The role of the CD134-CD134 ligand costimulatory pathway in alloimmune responses in vivo.
The CD134-CD134 ligand (CD134L) costimulatory pathway has been shown to be critical for both T and B cell activation; however, its role in regulating the alloimmune response remains unexplored. Furthermore, its interactions with other costimulatory pathways and immunosuppressive agents are unclear. We investigated the effect of CD134-CD134L pathway blockade on allograft rejection in fully MHC-mismatched rat cardiac and skin transplantation models. CD134L blockade alone did not prolong graft survival compared with that of untreated recipients, and in combination with donor-specific transfusion, cyclosporine, or rapamycin, was less effective than B7 blockade in prolonging allograft survival. However, in combination with B7 blockade, long-term allograft survival was achieved in all recipients (>200 days). Moreover, this was synergistic in reducing the frequency of IFN-gamma-producing alloreactive lymphocytes and inhibiting the generation of activated/effector lymphocytes. Most impressively, this combination prevented rejection in a presensitized model using adoptive transfer of primed lymphocytes into athymic heart transplant recipients. In comparison to untreated recipients (mean survival time (MST): 5.3 +/- 0.5 days), anti-CD134L mAb alone modestly prolonged allograft survival (MST: 14 +/- 2.8 days) as did CTLA4Ig (MST: 21.5 +/- 1.7 days), but all grafts were rejected within 24 days. Importantly, combined blockade further and significantly prolonged allograft survival (MST: 75.3 +/- 12.7 days) and prevented the expansion and/or persistence of primed/effector alloreactive T cells. Our data suggest that CD134-CD134L is a critical pathway in alloimmune responses, especially recall/primed responses, and is synergistic with CD28-B7 in mediating T cell effector responses during allograft rejection. Understanding the mechanisms of collaboration between these different pathways is important for the development of novel strategies to promote long-term allograft survival.
Yuan
Xueli
X
Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Transplantation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Salama
Alan D
AD
Dong
Victor
V
Schmitt
Isabela
I
Najafian
Nader
N
Chandraker
Anil
A
Akiba
Hisaya
H
Yagita
Hideo
H
Sayegh
Mohamed H
MH
D000069594:Abatacept; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D008024:Ligands; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D011923:Rats, Nude; D053262:Receptors, OX40; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007519:Isoantigens; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053262:Receptors, OX40; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C505718:Tnfrsf4 protein, rat; C504587:Tnfsf4 protein, rat; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; D000069594:Abatacept; D007371:Interferon-gamma