Increased T-bet to GATA-3 ratio during acute allograft rejection in the rat lung.
Acute allograft rejection (AR) remains a major problem in solid organ transplantation. The pivotal mechanism hinges on alloantigen recognition by recipient T helper (T(h)) cells that differentiate into T(h)1 and T(h)2. This study investigated the association of mRNA levels of the transcription factors T-box expressed in T cells and GATA-binding protein 3 with the development of T(h)1/T(h)2-directed immune responses. We investigated the expression of T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA levels and the protein levels of their marker cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 in orthotopically transplanted rat lungs during AR. We observed a nonsignificant increase in T-bet expression following allografting at days 3 and 5 but there was a significant reduction in GATA-3 expression on day 5 compared with controls. The ratio of T-bet to GATA-3 expression showed a trend to increase at day 3 following allografting reaching significance at 5 days. These changes were associated with a significant increase in the expression of IL-2 over IL-4 on days 3 and 5. This study suggests that T(h)1 responses play a major role during AR in the rat lung, and that this differentiation can be monitored by measuring mRNA levels of T-bet and GATA-3.
Jungraithmayr
W
W
Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ji
L
L
Yang
L
L
Weder
W
W
Korom
S
S
Hersberger
M
M
D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor
D017931:DNA Primers; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; D015847:Interleukin-4