CD8(+)CD103(+) regulatory T cells in spontaneous tolerance of liver allografts.
It has been shown that rat liver allografts between certain inbred major histocompatibility complex (MHC) disparate strains are accepted spontaneously, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been suggested to play a role in the spontaneous liver tolerance. CD8(+)CD103(+) T cells bear the phenotypes of effector cells, and they are implicated in allograft destruction. Here we provide evidence that CD8(+)CD103(+) T cells possess regulatory function and may contribute to prevent liver allograft rejection. We show that the expression of CD103 in the CD8(+) T cells was increased in spontaneous liver grafts tolerant recipients. We further show that CD8(+)CD103(-) T cells can also upregulate the expression of CD103 and Foxp3 after stimulation with alloantigen or TGF-beta in vitro, and the CD8(+)CD103(+) T cells acquired regulatory properties. The suppressive function of the alloantigen or TGF-beta conditioned CD8(+)CD103(+) T cells was cell-cell contact dependent. These results imply that liver-specific factor(s) would be involved in the generation of CD8(+)CD103(+) Tregs that contribute to spontaneous liver allografts tolerance.
Lu
Ling
L
Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation of Ministry of Public Health, Nanjing, China.
Yu
Yue
Y
Li
Guoqiang
G
Pu
Liyong
L
Zhang
Feng
F
Zheng
Songguo
S
Wang
Xuehao
X
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance
D015703:Antigens, CD; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C500522:Foxp3 protein, rat; D039001:Integrin alpha Chains; D007519:Isoantigens; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C091367:alpha E integrins