Brigit G. Durell

Experimental autoimmune encephalitis and inflammation in the absence of interleukin-12

IL-12 is considered a critical proinflammatory cytokine for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). IL-12 is a heterodimer composed of a p35 subunit and a common p40 subunit shared by other cytokines. Both IL-12 p40(-/-) and p35(-/-) mice fail to produce IL-12 p70 heterodimer. However, in contrast to p40(-/-) mice, p35(-/-) mice are highly susceptible to the induction of EAE, establishing that IL-12 p70 is not essential for the development of EAE. When compared with wild-type mice, both p40(-/-) and p35(-/-) mice show deficiencies in primary IFN-gamma responses by lymph node cells. Expression profiling of the inflamed CNS revealed that Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10 are upregulated in p35(-/-) mice, whereas LT-alpha and TNF-alpha levels are reduced. These studies show that a molecule other than IL-12 p70, which uses the p40 subunit, fulfills the functions previously attributed to IL-12 with regard to the development and pathogenesis of this autoimmune disease.

IL-23 produced by CNS-resident cells controls T cell encephalitogenicity during the effector phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

CNS-resident cells, in particular microglia and macrophages, are a source of inflammatory cytokines during inflammation within the CNS. Expression of IL-23, a recently discovered cytokine, has been shown to be critical for the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. Expression of the p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23 by microglia has been shown in situ and in vitro, but direct evidence for a functional significance of p40 expression by CNS cells during an immune response in vivo is still lacking. Here we report that p40 plays a critical role in maintaining encephalitogenicity during the disease course. By using irradiation bone marrow chimeras, we have generated mice in which p40 is deleted from the CNS parenchyma but not the systemic immune compartment. Our studies show that p40 expressed by CNS-endogenous cells is critical for the development of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced EAE. In spite of the reduced clinical disease, the absence of p40 from the CNS has little impact on the degree of inflammation. Expression profiles of the CNS lesions show an increase in Th2 cytokines when compared with mice that develop EAE in the presence of CNS IL-12 and/or IL-23. Taken together, our data demonstrate that p40 expression by CNS-resident cells forms the basis for the Th1 bias of the CNS.

Dendritic cell longevity and T cell persistence is controlled by CD154-CD40 interactions.

Inflammatory mediators facilitate the maturation of dendritic cells (DC), enabling them to induce the activation, proliferation and differentiation of cognate T cells. The role of CD40 on DC and CD154 on T cells has been studied by the co‐adoptive transfer of antigen‐pulsed DC and TCR‐transgenic (Tg) T cells in vivo. It is shown that in the absence of CD40‐CD154 interactions, initial Tg T cell expansion occurs in vivo, but over time, T cell expansion cannot be sustained. The basis for the demise of the T cell population is likely due to the disappearance of the antigen‐pulsed DC in the draining lymph nodes when CD154‐CD40 interactions are interrupted. These findings show that both T cell and DC persistence in vivo is dependent on CD40‐CD154 interactions. In addition to the physical persistence of the DC, CD40 triggering of DC also greatly increases the period for which they can productively present antigen to Tg T cells. Hence DC persistence and antigen‐presenting cell capacity are both dependent on CD40 signaling. While TNF‐α can mature DC as measured by a variety of criteria, the unique capacity of CD40 signaling to sustain T cell responses and induce DC maturation is underscored by the inability of TNF‐α to rescue the immune deficiency of CD40–/– DC. Hence, the profound impact of CD154 deficiency on cell‐mediated immunity may be due to its ability to limit the duration of antigen presentation in vivo and cause the premature demise of antigen‐specific T cells.

Short-circuiting long-lived humoral immunity by the heightened engagement of CD40

Agonistic alpha CD40 Abs have been shown to be potent immune adjuvants for both cell- and humoral-mediated immunity. While enhancing short-lived humoral immunity, the administration of a CD40 agonist during thymus-dependent immune responses ablates germinal center formation, prematurely terminates the humoral immune response, blocks the generation of B cell memory, and prevents the generation of long-lived bone marrow plasma cells. Interestingly, some of these effects of heightened CD40 engagement could be mimicked by enhancing the magnitude of antigen-specific T cell help. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that as the magnitude of CD40 signaling intensifies, the fate of antigen-reactive B cells can be dramatically altered. These are the first studies to describe the multifaceted function of CD40 in determining the fate of antigen-reactive B cells and provide novel insights into how CD40 agonists can short-circuit humoral immunity.

γδ T Cell-Deficient Mice Have a Down-Regulated CD8+ T Cell Immune Response Against Encephalitozoon cuniculi Infection

γδ T cells have been reported to play an essential effector role during the early immune response against a wide variety of infectious agents. Recent studies have suggested that the γδ T cell subtype may also be important for the induction of adaptive immune response against certain microbial pathogens. In the present study, an early increase of γδ T cells during murine infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, an intracellular parasite, was observed. The role of γδ T cells against E. cuniculi infection was further evaluated by using gene-knockout mice. Mice lacking γδ T cells were susceptible to E. cuniculi infection at high challenge doses. The reduced resistance of δ−/− mice was attributed to a down-regulated CD8+ immune response. Compared with parental wild-type animals, suboptimal Ag-specific CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection was noted in δ−/− mice. The splenocytes from infected knockout mice exhibited a lower frequency of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. Moreover, adoptive transfer of immune TCRαβ+ CD8+ T cells from the δ−/− mice failed to protect naive CD8−/− mice against a lethal E. cuniculi challenge. Our studies suggest that γδ T cells, due to their ability to produce cytokines, are important for the optimal priming of CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection. This is the first evidence of a parasitic infection in which down-regulation of CD8+ T cell immune response in the absence of γδ T cells has been demonstrated.

