Signal transducer and activation of transcription 6 (STAT6) regulates T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 nephritogenic immunity in experimental crescentic …

SA Summers, RKS Phoon, D Odobasic… - Clinical & …, 2011 - academic.oup.com
SA Summers, RKS Phoon, D Odobasic, L Dewage, AR Kitching, SR Holdsworth
Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 2011academic.oup.com
Experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis is driven by systemic cellular immune
responses. A pathogenic role for T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells is well established. T-
bet, a key transcription factor required for Th1 lineage commitment, and retinoic acid-related
orphan receptor-γt (Rorγt), a key Th17 transcription factor, are required for full expression of
disease. Similarly, several Th1-and Th17-associated cytokines have been implicated in
disease augmentation. The role of Th2 cells in the disease is less clear, although Th2 …
Summary
Experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis is driven by systemic cellular immune responses. A pathogenic role for T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells is well established. T-bet, a key transcription factor required for Th1 lineage commitment, and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-γt (Rorγt), a key Th17 transcription factor, are required for full expression of disease. Similarly, several Th1- and Th17-associated cytokines have been implicated in disease augmentation. The role of Th2 cells in the disease is less clear, although Th2-associated cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10, are protective. We sought to determine the role of signal transducer and activation of transcription 6 (STAT6), a key regulator of Th2 responses, in experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis. Compared to wild-type mice, histological and functional renal injury was enhanced significantly in STAT6–/– mice 21 days after administration of sheep anti-mouse glomerular basement membrane globulin. Consistent with the enhanced renal injury, both Th1 and Th17 nephritogenic immune responses were increased in STAT6–/– mice. Conversely, production of IL-5, a key Th2-associated cytokine, was decreased significantly in STAT6–/– mice. Early in the disease process systemic mRNA expression of T-bet and Rorγ was increased in STAT6–/– mice. We conclude that STAT6 is required for attenuation of Th1 and Th17 nephritogenic immune responses and protection from crescentic glomerulonephritis.
Oxford University Press