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BATF-dependent IL-7RhiGM-CSF+ T cells control intestinal graft-versus-host disease
Evelyn Ullrich, Benjamin Abendroth, Johanna Rothamer, Carina Huber, Maike Büttner-Herold, Vera Buchele, Tina Vogler, Thomas Longerich, Sebastian Zundler, Simon Völkl, Andreas Beilhack, Stefan Rose-John, Stefan Wirtz, Georg F. Weber, Sakhila Ghimire, Marina Kreutz, Ernst Holler, Andreas Mackensen, Markus F. Neurath, Kai Hildner
Evelyn Ullrich, Benjamin Abendroth, Johanna Rothamer, Carina Huber, Maike Büttner-Herold, Vera Buchele, Tina Vogler, Thomas Longerich, Sebastian Zundler, Simon Völkl, Andreas Beilhack, Stefan Rose-John, Stefan Wirtz, Georg F. Weber, Sakhila Ghimire, Marina Kreutz, Ernst Holler, Andreas Mackensen, Markus F. Neurath, Kai Hildner
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Research Article Gastroenterology Immunology

BATF-dependent IL-7RhiGM-CSF+ T cells control intestinal graft-versus-host disease

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Abstract

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) represents a severe, T cell–driven inflammatory complication following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). GVHD often affects the intestine and is associated with a poor prognosis. Although frequently detectable, proinflammatory mechanisms exerted by intestinal tissue–infiltrating Th cell subsets remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we show that the Th17-defining transcription factor basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF-like (BATF) was strongly regulated across human and mouse intestinal GVHD tissues. Studies in complete MHC-mismatched and minor histocompatibility–mismatched (miHA-mismatched) GVHD models revealed that BATF-expressing T cells were functionally indispensable for intestinal GVHD manifestation. Mechanistically, BATF controlled the formation of colon-infiltrating, IL-7 receptor–positive (IL-7R+), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor–positive (GM-CSF+), donor T effector memory (Tem) cells. This T cell subset was sufficient to promote intestinal GVHD, while its occurrence was largely dependent on T cell–intrinsic BATF expression, required IL-7–IL-7R interaction, and was enhanced by GM-CSF. Thus, this study identifies BATF-dependent pathogenic GM-CSF+ effector T cells as critical promoters of intestinal inflammation in GVHD and hence putatively provides mechanistic insight into inflammatory processes previously assumed to be selectively Th17 driven.

Authors

Evelyn Ullrich, Benjamin Abendroth, Johanna Rothamer, Carina Huber, Maike Büttner-Herold, Vera Buchele, Tina Vogler, Thomas Longerich, Sebastian Zundler, Simon Völkl, Andreas Beilhack, Stefan Rose-John, Stefan Wirtz, Georg F. Weber, Sakhila Ghimire, Marina Kreutz, Ernst Holler, Andreas Mackensen, Markus F. Neurath, Kai Hildner

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Figure 9

IL-7–responsive GM-CSF+ colonic T cells drive intestinal GVHD.

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IL-7–responsive GM-CSF+ colonic T cells drive intestinal GVHD.
(A–D) Ant...
(A–D) Antibody-mediated systemic blockade of IL-7R and GM-CSF affects clinical and intestinal GVHD manifestations in the complete MHC-mismatched model (C57Bl/6 into BALB/c). WT CD3+ T cell–recipient mice were given anti–IL-7R (αIL-7R) until day 15, either alone (gray line and triangles) or in combination with continuously administered anti–GM-CSF (αGM-CSF) (blue line and diamonds). As controls, WT donor T cells were continuously treated with isotype IgG antibody (red line and squares), or Batf–/– donor T cells were transplanted alone without further treatment (black line and triangles). The clinical GVHD score (A), the colonoscopy score and representative endoscopic images (B), the histology score and representative histopathologic images of GVHD-associated colitis on day 28 (C), and the survival rates (D) are shown. Scale bars: 100 μm. Data from 2 independent experiments were pooled and include (A, B, and D) WT isotype IgG (n = 19), WT anti–IL-7R (n = 9), WT anti–GM-CSF/anti–IL-7R (n = 17), and untreated Batf–/– (n = 4) mice; and (C) WT isotype IgG (n = 8), WT anti–IL-7R (n = 9), WT anti–GM-CSF/anti–IL-7R (n = 8), and untreated Batf–/– (n = 4) mice. Shown are the relative frequencies (E) and absolute numbers (F) of cLP CD45.2+CD3+CD4+GM-CSF+ T cells, the absolute numbers of donor-derived cLP T cells (G), and CD44+CD62L– (Tem) T cells (H) in CD45.2+CD3+CD4+ cLP T cells 28 days after GVHD induction (C57Bl/6 into BALB/c), which were treated with isotype IgG antibody, anti–IL-7R antibody alone, or in combination with anti–GM-CSF antibody, as described in A. A representative experiment of 2 experiments is shown and involved WT isotype IgG (n = 7), WT anti–IL-7R (n = 8), and WT anti–GM-CSF/anti–IL-7R (n = 7) mice. Data in A–E represent the mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, and ****P < 0.0001, by 2-sided, unpaired Student’s t test (A) and 1-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons post test (B–H).

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