IL-17 Production by γδ+ T Cells Is Critical for Inducing Th17 Responses in the Female Genital Tract and Regulated by Estradiol and Microbiota

IL-17 can be produced by adaptive immune cells such as T_h17 cells and by immune cells that produce IL-17 without prior priming. This latter category, which we will refer to as "innate," includes innate cells such as NK cells and innate lymphoid cells and innate-like T cell populations such as NKT cells and γδ⁺ T cells. Studies in mucosal tissues have shown that the induction of T_h17 immunity is amplified by innate IL-17 produced within those …