Allograft rejection is restrained by short-lived TIM-3+PD-1+Foxp3+ Tregs

J Clin Invest. 2012 Jul;122(7):2395-404. doi: 10.1172/JCI45138. Epub 2012 Jun 11.

Abstract

Tregs play a pivotal role in inducing and maintaining donor-specific transplant tolerance. The T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 protein (TIM-3) is expressed on many fully activated effector T cells. Along with program death 1 (PD-1), TIM-3 is used as a marker for exhausted effector T cells, and interaction with its ligand, galectin-9, leads to selective death of TIM-3+ cells. We report herein the presence of a galectin-9-sensitive CD4+FoxP3+TIM-3+ population of T cells, which arose from CD4+FoxP3+TIM-3- proliferating T cells in vitro and in vivo and were often PD-1+. These cells became very prominent among graft-infiltrating Tregs during allograft response. The frequency and number of TIM-3+ Tregs peaked at the time of graft rejection and declined thereafter. Moreover, these cells also arise in a tolerance-promoting donor-specific transfusion model, representing a pool of proliferating, donor-specific Tregs. Compared with TIM-3- Tregs, TIM-3+ Tregs, which are often PD-1+ as well, exhibited higher in vitro effector function and more robust expression of CD25, CD39, CD73, CTLA-4, IL-10, and TGF-β but not galectin-9. However, these TIM-3+ Tregs did not flourish when passively transferred to newly transplanted hosts. These data suggest that a heretofore unrecognized graft-infiltrating, short-lived subset of Tregs can restrain rejection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • CD4 Antigens / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Galectins / physiology
  • Graft Rejection / metabolism*
  • Graft Rejection / pathology
  • Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred DBA
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / genetics
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Virus / genetics
  • Receptors, Virus / metabolism*
  • Skin Transplantation / immunology*
  • Skin Transplantation / pathology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / physiology
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology
  • Transplantation, Homologous / pathology

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Galectins
  • Havcr2 protein, mouse
  • Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2
  • Pdcd1 protein, mouse
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Receptors, Virus
  • galectin 9, mouse