title: BTLA associates with increased Foxp3 expression in CD4(+) T cells in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.
abstract: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease, and its pathogenesis involves a variety of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors such as T helper cells and their secreted cytokines. B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immunoregulatory receptor that has a strong suppressive effect on T-cell function. However the role of BTLA in UC remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrated that the frequency of BTLA-expressing CD3(+) T cells, especially CD4(+) T cells, increased in blood and mucosa in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The frequency of Foxp3-expressing cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cell from lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) was much higher in DSS-treated mice than that in controls. Similarly, the proportion of IL-17+ cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cells from LPMCs in DSS-treated mice is much higher than that in controls, while no perceptible difference for the proportion of IFN-γ+ cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cells was noted between DSS-treated mice and controls. Treatment of mesalazine, an anti-ulcerative colitis drug, down-regulated Foxp3 and IL-17 expression in BTLA positive T cells along with attenuated severity for colitis. Our findings indicate that BTLA may be involved in the control of inflammatory responses through increasing Foxp3 expression, rather than attenuating IL-17 production, in DSS-induced colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical College 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Han-Xian
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, 422 Hospital of People's Liberation Army Zhanjiang 524023, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute of Guangdong Medical College Zhangjiang, 524023, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical College 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical College 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Ai
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical College 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Wan-Dang
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Jixin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology 1095 Jiefang Ave., Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Cong-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute of Guangdong Medical College Zhangjiang, 524023, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Bao
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Medical College 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China ; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics 1 Xincheng Road, Dongguan 523808, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Fa
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C488868:BTLA protein, mouse; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; C508717:IL17A protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D019804:Mesalamine; D016264:Dextran Sulfate
keywords: B and T lymphocyte attenuator; Colitis; Foxp3; IFN-γ; IL-17; dextran sulfate sodium