Lack of CD4+ T Cells Does Not Affect Induction of CD8+ T-Cell Immunity against Encephalitozoon cuniculi Infection

ABSTRACT Cell-mediated immunity has been reported to play an important role in defense against Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection. Previous studies from our laboratory have underlined the importance of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL) in survival of mice infected with E. cuniculi. In the present study, immune response against E. cuniculi infection in CD4+T-cell-deficient mice was evaluated. Similar to resistant wild-type animals, CD4−/− mice were able to resolve E. cuniculi infection even at a very high challenge dose (5 × 107 spores/mouse). Tissues from infected CD4−/− mice did not exhibit higher parasite loads in comparison to the parental wild-type mice. Conversely, at day 21 postinfection, susceptible CD8−/− mice had 1014 times more parasites in the liver compared to control wild-type mice. Induction of the CD8+ T-cell response in CD4−/− mice against E. cuniculi infection was studied. Interestingly, a normal antigen-specific CD8+T-cell response to E. cuniculi infection was observed in CD4−/− mice (precursor proliferation frequency, 1/2.5 × 104 versus 1/104 in wild-type controls). Lack of CD4+ T cells did not alter the magnitude of the antigen-specific CTL response (precursor CTL frequency; 1/1.4 × 104 in CD4−/− mice versus 1/3 × 104 in control mice). Adoptive transfer of immune CD8+ T cells from both CD4−/− and wild-type animals prevented the mortality in CD8−/− mice.E. cuniculi infection thus offers an example of an intracellular parasitic infection where CD8+ T-cell immunity can be induced in the absence of CD4+ T cells.

B cell immunopoiesis: visualizing the impact of CD40 engagement on the course of T cell-independent immune responses in an Ig transgenic system

This study tracks the fate of antigen‐reactive B cells through follicular and extrafollicular responses and addresses the function of CD40 in these processes. The unique feature of this system is the use of transgenic B cells in which the heavy chain locus has been altered by site‐directed insertion of a rearranged VH DJH exon such that they are able to clonally expand, isotype‐switch and follow a normal course of differentiation upon immunization. These Ig transgenic B cells when adoptively transferred into non‐transgenic (Tg) mice in measured amounts expanded and differentiated distinctively in response to T cell‐independent (TI) or T cell‐dependent (TD) antigens. The capacity of these Tg B cells to faithfully recapitulate the humoral immune response to TI and TD antigens provides the means to track clonal B cell behavior in vivo. Challenge with TI antigen in the presence of agonistic anti‐CD40 mAb resulted in well‐defined alterations of the TI response. In vivo triggering of Tg B cells with TI antigen and CD40 caused an increase in the levels IgG produced and a broadening of the Ig isotype profile, characteristics which partially mimic TD responses. Although some TD characteristics were induced by TI antigen and CD40 triggering, the Tg B cells failed to acquire a germinal center phenotype and failed to generate a memory response. Therefore, TD‐like immunity can be only partially reconstituted with CD40 agonists and TI antigens, suggesting that there are additional signals required for germinal center formation and development of memory.

Characterization of the CD154-Positive and CD40-Positive Cellular Subsets Required for Pathogenesis in Retrovirus-Induced Murine Immunodeficiency

ABSTRACT Genetically susceptible C57BL/6 (B6) mice that are infected with the LP-BM5 isolate of murine retroviruses develop profound splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, hypergammaglobulinemia, terminal B-cell lymphomas, and an immunodeficiency state bearing many similarities to the pathologies seen in AIDS. Because of these similarities, this syndrome has been called murine AIDS (MAIDS). We have previously shown that CD154 (CD40 ligand)-CD40 molecular interactions are required both for the initiation and progression of MAIDS. Thus, in vivo anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody (MAb) treatment inhibited MAIDS symptoms in LP-BM5-infected wild-type mice when either a short course of anti-CD154 MAb treatment was started on the day of infection or a course was initiated 3 to 4 weeks after LP-BM5 administration, after disease was established. Here, we further characterize this required CD154-CD40 interaction by a series of adoptive transfer experiments designed to elucidate which cellular subsets must express CD154 or CD40 for LP-BM5 to induce MAIDS. Specifically with regard to CD154 expression, MAIDS-insusceptible B6 nude mice reconstituted with highly purified CD4+ T cells from wild-type, but not from CD154 knockout, B6 donors displayed clear MAIDS after LP-BM5 infection. In contrast, nude B6 recipients that received CD8+ T cells from wild-type B6 donors did not develop MAIDS after LP-BM5 infection. B6 CD40 knockout mice, which are also relatively resistant to LP-BM5-induced MAIDS, became susceptible to LP-BM5-induced disease after reconstitution with highly purified wild-type B cells but not after receiving purified wild-type dendritic cells (DC) or a combined CD40+ population composed of DC and macrophages obtained from B6 SCID mouse donors. Based on these and other experiments, we thus conclude that the cellular basis for the requirement for CD154-CD40 interactions for MAIDS induction and progression can be accounted for by CD154 expression on CD4+ T cells and CD40 expression on B cells.