CCR6 regulates CD4+ T-cell-mediated acute graft-versus-host disease responses

Blood. 2005 Jul 1;106(1):18-26. doi: 10.1182/blood-2004-08-2996. Epub 2005 Mar 17.

Abstract

We studied the role of chemokine receptor CCR6 in acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a pathology in which activated, host antigen-specific donor T cells selectively damage tissues such as skin, liver, and gut. GvHD incidence was reduced in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-mismatched recipients of CD4+ T cells from CCR6-deficient donors. In MHC-matched/minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched recipients of CD4+CD45RB(high) T cells from CCR6-deficient donors, infiltration of CD45+ and CD4+ cells to skin and gut, as well as lesion onset, were significantly delayed, and pathologic symptoms were milder. Consistent with this, in skin and gut of recipients of naive T cells from CCR6-deficient donors we observed lower levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and the chemokines that control activated T-cell homing. We suggest a role for CCR6 in recruiting alloreactive CD4+ T cells to target tissues and identify CCR6 as a potential therapeutic target for GvHD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / transplantation
  • Cell Division / immunology
  • Chemokines / genetics
  • Chemokines / immunology
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Gene Expression / immunology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / immunology
  • Isoantigens / immunology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / cytology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Mice, SCID
  • Receptors, CCR6
  • Receptors, Chemokine / genetics*
  • Receptors, Chemokine / immunology*
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • CCR6 protein, human
  • Chemokines
  • Cytokines
  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • Isoantigens
  • Receptors, CCR6
  • Receptors, Chemokine