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Selective Treg reconstitution during lymphopenia normalizes DC costimulation and prevents graft-versus-host disease
Holly A. Bolton, … , Elena Shklovskaya, Barbara Fazekas de St. Groth
Holly A. Bolton, … , Elena Shklovskaya, Barbara Fazekas de St. Groth
Published August 24, 2015
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2015;125(9):3627-3641. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI76031.
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Research Article Immunology

Selective Treg reconstitution during lymphopenia normalizes DC costimulation and prevents graft-versus-host disease

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Abstract

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to enhance immune reconstitution and prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; however, it is unclear how Tregs mediate these effects. Here, we developed a model to examine the mechanism of Treg-dependent regulation of immune reconstitution. Lymphopenic mice were selectively reconstituted with Tregs prior to transfer of conventional CD4+ T cells. Full Treg reconstitution prevented the rapid oligoclonal proliferation that gives rise to pathogenic CD4 effector T cells, while preserving the slow homeostatic form of lymphopenia-induced peripheral expansion that repopulates a diverse peripheral T cell pool. Treg-mediated CTLA-4–dependent downregulation of CD80/CD86 on DCs was critical for inhibition of rapid proliferation and was a function of the Treg/DC ratio achieved by reconstitution. In an allogeneic BM transplant model, selective Treg reconstitution before T cell transfer also normalized DC costimulation and provided complete protection against GVHD. In contrast, cotransfer of Tregs was not protective. Our results indicate that achieving optimal recovery from lymphopenia should aim to improve early Treg reconstitution in order to increase the relative number of Tregs to DCs and thereby inhibit spontaneous oligoclonal T cell proliferation.

Authors

Holly A. Bolton, Erhua Zhu, Alexandra M. Terry, Thomas V. Guy, Woon-Puay Koh, Sioh-Yang Tan, Carl A. Power, Patrick Bertolino, Katharina Lahl, Tim Sparwasser, Elena Shklovskaya, Barbara Fazekas de St. Groth

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Figure 5

Effect of Treg reconstitution on naive T cell responses to specific antigen.

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Effect of Treg reconstitution on naive T cell responses to specific anti...
(A) 1 × 106 5C.C7 TCR tg Rag–/– T cells were adoptively transferred into WT or Rag–/– mice, together with i.v. MCC peptide at the indicated doses. Left panel: Representative CFSE division profiles from the pLN at day 3 after transfer in WT (filled histograms) and Rag–/– hosts (unfilled histograms) (n = 3 per group). Right panel: CFSE MFI on donor 5C.C7 T cells plotted against MCC dose in WT (broken line) and Rag–/– hosts (unbroken line). Results are representative of 3 independent experiments. (B) 5C.C7 T cell proliferation in response to 1 μg i.v. peptide in Rag–/– hosts reconstituted with 2.5 × 106 WT Tregs. Left panel: Representative day 3 CFSE division profiles in pLN of Treg-reconstituted Rag–/– hosts (unfilled histograms) and WT controls (filled histograms) (n = 4 per group). Right panel: CFSE MFI on 5C.C7 T cells. Data are representative of 3 independent experiments. (C) 1 × 106 CFSE-labeled 5C.C7 T cells were transferred into Rag–/– hosts reconstituted with WT or CTLA-4–deficient Tregs (n = 4 per group). As described in Figure 4, one group of WT Treg-reconstituted mice was treated with 1-MT. MCC peptide (1 μg) was administered i.v. at the time of T cell transfer. Left panel: CFSE division profiles in pLN at day 3 after T cell transfer (unfilled histograms) and untreated WT controls (filled histogram). Right panel: CFSE MFI on 5C.C7 T cells. Data are from 1 of 2 independent experiments for comparison of WT and CTLA-4–deficient Tregs, and a single experiment for 1-MT treatment. Statistical analysis of B and C was performed using one-way ANOVA with a Newman-Keuls post-test. Bars represent mean ± SEM with individual values indicated by the open circles. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001.

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