CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells control the magnitude of T-dependent humoral immune responses to exogenous antigens.
CD4+ CD25+ T reg cells are critical for peripheral tolerance and prevention of autoimmunity. Here we show that CD4+ CD25+ T reg also regulate the magnitude of humoral responses against a panel of T-dependent antigens of foreign origin during both primary and secondary immune responses. Depletion of CD4+ CD25+ T cells leads to increased antigen-specific antibody production and affinity maturation but does not affect T-independent B cell responses, suggesting that CD4+ CD25+ T reg exert a feedback mechanism on non-self antigen-specific antibody secretion by dampening the T cell help for B cell activation. Moreover, we show that CD4+ CD25+ T reg also suppress in vitro B cell immunoglobulin production by inhibiting CD4+ CD25- T cell help delivery, and that blockade of TGF-beta activity abolishes this suppression.
Eddahri
Fouad
F
Laboratoire de Physiologie animale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
Oldenhove
Guillaume
G
Denanglaire
Sébastien
S
Urbain
Jacques
J
Leo
Oberdan
O
Andris
Fabienne
F
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2