IFN-tau suppresses both the autoreactive humoral and cellular immune responses and induces stable remission in mice with chronic experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
We have previously shown that interferon-tau (IFN-tau) pretreatment inhibits the development of both acute and chronic mouse experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS). IFN-tau is a type I IFN that has pregnancy recognition hormone activity in ruminants. Here we show that IFN-tau induced remission in SJL/J mice that had ongoing chronic active EAE disease and protected mice against secondary relapses. IFN-tau treatment reversed lymphocyte infiltration and microglial activation in the central nervous system. Mice that were treated with IFN-tau had lower levels of anti-MBP antibodies than untreated mice in both chronic and acute forms of EAE. MBP induced proliferation in B cells from EAE mice, but treatment with IFN-tau either in vivo or in vitro blocked activation. Furthermore, IFN-tau inhibited MBP activation of T cells from EAE mice. Thus, IFN-tau inhibits the humoral arm as well as the cellular arm of the autoimmune disease EAE. The data presented here show that IFN-tau inhibits both B cell and T cell responses in EAE as well as active, chronic EAE, and this may help explain the effectiveness of type I IFNs in treatment of MS.
Department of Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
M G
MG
Mujtaba
W J
WJ
Streit
H M
HM
Johnson
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012756:Sheep; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D007370:Interferon Type I; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C020947:interferon tau