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The role of CD4 + CD25 + immunoregulatory T cells in the induction of autoimmune gastritis
Author(s) -
Laurie Karen L,
Van Driel Ian R,
Gleeson Paul A
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1711.2002.01127.x
Subject(s) - autoimmune gastritis , il 2 receptor , autoimmunity , immunology , population , autoimmune disease , immune system , regulatory t cell , medicine , biology , t cell , antibody , environmental health
A number of experimental models of organ‐specific autoimmunity involve a period of peripheral lymphopenia prior to disease onset. There is now considerable evidence that the development of autoimmune disease in these models is due to the absence of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells. However, the role of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in the prevention of autoimmune disease in normal individuals has not been defined. Here we have assessed the affect of depletion of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in BALB/c mice on the induction of autoimmune gastritis. The CD4 + CD25 + T cell population was reduced to 95% of the original population in adult thymectomized mice by treatment with anti‐CD25 mAb. By 48 days after the anti‐CD25 treatment, the CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cell population had returned to a normal level. Treatment of thymectomized adult mice for up to 4 weeks with anti‐CD25 mAb did not result in the development of autoimmune gastritis. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that depletion of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells, together with transient CD4 + T lymphopenia, also did not result in the development of autoimmune gastritis, indicating that peripheral expansion of the CD4 + T cell population, per se, does not result in autoimmunity in adult mice. On the other hand, depletion of CD4 + CD25 + T cells in 10‐day‐old euthymic mice resulted in a 30% incidence of autoimmune gastritis. These data suggest that CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells may be important in protection against autoimmunity while the immune system is being established in young animals, but subsequently other factors are required to initiate autoimmunity.