. 1996 Oct 1;184(4):1543–1547. doi: 10.1084/jem.184.4.1543

Perforin and Fas killing by CD8+ T cells limits their cytokine synthesis and proliferation

PMCID: PMC2192809  PMID: 8879227

Abstract

During an immune response, effector CD8+ T cells can kill infected cells by the perforin-dependent pathway. In comparison to CD4+ T cells, which are major sources of cytokines, normal CD8+ T cells produced less interleukin 2 and interferon gamma, and proliferated less vigorously after antigenic stimulation. Killing of target cells was a major cause of these reduced responses, since perforin-deficient CD8+ T cells showed substantially increased cytokine synthesis and proliferation. Cytotoxicity by the alternate Fas pathway also resulted in self- limitation of CD8+ T cell cytokine synthesis. This relationship between cytotoxicity and cytokine synthesis may regulate CD8+ T function in different phases of an immune response.

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Selected References

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