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The Journal of Immunology, 2003, 170: 5502-5510.
Copyright © 2003 by The American Association of Immunologists

Lung CD25 CD4 Regulatory T Cells Suppress Type 2 Immune Responses But Not Bronchial Hyperreactivity1

Husein Hadeiba* and Richard M. Locksley2,*,{dagger}

* Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, {dagger} Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
To study the effects of chronic Ag deposition in the airway mucosa on CD4+ T cell priming and subsequent airway disease, transgenic mice were generated that expressed OVA under the control of the surfactant protein C promoter. CD4 T cells from these mice were tolerant to OVA but this was overcome among spleen CD4 T cells by crossing to OVA-specific DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mice. Lungs from the double-transgenic mice developed lymphocytic infiltrates and modest mucus cell hyperplasia. Infiltrating cells were unaffected by the absence of either Rag-1 or Stat6, although the latter deficiency led to the disappearance of mucus. In the lung of double-transgenic mice, a large number of Ag-specific CD4 T cells expressed CD25 and functioned as regulatory T cells. The CD25+ CD4 T cells suppressed proliferation of CD25- CD4 T cells in vitro and inhibited type 2 immune responses induced by aerosolized Ags in vivo. Despite their ability to suppress allergic type 2 immunity in the airways, however, CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells had no effect on the development of bronchial hyperreactivity.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Asthma is a widely prevalent airway disease believed to reflect the cumulative effects of dysregulated type 2 immune responses to inhaled Ags (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Bronchial hyperreactivity is thought to result from years of chronic inflammation by infiltrating T cells and eosinophils, leading to mucus cell hyperplasia and destructive airway tissue remodeling (6). Animal models of allergic airway disease have contributed many insights toward understanding the pathogenesis of asthma, including the central role of various chemokines and cytokines associated with type 2 immunity that serve to orchestrate complex downstream effects (7). In general, animal models mirror more closely acute allergic airway disease, whereas chronic changes such as fibrosis and airway wall remodeling seen in human asthma are rarely observed (8, 9). Indirect attempts, by targeting the expression of CD4 T cell products to the airways, have elucidated the role of long-term type 2 cytokine production in mediating chronic allergic airway changes (10, 11, 12). Models that more closely mimic the chronic exposure to respiratory allergens as occurs in the human disease would be of much value.

In an effort to create a model for chronic allergen exposure at the respiratory mucosa, we generated transgenic mice that expressed OVA under control of the surfactant protein C (SPC)3 promoter (13, 14). Despite expression in a number of tissues among numerous founders, the tissue consequences in these transgenic animals were essentially restricted to the lung. Although intrinsically tolerant to OVA, mice crossed to OVA-specific TCR-transgenic animals allowed us to examine the consequences of chronic Ag exposure at the mucosa in the setting of a reactive T cell repertoire. Although CD4 T cells that infiltrated the lungs of these double-transgenic mice were primed to produce IL-4 in vitro, they were held in check in vivo by the accumulation of CD25 CD4 regulatory T cells that inhibited immune effector function. When challenged with exogenous Ags, the regulatory T cells remained highly efficient in blocking type 2 effector function by CD4 T cells, but were unable to curtail the induction of airway hyperreactivity. The regulatory capacity of CD25 T cells may be limited in chronic complex diseases with substantial contributions by non-T cells.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Transgenic mice

Mice expressing OVA under control of the SPC promoter were produced to target Ag expression to lung type II pneumocytes in the alveoli (13, 14). A chicken egg OVA cDNA derived from pETOV (kindly provided by C. Turnnir, Stressgen Biotechnologies, Victoria, Canada) was inserted into the SPC.TRK plasmid (15). After confirmation by sequencing, the construct was linearized and injected into (C57BL.6 x 129)F1 oocytes to create transgenic founders. One line, SPC.OVA, was selected for further study after confirming OVA mRNA and protein in lung along with low serum OVA levels. SPC.OVA was backcrossed 10 generations onto BALB/c. Transgenic integration was confirmed from tail DNA using OVA-specific primers: 5'-GCGCAGCAAGCATGGAAT-3' and 5'-GGAAACACATCTGCCAAA-3'.

