Graft rejection as a Th1-type process amenable to regulation by donor Th2-type cells through an interleukin-4/STAT6 pathway

Blood. 2008 Dec 1;112(12):4765-75. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-05-154278. Epub 2008 Jul 14.

Abstract

Graft rejection has been defined as the mirror image of graft-versus-host disease, which is biologically characterized primarily as a Th1-type process. As such, we reasoned that graft rejection would represent a Th1 response amenable to Th2 modulation. Indeed, adoptive transfer of host Th1-type cells mediated rejection of fully MHC-disparate murine bone marrow allografts more effectively than host Th2-type cells. Furthermore, STAT1-deficient host T cells did not differentiate into Th1-type cells in vivo and failed to mediate rejection. We next hypothesized that donor Th2 cell allograft augmentation would prevent rejection by modulation of the host Th1/Th2 balance. In the setting of donor Th2 cell therapy, host-anti-donor allospecific T cells acquired Th2 polarity, persisted posttransplantation, and did not mediate rejection. Abrogation of rejection required donor Th2 cell IL-4 secretion and host T-cell STAT6 signaling. In conclusion, T cell-mediated marrow graft rejection primarily resembles a Th1-type process that can be abrogated by donor Th2 cell therapy that promotes engraftment through a novel mechanism whereby cytokine polarization is transferred to host T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / immunology*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-4 / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor / physiology
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Th1 Cells / immunology*
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology
  • Transplantation, Isogeneic / immunology

Substances

  • STAT1 Transcription Factor
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • Stat1 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-4