Background: B lymphocytes are an important cell population of the immune regulation; their role in the regulation of food allergy has not been fully understood yet.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the role of a subpopulation of tolerogenic B cells (TolBC) in the generation of regulatory T cells (Treg) and in the suppression of food allergy-induced intestinal inflammation in mice.
Methods: The intestinal mucosa-derived CD5+ CD19+ CX3CR1+ TolBCs were characterized by flow cytometry; a mouse model of intestinal T helper (Th)2 inflammation was established to assess the immune regulatory role of this subpopulation of TolBCs.
Results: A subpopulation of CD5+ CD19+ CX3CR1+ B cells was detected in the mouse intestinal mucosa. The cells also expressed transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and carried integrin alpha v beta 6 (αvβ6). Exposure to recombinant αvβ6 and anti-IgM antibody induced naive B cells to differentiate into the TGF-β-producing TolBCs. Coculturing this subpopulation of TolBCs with Th0 cells generated CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs. Adoptive transfer with the TolBCs markedly suppressed the food allergy-induced intestinal Th2 pattern inflammation in mice.
Conclusions: CD5+ CD19+ CX3CR1+ TolBCs are capable of inducing Tregs in the intestine and suppress food allergy-related Th2 pattern inflammation in mice.
Keywords: Th2 response; food allergy; intestine; regulatory T cell; tolerogenic B cell.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.