B cells are critical for autoimmune pathology in Scurfy mice

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 19;110(47):19042-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1313547110. Epub 2013 Nov 5.

Abstract

Impaired regulatory T-cell function results in a severe chronic autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs in Scurfy mice and humans with the immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome. Previous studies have shown that T helper cells but not cytotoxic T cells are critical for the disease pathology. Whether this T-cell subset is responsible directly for tissue inflammation or rather indirectly via the interaction with B cells or myeloid cells is largely unknown. To study this and to identify potential therapeutic targets for this lethal disease we investigated the contribution of B cells to this complex autoimmune phenotype. We show that B cells and the production of autoantibodies plays a major role for skin, liver, lung, and kidney inflammation and therapeutic depletion of B cells resulted in reduced tissue pathology and in prolonged survival. In contrast, the absence of B cells did not impact systemic T-cell activation and hyperreactivity, indicating that autoantibody production by B cells may be a major factor for the autoimmune pathology in mice deficient for regulatory T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Autoantibodies / biosynthesis*
  • Autoimmunity / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / congenital
  • Diarrhea
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology*
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / genetics
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / immunology
  • Immune System Diseases / congenital
  • Immune Tolerance / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse

Supplementary concepts

  • Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-Linked Syndrome