title: CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells protect against injury in an innate murine model of chronic kidney disease.
abstract: Studies of mechanisms of disease regulation by CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) have been focused on their interaction with effector T cells; however, the possibility that regulation might involve noncognate cells has not been explored in detail. This study investigated the effect of CD4+CD25+ Treg on macrophage proinflammatory properties and phenotype in vitro and found that they modulate macrophages by inhibiting their activation, leading to reduced proinflammatory cytokine production and a downregulated effector phenotype. For testing the in vivo significance of this effect, CD4+CD25+ T cells that expressed high levels of Foxp3 were reconstituted into SCID mice after induction of Adriamycin nephropathy, a noncognate model of chronic renal disease. CD4+CD25+ T cells significantly reduced glomerular and interstitial injury. In addition, there was a significant fall in the number of macrophages in both the glomeruli and interstitium of SCID mice that were reconstituted with Treg as compared with the Adriamycin alone group. Blockade of TGF-beta using neutralizing antibodies significantly impaired the protective effect of Treg. These findings delineate a TGF-beta-dependent Treg-macrophage inhibitory interaction that can explain cognate-independent protection by Treg.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Transplantation and Renal Research, The University of Sydney at Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia. deepika_mahajan@wmi.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Deepika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiahong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yuan Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stephen I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: David C H
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D010641:Phenotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D004317:Doxorubicin