Mice

BALB/c and BALB/c DO11.10 OVA-specific TCR-transgenic mice were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME). BALB/c TCR-C{alpha}-deficient (16), Rag-1-deficient (17), Stat6-deficient (18), and 4get mice containing a bicistronic knockin enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) linked via an internal ribosome entry site with the IL-4 gene (19) were each backcrossed at least 10 generations onto BALB/c and maintained in the University of California, San Francisco specific pathogen-free animal care facility. SPC.OVA and DO11.10 mice were bred onto the Rag-1-deficient, Stat6-deficient, and 4get backgrounds. Intercrossing was used to generate SPC.OVA x DO11.10, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-deficient, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Stat6-deficient, and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x 4get mice. Crosses were confirmed using flow cytometry with mAb KJ1-26 specific for the DO11.10 TCR (20) and DNA typing.

OVA quantitation

Designated organs were frozen in liquid nitrogen, pulverized, and lysed in RNAzol B (Biotecx Laboratories, Houston, TX) for preparation of RNA. After reverse transcription (murine Moloney leukemia virus reverse transcriptase; Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD) with random hexamer primers (Promega, Madison, WI), PCR was used to amplify OVA cDNA using the above primers. Expression of OVA message was compared with the constitutively expressed hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase using primers as described elsewhere (8).

OVA protein in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage was determined using ELISA. Briefly, rabbit anti-chicken OVA (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and used at 5 µg/ml to coat flat-bottom microtiter wells (Immulon 4HBX; Dynex Technologies, Chantilly, VA). After blocking with 3% BSA in PBS and extensive washing, samples were titrated and incubated for 2 h at room temperature. After washing, purified biotinylated rabbit anti-chicken OVA was added at 1 µg/ml for 1 h. Wells were developed using streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, West Grove, PA). Chicken OVA (Sigma-Aldrich) was used as a standard.

Cell preparation and analysis

Where designated, CD4 T cells from indicated mice were enriched from either dispersed lung or spleen cell preparations by Ab- and complement-mediated lysis of CD8, MHC class II, and heat-stable Ag-bearing cells as described previously (21). Otherwise, populations of CD4 T cells were fractionated based on CD25 cell surface expression using flow cytometry. Lungs were minced and dispersed into single-cell suspensions. RBCs were lysed in hypotonic buffer and the remaining cells were washed and maintained in tissue culture medium (RPMI 1640 with 10% heat-inactivated FCS, 50 µM 2-ME, 2 mM L-glutamine, and 100 U/ml penicillin and streptomycin). Dispersed spleen cells were purified over Ficoll before suspension in tissue culture medium. Cells were purified (>98%) by flow cytometry (Mo-Flo MultiLaser Flow Cytometer; Cytomation, Ft. Collins, CO) after staining with FITC-anti-CD4 (Caltag Laboratories, South San Francisco, CA), PE-anti-CD25 (BD PharMingen, San Diego, CA), TriColor-anti-B220 (Caltag Laboratories), and TriColor-anti-CD8 (Caltag Laboratories).

Proliferation assays were performed after distribution of indicated numbers of CD4 T cells with 106 irradiated APC prepared from TCR-C{alpha}-deficient spleen cells and titrated concentrations of OVA peptide. After incubation for 48 h, 1 µCi of [3H]thymidine was added for 18 h and cultures were harvested for determination of radioactive uptake.

Polarization assays were performed by incubating indicated numbers of CD4 T cells with 107 irradiated APC and 1 µM OVA peptide under neutral (100 U/ml recombinant human IL-2) or Th2 conditions (100 U/ml recombinant human IL-2, 50 ng/ml recombinant murine IL-4, 50 µg/ml neutralizing anti-IFN-{gamma} mAb (XMG1.2), as described elsewhere (22).

Intracellular cytokines were assessed after stimulation of CD4 T cells with PMA (100 ng/ml) and ionomycin (2 µg/ml; Sigma-Aldrich). After 2 h, brefeldin A (Sigma-Aldrich) was added to a final concentration of 10 µg/ml for an additional 2 h to promote intracellular cytokine accumulation. Cells were fixed in 4% formaldehyde in PBS, permeabilized in 0.5% saponin in 1% FBS/PBS, and analyzed using TriColor-anti-CD4 (Caltag Laboratories), FITC-anti-IFN-{gamma} (BD PharMingen), and PE-anti-IL-4 (BD PharMingen) or isotype control as described previously (23).

