Antigen-specific suppression of non-lymphoid tissue auto-antibody production by CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (89.22)

Abstract To study how peripheral B cell tolerance against non-lymphoid tissue autoantigens is maintained, we generated transgenic RIP-OVA/HEL (ROH) mice expressing the model antigens, OVA and HEL, in pancreatic islet beta cells. Immunization with OVA/HEL/aluminiumhydroxide induced IgG auto-Ab titers that were much lower than in non-transgenic controls. Depletion of CD25+ cells during immunization completely restored auto-Ab production but did not affect titers against foreign antigens, indicating regulatory tolerance. Purified CD25+ FoxP3+ CD4+ T cells from ROH mice transferred B cell suppression into non-transgenic recipients. CD25+ cells also suppressed naïve transgenic HEL-specific B cells adoptively transferred into ROH mice, confirming peripheral B cell tolerance. B cell suppression mechanistically involved inhibiting the proliferation of autoreactive B cells, inducing their apoptosis after immunization with autoantigen, suppressing antibody secretion per B cell and downregulating IgMa and MHC II B cell surface expression in the autoantigen-draining lymph node. We conclude that CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were necessary and sufficient to specifically suppress auto-Ab production against pancreatic islet cell antigens.