title: The OX-40 receptor provides a potent co-stimulatory signal capable of inducing encephalitogenicity in myelin-specific CD4+ T cells.
abstract: The OX-40 receptor, a member of the nerve growth factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor gene family, is expressed preferentially on autoreactive CD4+ T cells isolated from the site of inflammation in rats with clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). To examine whether the OX-40 receptor has biologic relevance to T cell function, we evaluated the ability of a rat OX-40 receptor-specific antibody to co-stimulate a myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactive CD4+ T cell line. The anti-OX-40 antibody provided a potent co-stimulatory signal to CD4+ T cells when added in conjunction with a submitogenic dose of anti-CD3, but the anti-OX-40 antibody alone did not produce a mitogenic response. The magnitude and dose-response of anti-OX-40 co-stimulation was virtually identical to the signal delivered to T cells when cultured with anti-CD28 in conjunction with anti-CD3. MBP-specific T cells stimulated with both anti-CD3 and anti-OX-40 antibodies expressed increased mRNA and protein for IL-2 when compared to anti-CD3 alone. MBP-specific T cells stimulated with both anti-CD3 and anti-OX-40 antibodies were also able to induce EAE when transferred into naive Lewis rats. In contrast, cells stimulated with anti-CD3 alone were not encephalitogenic. These data suggest that the function of the OX-40 receptor on activated T cells is to provide an alternative pathway for T cell co-stimulation that may be similar in potency to the CD28-mediated signal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kaleeba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Offner
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vandenbark
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lublinski
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Weinberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D053262:Receptors, OX40; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D053262:Receptors, OX40; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C505718:Tnfrsf4 protein, rat; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7