title: Interferon-gamma-modified dendritic cells suppress B cell function and ameliorate the development of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effects of interferon (IFN)-gamma-modulated dendritic cells (DC) in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). We induced EAMG in Lewis rats by immunization with Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and adjuvant. On day 33 post-immunization (p.i.), splenic DC were prepared, exposed to IFN-gamma alone (IFN-gamma-DC) or to IFN-gamma in combination with 1-methyl-DL-tryptophan (1-MT), the specific inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) (IFN-gamma + 1-MT-DC), and injected subcutaneously into rats with incipient EAMG on day 5 p.i. A control group of EAMG rats received naive DC on day 5 p.i., while another group received 1-MT every other day, intraperitoneally (p.i.), from days 5 to 41 p.i. The severity of clinical signs of EAMG was reduced dramatically in IFN-gamma-DC-treated rats compared to rats receiving naive DC, IFN-gamma + 1-MT-DC or 1-MT alone. The number of plasma cells secreting nAChR antibodies was reduced and the expression of B cell activation factor (BAFF) on splenic and lymph node mononuclear cells (MNC) was down-regulated in rats treated with IFN-gamma-DC. In vitro co-culture of MNC derived from EAMG rats with IFN-gamma-DC produced relatively few cells secreting nAChR antibodies. Addition of 1-MT to the co-culture significantly increased the number of cells secreting nAChR antibodies. We conclude that IFN-gamma-DC reduced the number of plasma cells secreting nAChR antibodies in an IDO-dependent manner and ameliorated the development of EAMG in Lewis rats.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroimmunology, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Adikari
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Link
authors.forename: Y-M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: B-G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D020720:Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000276:immunology; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014364:Tryptophan; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase