Background & aims: Transplantation of wild-type (H-2k) bone marrow into tg epsilon26 mice (BM-->tg epsilon26) induces colitis, characterized by T-helper cell type 1 activation in the lamina propria. Here we determined whether pathogenic T-cell clones could be derived by serial adoptive transfers into healthy tg epsilon26 recipients, starting with the population of CD4+ cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes of BM-->tg epsilon26 mice.
Methods: CD4+ cells purified from the mesenteric lymph nodes of colitic BM-->tg epsilon26 mice were adoptively transferred into a second group of healthy tg epsilon26 recipients. Mesenteric lymph node CD4+ cells from the second group of mice were then used for consecutive transfers. Lamina propria CD4+ cells isolated from each mouse with colitis were analyzed for their cytokine profile and for their T-cell receptor Vbeta repertoire.
Results: CD4+ T cells maintained a dominant T-helper 1 phenotype after multiple transfers (< or = 8) into recipient tg epsilon26 mice. A single T-cell receptor Vbeta was enriched (as much as 90%) in 8 CD4+ T-cell lines: Vbeta8S3, Vbeta8S1/2, Vbeta10S1, or Vbeta14. Sequence analyses of the T-cell receptor Vbetas showed clonality or the presence of a very restricted number of clones within each line. Adoptive transfers of the oligoclonal lines into either C3H x Rag-/- or severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice (H-2k) also induced colitis, whereas transfers into BALB/c x Rag-/- or severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice (H-2d) did not.
Conclusions: Colitis-inducing CD4+ T-helper 1 cell clones can be obtained by enrichment through sequential adoptive transfers of CD4+ cells from mesenteric lymph nodes. Distinct dominant T-cell receptor Vbetas in each cell line responded to antigens presented by class II major histocompatibility complex.