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Vitamin A controls the allergic response through T follicular helper cell as well as plasmablast differentiation
Author(s) -
Scholz Josephine,
Kuhrau Julia,
Heinrich Frederik,
Heinz Gitta Anne,
Hutloff Andreas,
Worm Margitta,
Heine Guido
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/all.14581
Subject(s) - germinal center , immunology , cd40 , adoptive cell transfer , biology , antigen , immune system , immunoglobulin e , b cell , t cell , antibody , cytotoxic t cell , in vitro , biochemistry
Background Vitamin A regulates the adaptive immune response and a modulatory impact on type I allergy is discussed. The cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. Objective To determine the vitamin A‐responding specific lymphocyte reaction in vivo. Methods Antigen‐specific B and T lymphocytes were analyzed in an adoptive transfer airway inflammation mouse model in response to 9‐cis retinoic acid (9cRA) and after lymphocyte‐specific genetic targeting of the receptor RARα. Flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, next‐generation sequencing, and specific Ig‐ELISA were used to characterize the cells functionally. Results Systemic 9cRA profoundly enhanced the specific IgA‐secreting B‐cell frequencies in the lung tissue and serum IgA while reducing serum IgE concentrations. RARα overexpression in antigen‐specific B cells promoted differentiation into plasmablasts at the expense of germinal center B cells. In antigen‐specific T cells, RARα strongly promoted the differentiation of T follicular helper cells followed by an enhanced germinal center response. Conclusions 9cRA signaling via RARα impacts the allergen‐specific immunoglobulin response directly by the differentiation of B cells and indirectly by promoting T follicular helper cells.