T Cells from NOD-PerIg Mice Target Both Pancreatic and Neuronal Tissue

It has become increasingly appreciated that autoimmune responses against neuronal components play an important role in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. In fact, a large proportion of islet-infiltrating B lymphocytes in the NOD mouse model of T1D produce Abs directed against the neuronal type III intermediate filament protein peripherin. NOD- PerIg mice are a previously developed BCR-transgenic model in which virtually all B lymphocytes express the H and L chain Ig molecules from the intra-islet-derived anti-peripherin-reactive hybridoma H280. NOD- PerIg mice have accelerated T1D development, and PerIg B lymphocytes actively proliferate within islets and expand cognitively interactive pathogenic T cells from a pool of naive precursors. We now report adoptively transferred T cells or whole splenocytes from NOD- PerIg mice expectedly induce T1D in NOD. scid recipients but, depending on the kinetics of disease development, can also elicit a peripheral neuritis (with secondary myositis). This neuritis was predominantly composed of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. Ab depletion studies showed neuritis still developed in the absence of NOD- PerIg CD8 + T cells but required CD4 + T cells. Surprisingly, sciatic nerve-infiltrating CD4 + cells had an expansion of IFN-γ - and TNF-α - double-negative cells compared with those within both islets and spleen. Nerve and islet-infiltrating CD4 + T cells also differed by expression patterns of CD95, PD-1, and Tim-3. Further studies found transitory early B lymphocyte depletion delayed T1D onset in a portion of NOD- PerIg mice, allowing them to survive long enough to develop neuritis outside of the transfer setting. Together, this study presents a new model of peripherin-reactive B lymphocyte-dependent autoimmune neuritis.