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PubMed1993

[The central role of the thymus in the education of T cells to neuroendocrine principles].

The thymus, the lymphoid organ responsible for the induction of central T cell self-tolerance, is the site of expression of peptides belonging to the neurohypophysial peptide family. The classical model of neurosecretion established by the Scharrers for the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial axis however cannot be applied to characterize the secretory pathways of neurohypophysial-related peptides in the thymic epithelial component. The novel model of cell-to-cell cryptocrine signalling has recently been proposed by J.W. Funder to describe the molecular relationships between fixed epithelial cells and migratory differentiating cells. In the thymus, the cryptocrine signalling is further closely associated to the presentation of the "self" molecular structure by major histocompatibility complex-derived proteins to developing T cells. On the basis of our observations, the model of the thymic repertoire of neuroendocrine "self" antigens transposes to the molecular peptide level the dual physiological role of the thymus in T cell negative and positive selection. Moreover, this model should also contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the central T cell tolerance of "self" neuroendocrine functions.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Tolerance to autoimmune thyroiditis: (CD4+)CD25+ regulatory T cells influence susceptibility but do not supersede MHC class II restriction.

Murine experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), a model of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, has served for more than three decades as a prototypical model of T cell-mediated autoimmunity. Early investigations demonstrated a clear correlation between genetic factors, particularly the H2A locus of the MHC class II region, and susceptibility to autoimmune thyroiditis. Early studies also demonstrated that susceptibility to EAT induction could be modulated by manipulation of circulating levels of thyroglobulin (Tg), the principal thyroid antigen, resulting in the strengthening of self-tolerance. This antigen-specific induced tolerance is mediated by thymus-derived cells, and subsequent investigations revealed that the suppressive function is located in the (CD4+)CD25+ T cell subset, similar to findings in other models. We have demonstrated that these (CD4+)CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) influence susceptibility to thyroiditis in naive, as well as mTg-tolerized mice. Here, we describe the influence of both Treg and MHC class II haplotype, independently, as well in combination, and describe our recent utilization of MHC class II transgenic mice to directly compare the extent of their influences.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

The shaping of the brain-specific T lymphocyte repertoire in the thymus.

We have shown in several distinct experimental systems that the immune system of intact Lewis rats contains T cells which, upon activation, are able to mediate autoimmune brain inflammation. These T cells seem to differentiate within the thymus although the autoantigens are produced (and presumably expressed in a recognizable fashion) within the thymic medulla. Furthermore, an intact fully MHC compatible thymic microenvironment seems to be required for the development of all features of the autoimmune TCR repertoire. Biased utilization of V beta 8.2 gene for the TCR, a hallmark of the Lewis rat T cell response to MBP, is only seen in T cells having matured in thymuses entirely composed of stroma elements of rat origin. It seems that the thymus contains a large spectrum of protein structures, which hitherto had been considered autoantigens specific for "peripheral" tissues, and, most surprisingly, components of the CNS, the classical "sequestered" organ. Deletion of autoreactive T cell clones by many local intrathymic autoantigens is leaky, at best. The reduced expression of CD4 on thymus-derived autoreactive T cells may be construed to reflect abortive efforts of negative selection. Alternatively, however, it may be worthwhile to consider a positive role for intrathymic autoantigens and their complementary T cells clones. It is possible that the requirement of an intact thymus milieu for the typical, V beta 8.2 dominated MBP specific T cell repertoire in the Lewis rat could reflect self peptide presentation by thymus epithelium cells in positive selection stages. In that case, the unusual diversity of thymic autoantigens could indeed have a role in shaping the immune system's TCR diversity, possible in the sense of an "immunological homunculus" as postulated by Cohen (Cohen 1992). Finally, there is a need to explain the mechanisms that in the healthy organism prevent the numerous, potentially autoaggressive T cell clones from attacking the body's own tissues. This is especially important, as T cells reactive against potentially pathogenic autoantigens, e.g. MBP (Ota et al. 1990, Pette et al. 1990b) and acetylcholine receptor (Salvetti et al. 1991, Sommer et al. 1991), are seen at especially high frequency in the human immune repertoire. Clearly, in all experimental paradigms investigated, activation of self-reactive T cells was the critical prerequisite for induction of autoimmune disease. Thus, in principle, prevention of such activation would be one way to maintain self tolerance. The mechanisms that achieve this goal in most individuals remain to be elucidated.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Taking license with natural killer cell maturation and repertoire development.

