Cholera toxin B subunit promotes the induction of regulatory T cells by preventing human dendritic cell maturation.
Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) is an efficient mucosal carrier molecule for the generation of immune responses to linked antigens. There is also good evidence that CTB acts as an immunosuppressant, as it is able to down-modulate human monocyte/macrophage cell line activation and to suppress Th1-type responses. In the present study, we examined the possibility that recombinant CTB (rCTB) may affect human dendritic cell (DC) functions in response to LPS stimulation and may induce the generation of DC with the capacity to generate CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs). Our findings show that rCTB partially prevents the LPS-induced maturation process of monocyte-derived DC (MDDC) and decreases their IL-12 production with no relevant effect on IL-10 production. LPS-stimulated MDDC pretreated with rCTB are able to promote the induction of low proliferating T cells, which show an enhanced IL-10 production associated with a reduced IFN-gamma production and the same high levels of TGF-beta as the control. These T cells suppress proliferation of activated autologous T cells. Transwell experiments and blockade of IL-10R and TGF-beta showed that the immunomodulatory effect is mediated by soluble factors. Thus, T cells induced by rCTB-conditioned MDDC acquire a regulatory phenotype and activity similar to those described for type 1 Tregs.
Immune-Mediated Section, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanitá, Rome, Italy.
Antonella
A
D'Ambrosio
Manuela
M
Colucci
Orsola
O
Pugliese
Francesca
F
Quintieri
Monica
M
Boirivant
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D011042:Poisons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011042:Poisons; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002772:Cholera Toxin