CD25+ CD4+ regulatory T cells prevent graft rejection: CTLA-4-and IL-10-dependent immunoregulation of alloresponses

CI Kingsley, M Karim, AR Bushell… - The Journal of …, 2002 - journals.aai.org
CI Kingsley, M Karim, AR Bushell, KJ Wood
The Journal of Immunology, 2002journals.aai.org
Specific and selective immunological unresponsiveness to donor alloantigens can be
induced in vivo. We have shown previously that CD25+ CD4+ T cells from mice exhibiting
long-term operational tolerance to donor alloantigens can regulate rejection of allogeneic
skin grafts mediated by CD45RB high CD4+ T cells. In this study, we wished to determine
whether donor-specific regulatory cells can be generated during the induction phase of
unresponsiveness, ie, before transplantation. We provide evidence that pretreatment with …
Abstract
Specific and selective immunological unresponsiveness to donor alloantigens can be induced in vivo. We have shown previously that CD25+ CD4+ T cells from mice exhibiting long-term operational tolerance to donor alloantigens can regulate rejection of allogeneic skin grafts mediated by CD45RB high CD4+ T cells. In this study, we wished to determine whether donor-specific regulatory cells can be generated during the induction phase of unresponsiveness, ie, before transplantation. We provide evidence that pretreatment with anti-CD4 Ab plus a donor-specific transfusion generates donor-specific regulatory CD25+ CD4+ T cells that can suppress rejection of skin grafts mediated by naive CD45RB high CD4+ T cells. Regulatory cells were contained only in the CD25+ fraction, as equivalent numbers of CD25− CD4+ T cells were unable to regulate rejection. This pretreatment strategy led to increased expression of CD122 by the CD25+ CD4+ T cells. Blockade of both the IL-10 and CTLA-4 pathways abrogated immunoregulation mediated by CD25+ T cells, suggesting that IL-10 and CTLA-4 are required for the functional activity of this population of immunoregulatory T cells. In clinical transplantation, the generation of regulatory T cells that could provide dynamic control of rejection responses is a possible route to permanent graft survival without the need for long-term immunosuppression.
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