Combining population analysis with in-depth analysis of selected individuals, the tolerance of human natural killer (NK) cells to autologous major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and potential reactivity to allogeneic MHC class I have been studied. Analysis of NK cell clones in long-term culture and peripheral blood NK cells after short-term culture (20-24 h) shows that NK cell tolerance is determined by interactions of autologous MHC class I with CD94:NKG2A and inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). Alloreactivity is predicted whenever the donor of the allogeneic target lacks a cognate MHC class I-KIR, ligand-receptor pair that is present in the NK cell donor. In the human population, there is a wide variation in the NK cell repertoire of KIRs and CD94:NKG2A expression. Variation is principally due to KIR gene variation and polymorphism, with a smaller effect due to MHC class I. The presence of MHC class I increases the frequency of NK cells expressing the cognate KIR, an effect that is diminished by the presence of other cognate-ligand pairs. The minor influence of MHC class I on the KIR repertoire indicates that NK cell development is an efficient process in which the expression of inhibitory MHC class I receptors at the final stages ensures that functionally active human NK cells are self-tolerant.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

A key role for autoreactive B cells in the breakdown of T-cell tolerance to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in the mouse.

The key immunological event in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis is breakdown of T-cell self-tolerance to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). The mechanism resulting in this breakdown of tolerance remains unclear. Mice exposed to self-PDC mount no immune response; however, animals coexposed to self-PDC and PDC of foreign origin (which in isolation induces a cross-reactive antibody but not an autoreactive T-cell response) show breakdown of T-cell as well as B-cell tolerance. This observation raises the possibility that a cross-reactive antibody response to self-PDC can promote breakdown of T-cell tolerance. The aim of this study was to address the hypothesis that breakdown of T-cell tolerance to PDC can be driven by the presence of B cells and/or antibodies cross-reactive with this self-antigen. Naive female SJL/J mice were exposed to self-PDC alone and in the presence of purified splenic B cells from animals primed with foreign PDC (or controls) or purified immunoglobulin (Ig) G from the same animals. Breakdown of T-cell tolerance was assessed by splenic T-cell proliferative response to antigen at 5 weeks. CD4(+) T-cell proliferative responses indicative of breakdown of T-cell tolerance to self-PDC were seen in the majority (7 of 9, 78%) of animals receiving self-PDC together with purified PDC-reactive B cells. Tolerance breakdown was not seen in animals receiving self-PDC with purified anti-PDC IgG or with B cells from animals sensitized with an irrelevant antigen. In conclusion, breakdown of T-cell tolerance to the highly conserved self-antigen PDC may be mediated by high-level presentation of self-derived epitopes by activated cross-reactive B cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cell-intrinsic effects of non-MHC NOD genes on dendritic cell generation in vivo.

Genes outside the MHC create a general susceptibility to autoimmunity in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Here we describe marked differences in dendritic cell generation in vivo, caused by non-MHC NOD genes. Analyses of splenic dendritic cells from the autoimmunity-prone NOD.H-2(k) mice revealed a relative over-representation of the CD8 alpha(-) subsets, in contrast to the level of these subsets observed in the autoimmunity-resistant B10.H-2(k) congenic strain or other H-2(k) strains. The imbalance towards CD8 alpha(-) dendritic cells was selectively manifested by NOD.H-2(k)-derived cells in radiation chimeras reconstituted with equal mixtures of NOD.H-2(k) and B10.H-2(k) bone marrow cells. In addition to the cell-intrinsic imbalance in dendritic cell subsets, the myeloid lineage overall was intrinsically altered by NOD genes, as this lineage was disproportionately derived from the NOD.H-2(k) donor in mixed chimeras. These results identify a striking effect of non-MHC NOD genes upon the balance of dendritic cell subsets that may contribute to the generalized defects in self-tolerance in the NOD strain.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

IL-2, regulatory T cells, and tolerance.

IL-2 is a potent T cell growth factor that for many years was assumed to amplify lymphocyte responses in vivo. Accordingly, IL-2 has been used clinically to enhance T cell immunity in patients with AIDS or cancer, and blocking Abs to the IL-2R are used to inhibit T cell responses against transplanted tissues. It was later shown in mice that, unexpectedly, disruption of the IL-2 pathway results in lymphoid hyperplasia and autoimmunity rather than immune deficiency, indicating that the major physiological function of IL-2 is to limit rather than enhance T cell responses. This apparent paradox has recently been resolved with the discovery that IL-2 is critical for the development and peripheral expansion of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells, which promote self-tolerance by suppressing T cell responses in vivo. Our new understanding of IL-2 biology prompts a re-evaluation of how best to clinically manipulate this important immunoregulatory pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Signals from a self-antigen induce positive selection in early B cell ontogeny but are tolerogenic in adults.

