Transfer of severe experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by IL-12- and IL-18-potentiated T cells is estrogen sensitive

J Immunol. 2003 May 1;170(9):4802-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.9.4802.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of IL-18 and IL-12 in potentiating the encephalitogenic activity of T cell lines specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG(35-55)). MOG-specific T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 in the presence of IL-12 or IL-18 alone transferred only mild experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) into a low percentage of recipients. However, T cells cocultured with both cytokines transferred aggressive clinical and histological EAE into all recipients. Coculture of T cells with IL-12 enhanced the secretion of IFN-gamma, but not TNF-alpha, whereas coculture with IL-18 enhanced the secretion of TNF-alpha, but not INF-gamma. However, coculture with both IL-18 and IL-12 induced high levels of both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. Additionally, IL-12 selectively enhanced mRNA expression of CCR5, whereas IL-18 selectively enhanced the expression of CCR4 and CCR7, and CCR4 and CCR5 were coexpressed on the surface of T cells cocultured with IL-12 and IL-18. Finally, estrogen treatment, previously found to inhibit both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma production, completely abrogated all signs of passive EAE. These data demonstrate that optimal potentiation of encephalitogenic activity can be achieved by conditioning MOG-specific T cells with the combination of IL-12 and IL-18, which, respectively, induce the secretion of IFN-gamma/CCR5 and TNF-alpha/CCR4/CCR7, and that estrogen treatment, which is known to inhibit both proinflammatory cytokines, can completely ablate this aggressive form of passive EAE.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Adoptive Transfer / methods*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Culture Media, Conditioned / pharmacology
  • Drug Implants
  • Drug Synergism
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology*
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / prevention & control
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Estradiol / administration & dosage
  • Estradiol / pharmacology*
  • Extracellular Space / immunology
  • Extracellular Space / metabolism
  • Female
  • Glycoproteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-12 / pharmacology*
  • Interleukin-18 / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
  • Peptide Fragments / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology
  • Pregnancy Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Pregnancy Proteins / pharmacology
  • Receptors, CCR4
  • Receptors, CCR5 / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, CCR7
  • Receptors, Chemokine / biosynthesis
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / transplantation*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis
  • Up-Regulation / immunology

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Ccr4 protein, mouse
  • Ccr7 protein, mouse
  • Culture Media, Conditioned
  • Drug Implants
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Glycoproteins
  • Interleukin-18
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Pregnancy Proteins
  • Receptors, CCR4
  • Receptors, CCR5
  • Receptors, CCR7
  • Receptors, Chemokine
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (35-55)
  • Interleukin-12
  • Estradiol
  • Interferon-gamma