|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Articles |
We studied the impact of various infectious and proinflammatory agents on the induction of peripheral T cell tolerance. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) T cell receptor transgenic mice into LCMV antigen transgenic mice expressing the LCMV glycoprotein epitope (gp) 33–41 under control of a major histocompatibility complex class I promoter led to efficient induction of peripheral tolerance after a period of transient activation. If, however, the recipient mice were challenged with viral or bacterial infections or proinflammatory agents (lipopolysaccharide or Poly:IC) early after cell transfer, tolerance induction was prevented and instead, CD8+ T cell activation leading to vigorous expansion and generation of cytolytic activity ensued. This became manifest in significant immunopathology mainly involving destruction of the splenic architecture and lysis of antigen-expressing lymphocyte and macrophage populations. Important parameters involved in the activation of host-reactive T cells by nonspecific infectious agents included the presence, localization, and quantity of the specific transgene-encoded self-antigen; in contrast, CD4+ T cells were not required. In mice surviving the acute phase, the transferred CD8+ T cells persisted at high levels in an anergic state; they were unable to generate cytolytic activity in vitro or to control LCMV infection in vivo. These results impinge on our understanding of the role of infectious agents in graft verus host reactions towards minor histocompatibility antigens.
This work was supported by the Swiss National Foundation grant 31-32179.91 (to H. Hengartner), grant 31-32195.91 (to R. Zinkernagel), and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (to S. Ehl).
Address correspondence to Dr. Stephan Ehl, Institute of Experimental Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Zürich, Schmelzbergstr. 12, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland. Phone: 411-255-2328; Fax: 411-255-4420; E-mail: stephehl{at}usz.unizh.ch
The present address of J. Hombach is Global Program for Vaccines and Immunization, World Health Organization, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. The present address of H. Pircher is Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Department of Immunology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
1 Abbreviations used in this paper: aa, amino acids; CFSE, 5,6 carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester; FDC, follicular dendritic cell; GP, glycoprotein; GVH, graft versus host; GVHR, GVH reaction; H8 mice, LCMV gp33-transgenic mice; L, ligand; LCMV, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; NP, nucleoprotein; RAG, recombination activating gene; VSV, vesicular stomatitis virus. J. Hombach and S. Ehl contributed equally to this work.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Facebook 
Reddit 
Technorati 
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