Positive and negative signals from self-Ags shape the B cell repertoire and the development of distinct B cell subsets, but little is known about what distinguishes these signals. To address this question, we have studied the development of anti-hen egg lysozyme MD4 Ig transgene B cells while systematically varying the level, distribution, and timing of exposure to different forms of hen egg lysozyme as a self-Ag. This process has allowed us to explore the effects of Ag independent of BCR specificity. Our findings show how the selection of autoreactive B cells is a competitive process involving immunogenic and tolerogenic forms of self-Ags. Due to a developmental switch during B cell ontogeny, autoreactive anti-hen egg lysozyme MD4 Ig transgene B cells are negatively selected by self-Ags in adult bone marrow but susceptible to positive selection by some of the same self-Ags in fetal and neonatal life. However, the persistence of B1 cells and IgM autoantibodies from early ontogeny enables autoreactive B cells from the adult bone marrow to escape negative selection. Our data suggest that this rescue may be due to the clearance or masking of self-Ag by IgM autoantibody. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of B cell selection and the maintenance of self-tolerance during early and adult life.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

Loss of functional suppression by CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis.

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells contribute to the maintenance of peripheral tolerance by active suppression because their deletion causes spontaneous autoimmune diseases in mice. Human CD4+ regulatory T cells expressing high levels of CD25 are suppressive in vitro and mimic the activity of murine CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease thought to be mediated by T cells recognizing myelin protein peptides. We hypothesized that altered functions of CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cells play a role in the breakdown of immunologic self-tolerance in patients with MS. Here, we report a significant decrease in the effector function of CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cells from peripheral blood of patients with MS as compared with healthy donors. Differences were also apparent in single cell cloning experiments in which the cloning frequency of CD4+CD25hi T cells was significantly reduced in patients as compared with normal controls. These data are the first to demonstrate alterations of CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cell function in patients with MS.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Evolution of autoantibody responses via somatic hypermutation outside of germinal centers.

Somatically mutated high-affinity autoantibodies are a hallmark of some autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus. It has long been presumed that germinal centers (GCs) are critical in autoantibody production, because they are the only sites currently believed to sustain a high rate of somatic hypermutation. Contrary to this idea, we found that splenic autoreactive B cells in autoimmune MRL.Fas(lpr) mice proliferated and underwent active somatic hypermutation at the T zone-red pulp border rather than in GCs. Our results implicate this region as an important site for hypermutation and the loss of B cell self-tolerance.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

A pH-induced modification of CII increases its arthritogenic properties.

Immunoreactivity to collagen type II (CII) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Patients have been described to have an acidic pH in their inflamed synovial tissue. It is known that protein structures are modified by environmental pH, thus it is plausible that changes in synovial pH could affect the conformation of proteins like CII. Posttranslational modifications could alter the biophysical properties of cartilage proteins leading to autoimmunity. In this study we investigated if arthritogenicity of CII was affected by changes in pH, and if so, this could be correlated to altered protein conformation. Immunisation with CII at neutral pH induced a milder disease than did CII at acidic pH. All animals elicited a humoral response to CII, although with a significantly higher IgG1/IgG2b-ratio in the pH 7.4 group. Analysis by circular dichroism and electron microscopy indicated less fibrillation of CII at low pH as compared to neutral pH. Our results suggest that CII is more immunogenic and arthritogenic in an acidic environment than in a neutral environment. We can correlate these findings to pH-induced conformational changes of CII. Hence, self-tolerance to CII might be affected by changes in pH leading to altered and increased arthritogenicity.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed2006

Tolerance to proinsulin-2 is due to radioresistant thymic cells.

