Abstract

The etiology and the underlying mechanism of CD4+ T-cell polarization are unclear. This study sought to investigate the mechanism by which interleukin (IL)-13 prevents the activation-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells. Here we report that CD4+ T cells expressed IL-13 receptor α2 in the intestine of sensitized mice. IL-13 suppressed both the activation-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells and the expression of p53 and FasL. Exposure to recombinant IL-13 inhibited activation-induced cell death (AICD) along with the expression of p53, caspase 3, and tumor necrosis factor-α in CD4+ T cells. Administration of an anti-IL-13 antibody enhanced the effect of specific immunotherapy on allergic inflammation in the mouse intestine, enforced the expression of p53 in intestinal CD4+ T cells, and enhanced the frequency of CD4+ T-cell apoptosis upon challenge with specific antigens. In summary, blocking IL-13 enhances the therapeutic effect of antigen-specific immunotherapy by regulating apoptosis and thereby enforcing AICD in CD4+ T cells.