title: Altered B cell development and anergy in the absence of Foxp3.
abstract: The importance of regulatory T cells in immune tolerance is illustrated by the human immune dysregulatory disorder IPEX (immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked), caused by a lack of regulatory T cells due to decreased or absent expression of Foxp3. Although the majority of work on regulatory T cells has focused on their ability to suppress T cell responses, the development of significant autoantibody titers in patients with IPEX suggests that regulatory T cells also contribute to the suppression of autoreactive B cells. Using a murine model, deficient in the expression of Foxp3, we show that B cell development is significantly altered in the absence of regulatory T cells. Furthermore, we identify a loss of B cell anergy as a likely mechanism to explain the production of autoantibodies that occurs in the absence of regulatory T cells. Our results suggest that regulatory T cells, by either direct or indirect mechanisms, modulate B cell development and anergy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Leonardo
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: Nicholas L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Hartog
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Gauld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017635:Clonal Anergy / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens