Transfer of regulatory properties from tolerogenic to proinflammatory dendritic cells via induced autoreactive regulatory T cells

J Immunol. 2011 Dec 15;187(12):6357-64. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1101638. Epub 2011 Nov 14.

Abstract

Infectious tolerance is a term generally assigned to the process through which regulatory T cells (Tregs) transfer immunoregulatory properties to other T cells. In this study, we demonstrated that a similar process applies to human dendritic cells (DCs), albeit through a different mechanism. We induced and cloned proinsulin-specific Tregs using tolerogenic DCs and investigated mechanisms by which induced Ag-specific regulatory T cells (iaTregs) endorse the suppressive effects. iaTregs expressed FOXP3, programmed death-1, and membrane-bound TGF-β and upregulated IL-10 and CTLA-4 after stimulation with the cognate Ag. The iaTregs suppressed effector T cells only when both encountered the cognate Ags on the same APCs (linked suppression). This occurred independently of IL-10, TGF-β, programmed death-1, or CTLA-4. Instead, iaTregs used a granzyme B-mediated mechanism to kill B cells and monocytes, whereas proinflammatory DCs that resisted being killed were induced to upregulate the inhibitory receptors B7 (family) homolog 3 and ICOS ligand. These re-educated mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mDCs) suppressed effector T cells and induced IL-10-producing cells from the naive T cell pool. Our data indicated that human tolerogenic DCs confer infectious tolerance by inducing Ag-specific Tregs, which, in turn, re-educate proinflammatory mature DCs into DCs with regulatory properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cholecalciferol / physiology
  • Clone Cells
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / pathology*
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Inflammation Mediators / physiology
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / biosynthesis
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology*
  • Monocytes / cytology
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / biosynthesis
  • Proinsulin / biosynthesis
  • Proinsulin / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / pathology

Substances

  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains
  • HLA-DRB1*04:01 antigen
  • IL2RA protein, human
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
  • PDCD1 protein, human
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Cholecalciferol
  • Proinsulin