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TGF-β–dependent suppressive function of Tregs requires wild-type levels of CD18 in a mouse model of psoriasis
Honglin Wang, Thorsten Peters, Anca Sindrilaru, Daniel Kess, Tsvetelina Oreshkova, Xue-Zhong Yu, Anne Maria Seier, Heike Schreiber, Meinhard Wlaschek, Robert Blakytny, Jan Röhrbein, Guido Schulz, Johannes M. Weiss, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek
Honglin Wang, Thorsten Peters, Anca Sindrilaru, Daniel Kess, Tsvetelina Oreshkova, Xue-Zhong Yu, Anne Maria Seier, Heike Schreiber, Meinhard Wlaschek, Robert Blakytny, Jan Röhrbein, Guido Schulz, Johannes M. Weiss, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek
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Research Article Dermatology

TGF-β–dependent suppressive function of Tregs requires wild-type levels of CD18 in a mouse model of psoriasis

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Abstract

Dysfunctional Tregs have been identified in individuals with psoriasis. However, their role in the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. Here we explored the effect of diminished CD18 (β2 integrin) expression on the function of CD4+CD25+CD127– Tregs using the Cd18 hypomorphic (Cd18hypo) PL/J mouse model of psoriasis that closely resembles the human disease. We found that reduced CD18 expression impaired cell-cell contact between Tregs and DCs. This led to dysfunctional Tregs, which both failed to suppress the pathogenic T cells and promoted the onset and severity of the disease. This failure was TGF-β–dependent, as Tregs derived from Cd18hypo PL/J mice had diminished TGF-β1 expression. Adoptive transfer of Tregs expressing wild-type levels of CD18 into affected Cd18hypo PL/J mice resulted in a substantial improvement of the psoriasiform skin disease, which did not occur upon coinjection of the cells with TGF-β–specific neutralizing antibody. Our data indicate a primary dysfunction of Cd18hypo Tregs, allowing subsequent hyperproliferation of pathogenic T cells in the Cd18hypo PL/J mouse model of psoriasis. This study may provide a step forward in our understanding of the unique role of CD18 expression levels in avoiding autoimmunity.

Authors

Honglin Wang, Thorsten Peters, Anca Sindrilaru, Daniel Kess, Tsvetelina Oreshkova, Xue-Zhong Yu, Anne Maria Seier, Heike Schreiber, Meinhard Wlaschek, Robert Blakytny, Jan Röhrbein, Guido Schulz, Johannes M. Weiss, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek

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Figure 4

Reduced CD18 function disrupts cell-cell contacts between DCs and Cd18hypo Tregs from PL/J mice, which impairs specific allogeneic Treg expansion and activation.

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Reduced CD18 function disrupts cell-cell contacts between DCs and Cd18hy...
(A) Representative pictures of cluster formation of allogeneic DCs with Tregs derived from either Cd18wt mice or Cd18hypo mice are shown. Original magnification, ×40. (B) Cluster formation between allogeneic DCs and Tregs of different genotypes from Cd18wt mice and Cd18hypo mice was assessed by counting aggregated clusters/HPF in 100 randomly selected HPFs. Cluster formation with allogeneic DCs was substantially reduced for Tregs derived from Cd18hypo mice compared with Tregs from Cd18wt control mice. **P = 0.0029, using Student’s t test. (C) Increased neutralizing mAb against CD18 resulted in decreased proliferative response of specific allogeneic Tregs in MLRs. Numbers on the top left of C and F indicate the percentage of CFSE-labeled proliferating cells. Numbers on the top right of C and F indicate the percentage of undivided CFSE-labeled cells. (D) Increased TGF-β1 expression by Cd18wt Tregs was observed in MLRs. Neutralizing mAb against CD18 in MLRs resulted in a dramatic decrease in TGF-β1 expression compared with isotype-matched control antibody. Gray region, TGF-β1 expression; white region, normal goat IgG control for TGF-β1 staining. Numbers on the top of D indicate the percentage of CFSE-labeled proliferating cells. CD4+CD25+CD127– Tregs were purified from 4 pooled spleens of Cd18wt PL/J mice and cocultured with irradiated allogeneic DCs in the presence of 500 units/ml recombinant murine IL-2 and various concentrations of anti-CD18 mAb (E), or anti-mouse CD11a mAb (F), or isotype-matched IgG for 7 days. Tregs were then separated from allogeneic DCs by CD11c MACS beads, extensively washed 3 times with PBS, and mixed at a ratio of 1:4 with Cd18wt Tresp cells. After 3 days of culture, cells were harvested and analyzed by flow cytometry. One representative experiment out of 3 or 4 independent experiments is shown.

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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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