title: Thymus-derived CD4+ CD25+ T cells suppress the development of murine allergic conjunctivitis.
abstract: CD4+ CD25+ T cells regulate various kinds of immune-mediated diseases. Here, we sought to clarify whether CD4+ CD25+ T cells also regulate the development of experimental allergic conjunctivitis (EC). Thymectomized BALB/c mice, treated with anti-CD25 antibody (PC61), normal rat immunoglobulin G (nrIgG) or left untreated were immunized with short ragweed pollen (RW). Ten days later, the mice were challenged with RW in eye drops, and 24 h later, the conjunctivas, blood and spleens were harvested. The severity of EC, as evaluated by conjunctival eosinophil numbers, was significantly higher in the PC61-treated group as compared with the other two groups. The PC61-treated group also had significantly higher RW-specific IgE and IgG1 levels and displayed RW-specific splenocyte proliferation and RW-induced splenocyte T helper cell 2 cytokine production. However, PC61 treatment of unthymectomized mice did not affect the severity of EC. Thus, thymus-derived CD25+ T cells regulate the development of EC. Furthermore, transfer of Foxp3-expressing CD4+ CD25+ T cells from naïve mice into RW-sensitized mice suppressed the development of EC in these mice after RW challenge. Taken together, these results suggest that CD4+ CD25+ T cells regulate the development of EC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku-city, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumi
authors.forename: Atsuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Hisayuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism