title: Therapeutic effect of CpG motifs on the development of chronic graft-versus-host disease in mice.
abstract: Transferring DBA/2 spleen cells into (C57BL/10xDBA/2) F1 (referred to as BDF1) mice induces a chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), characterized by the production of Th(2) cytokines, hypergammaglobulinemia, and immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis that resembles systemic lupus erythematosus. DNA motif consisting of an unmethylated CpG dinucleotide flanked by two 5' purines and two 3' pyrimidines (CpG ODN) induces Th(1) cytokine production in mice. This study examines the effect of administering CpG ODN to mice undergoing chronic GVHD, based on the premise that altering Th(1)/Th(2) activity might beneficially impact on disease progression.GVHD BDF1 mice injected with DBA/2 spleen cells were treated with weekly intraperitoneal injection of 50 microg CpG ODN. This treatment significantly suppressed the production of IgG anti-DNA autoantibody and reduced the development of glomerulonephritis. Serum IgG2a titers were higher in the CpG ODN than in non-CpG control group, whereas IgG1 titers were unchanged. As predicted, IFN-gamma levels were significantly higher in the CpG ODN-treated group, while IL-4 levels were lower, resulting in a shift in the Th(1)/Th(2) cytokine ratio. Results suggest that CpG ODN administration may be of therapeutic benefit in chronic GVHD.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senuma
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Mitsuyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishigatsubo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011507:Proteinuria
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007136:Immunoglobulins