gammadelta T cells are critical for the induction of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation.
Anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID) is a systemic form of tolerance that is elicited by introducing antigens into the anterior chamber of the eye. ACAID is characterized by deficiencies in delayed-type hypersensitivity and complement-fixing antibodies upon subsequent challenge with antigen. The mechanisms responsible for the generation of this form of tolerance are not yet completely clear. Here we asked whether gammadelta T cells, which are critical in the induction of oral tolerance and nasal tolerance, play a role in ACAID. The percentage of splenic gammadelta T cells was higher in mice that received antigen via the anterior chamber compared to untreated mice. In addition, CD44 was up-regulated on some splenic gammadelta and alphabeta T cells after the intraocular injection of antigen. Moreover, administration of antigen into the anterior chamber did not induce ACAID in the C57BL/6 mice pretreated with anti-mouse delta-chain monoclonal antibody or in the gammadelta T-cell-receptor-deficient (delta-/-) mice. gammadelta T cells from wild-type mice reconstituted ACAID when transferred into the delta-/- mice before injection of antigen, verifying that the deficiency in delta-/- mice results from the lack of gammadelta T cells rather than from an inadvertent change caused by deletion of the delta-chain. These findings indicate that gammadelta T cells play a very important role in ocular tolerance.
Xu
Y
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Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Kapp
J A
JA
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D012995:Solubility; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D010047:Ovalbumin