Proinsulin is a key Ag in type 1 diabetes, but the mechanisms regulating proinsulin immune tolerance are unknown. We have shown that preproinsulin-2 gene-deficient mice (proins-2(-/-)) are intolerant to proinsulin-2. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated tolerance to proinsulin-2 in 129/Sv nonautoimmune mice. The expression of one proinsulin-2 allele, whatever its parental origin, was sufficient to maintain tolerance. The site of proinsulin-2 expression relevant to tolerance was evaluated in thymus and bone marrow chimeras. CD4+ T cell reactivity to proinsulin-2 was independent of proinsulin-2 expression in radiation-sensitive bone marrow-derived cells. A wt thymus restored tolerance in proins-2(-/-) mice. Conversely, the absence of the preproinsulin-2 gene in radioresistant thymic cells was sufficient to break tolerance. Although chimeric animals had proinsulin-2-reactive CD4+ T cells in their peripheral repertoire, they displayed no insulitis or insulin Abs, suggesting additional protective mechanisms. In a model involving transfer to immunodeficient (CD3epsilon(-/-)) mice, naive and proinsulin-2-primed CD4+ T cells were not activated, but could be activated by immunization regardless of whether the recipient mice expressed proinsulin-2. Furthermore, we could not identify a role for putative specific T cells regulating proinsulin-2-reactive CD4+ T in transfer experiments. Thus, proinsulin-2 gene expression by radioresistant thymic epithelial cells is involved in the induction of self-tolerance, and additional factors are required to induce islet abnormalities.

Adoptive Transfer↗
PubMed2006

Effect of CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25- T regulatory cells on the generation of cytolytic T cell response to a self but human tumor-associated epitope in vitro.

CD4+ T cells naturally expressing CD25 molecules (natural T regulatory cells (Tregs)) have a role in maintaining self tolerance and in regulating responses to infectious agents, transplantation Ags, and tumor Ags. CD4+ Tregs induced from CD4+CD25- precursors (induced Tregs) also regulate immune responses in the periphery. However, which of these Tregs is a major impediment in generating antitumor CTL responses is not clear. We show that although the CD4+CD25+ subsets isolated from peripheral blood-derived lymphocytes do suppress the proliferation of CD4+CD25- effector T cells, they do not suppress the activation and expansion of the self but melanoma-associated, melanoma Ag-reactive T cell 1 (MART-1)27-35-specific CD8+ T cells stimulated by the respective peptide-loaded matured dendritic cells in vitro. The CD4+CD25- counterparts, in contrast, lead to the generation of CD25+ glucocorticoid-inducible TNFR+-Forkhead/winged helix transcription factor+ populations and efficiently suppress the activation and expansion of the MART-127-35 epitope-specific CTLs. Our data suggest that when CTL precursors are optimally stimulated, natural Tregs are not a formidable constraint toward generating a robust antitumor CTL response, but induced Tregs could be.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed2005

Thymic regulatory T cells.

Several types of T regulatory (Treg) cells have been described in both mice and humans, including natural or professional (CD4+CD25+ T cells) and adaptive (Th3 and Tr1 cells) Treg cells. The former develops in the thymus and results in an endogeneous long-lived population of self-antigen-specific T cells in the periphery poised to prevent potentially autoimmune reactions. The second subset develops as a consequence of activation of mature T cells under particular conditions of sub-optimal antigen exposure and/or costimulation. Natural Treg cells are positively selected in the cortex through their TCR interactions with self-peptides presented by thymic stromal cells. It is likely that this high-affinity recognition results in signals rendering them anergic and able to produce anti-apoptoptic molecules which protect them from negative selection. Recently, small subsets of CD4+CD25+ and of CD8+CD25+ cells sharing similar characteristics have been detected in human fetal and post-natal thymuses. Both CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ human thymocytes express Foxp3 and GITR mRNA, as well as surface CCR8 and TNFR2 and cytoplasmic CTLA-4 proteins, which are common features of mature Treg cells. Following activation they do not proliferate or produce cytokines, but express surface CTLA-4 and TGF-beta1. They suppress the proliferation of autologous CD4+CD25- thymocytes to allogeneic stimulation by a contact-dependent mechanism related to the combined action of surface CTLA-4 and TGF-beta leading to the inhibition of the IL-2R alpha chain on target T cells. Lastly, both CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ Treg thymocytes exert strong suppressive activity on Th1, but much lower on Th2 cells, since these latter may escape from suppression via their ability to respond to growth factors other than IL-2. Treg cells that develop in, and emerge from, the thymus are certainly responsible for the maintenance of self-tolerance and prevention of autoimmune disorders. The result that Th1 cells are highly susceptible to the suppressive activity of Treg thymocytes is consistent with the important role of these cells in protecting against the Th1-mediated immune response to autoantigens.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Synthetic glycolipid OCH prevents insulitis and diabetes in NOD mice.

Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice develop diabetes mediated by pathogenic T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells. V alpha 14 Natural killer (NKT) cells are a unique lymphocyte subtype implicated in the regulation of autoimmunity and a good source of protective Th2 cytokines. We recently developed a Th2-skewing NKT cell ligand, OCH. OCH, a sphingosine truncated derivative of alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GC), stimulates NKT cells to selectively produce Th2 cytokines. Here we show that OCH prevented the development of diabetes and insulitis in NOD mice. The suppression of insulitis by OCH was more profound compared to alpha-GC. Infiltration of T cells, B cells and macrophages into islets is inhibited in OCH-treated NOD mice. OCH-mediated suppression of diabetes is associated with Th2 bias of anti-islet antigen response and increased IL-10 producing cells among islet-infiltrating leukocytes. Considering the non-polymorphic and well conserved features of the CD1d molecule in mice and humans, these findings not only support the proposed role of NKT cells in the regulation of self-tolerance but also highlight the potential use of OCH for therapeutic intervention in type I diabetes.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Naturally anergic and suppressive CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells as a functionally and phenotypically distinct immunoregulatory T cell subpopulation.

A CD4(+) T cell subpopulation defined by the expression levels of a particular cell surface molecule (e.g. CD5, CD45RB, CD25, CD62L or CD38) bears an autoimmune-preventive activity in various animal models. Here we show that the expression of CD25 is highly specific, when compared with other molecules, in delineating the autoimmune-preventive immunoregulatory CD4(+) T cell population. Furthermore, although CD25 is an activation marker for T cells, the following findings indicate that immunoregulatory CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells are functionally distinct from activated or anergy-induced T cells derived from CD25(-)CD4(+) T cells. First, the former are autoimmune-preventive in vivo, naturally unresponsive (anergic) to TCR stimulation in vitro and, upon TCR stimulation, able to suppress the activation/proliferation of other T cells, whereas the latter scarcely exhibit the in vivo autoimmune-preventive activity or the in vitro suppressive activity. Second, such activated or anergy-induced CD25(-) spleen cells produce various autoimmune diseases when transferred to syngeneic athymic nude mice, whereas similarly treated normal spleen cells, which include CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells, do not. Third, upon polyclonal T cell stimulation, CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells express CD25 at higher levels and more persistently than CD25(-)CD4(+) T cell-derived activated T cells; moreover, when the stimulation is ceased, the former revert to the original levels of CD25 expression, whereas the latter lose the expression. These results collectively indicate that naturally anergic and suppressive CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells present in normal naive mice are functionally and phenotypically stable, distinct from other T cells, and play a key role in maintaining immunologic self-tolerance.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

T cell-mediated antigen presentation: a potential mechanism of infectious tolerance.

Differentiation of the T cell repertoire and the physiology of T cell-mediated antigen presentation are reviewed in relation to mechanisms of self-tolerance. Recent research has indicated that T cell development is a continual process that optimizes partial recognition of self as a homeostatic set-point. Specific T cell antigen recognition of partial agonists is intrinsically linked to expression of class II MHC glycoproteins on T cells. Even ligands that act as TCR antagonists in IL-2 production assays have sufficient agonistic strength to induce expression of class II MHC glycoproteins on T cells. Thus, the intrinsic self-reactivity of the T cell repertoire may promote T-APC activity in vivo and may explain why thymic and peripheral T cells express low but significant levels of class II MHC glycoproteins. T-APC activity induces extensive apoptosis among responder T cells, causes desensitization among surviving responders, and has been implicated in the adoptive transfer of tolerance in the Lewis rat model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Overall, these findings support a relationship between the partial recognition of self MHC ligands, expression of class II MHC glycoproteins on mature peripheral T cells, tolerogenic T cell-mediated antigen presentation, and desensitization of pathogenic self-reactive T cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Emerging possibilities in the development and function of regulatory T cells.

CD25+CD4+ Regulatory T cells (Treg) represent a unique population of lymphocytes capable of powerfully suppressing immune responses. A large body of experimental data have now confirmed the essential role played by these cells in a host of clinically relevant areas such as self-tolerance, transplantation, allergy and tumor/microbial immunity. Despite this mass of knowledge, significant gaps in our understanding of fundamental Treg biology remain, particularly regarding their development and mechanisms of suppression. In this review we attempt to highlight the current controversies and directions in which this exciting field is moving.

Animals↗