Adoptive transfers

Rag-1-deficient mice were reconstituted with CD4 T cell populations, purified by flow cytometry, at the indicated numbers in 0.3 ml of PBS. Cells were transferred by i.v. injection into the tail vein 24 h before Ag sensitization.

Immunizations and airway sensitization

Mice were immunized at the base of the tail with 25 µg of OVA in alum. After 1 wk, mice were reimmunized i.p. with 25 µg of OVA in alum. After 5 days, CD4 T cells were enriched from the draining lymph nodes and used in proliferation and cytokine assays as described above. For airway sensitization, mice were treated five times intranasally at 2-day intervals with 2.5 mg of OVA in 50 µl of PBS or with PBS alone.

Airway reactivity

Anesthetized mice were analyzed 2 days after the final OVA sensitization. The trachea was cannulated and mice were ventilated with 100% oxygen at physiologic rate and tidal volume using a rodent ventilator (Harvard Apparatus, South Natick, MA). After paralysis to eliminate spontaneous respirations, mice were maintained inside a whole-body plethysmograph for measurements of air flow, transthoracic pressure, and resistance. After establishing a stable baseline, acetylcholine (ACh) was injected i.v. over 1 s in escalating doses via the tail vein. Airway reactivity was expressed as the provocative concentration of ACh in micrograms per grams of body weight required to double the baseline transthoracic resistance, designated PC200, as calculated by linear interpolation of appropriate dose-response curves. Significant differences were calculated using the logarithm of PC200 by analysis of variance using reference to the specified control groups. Baseline pulmonary resistance in the absence of ACh did not differ among the various groups of mice studied.

Histopathology

Lungs were infused in situ with 1 ml of 3.7% formaldehyde in PBS through the tracheal cannula. The lungs were removed and immersed in the same fixative with the trachea tied closed for 24 h. The tissues were embedded in paraffin and 2- to 3-µm sections were cut and stained with H&E or periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) for light microscopy.

Serum IgE

Serum IgE was determined by a double mAb-based sandwich ELISA as described previously (8).


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Generation and analysis of transgenic mice

To target high levels of Ag expression to the airway alveoli, OVA was expressed as a transgene under the control of the human SPC promoter (Fig. 1A). The construct was linearized and injected into (C57BL/6 x 129)F1 oocytes to create transgenic founder lines. After screening six founder lines, we selected for further study one line, designated SPC.OVA, based on robust lung tissue mRNA expression (data not shown) and high levels of OVA protein in bronchial lavage fluid (Fig. 1B). Functionally significant OVA protein expression was confined to the lung, as assessed by histologic examination of multiple tissues. SPC.OVA was backcrossed 10 generations to BALB/c without change in the distribution of OVA mRNA or protein expression (data not shown).



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FIGURE 1. Generation and characterization of SPC.OVA-transgenic mice. A, Schematic of the SPC.OVA construct used for creating transgenic mice. The OVA cDNA was liberated by digestion with NheI and NotI and the plasmid containing the SPC promoter was digested with ClaI and BglII. Sticky ends were filled in with T4 polymerase. The OVA cDNA was ligated into the SPC-containing plasmid between the bovine growth hormone (BG) introns and the human growth hormone (hGH) poly(A) tail. The proper orientation of the OVA cDNA insert was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The ligated plasmid was linearized by digestion with NdeI and NotI. B, Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) OVA protein levels assessed by OVA-specific ELISA. Bars represent means ± SEM from five mice of the SPC.OVA founder line. The transgene littermate controls (data not shown) express values below the limit of detection of <0.5 ng/ml.

 
CD4 T cell tolerance to OVA in SPC.OVA mice was overcome after crossing in the OVA-specific DO11.10 TCR transgene

After immunization with OVA, spleen T cells from SPC.OVA mice failed to proliferate to a broad range of OVA peptide that induced strong proliferative responses in similarly immunized control BALB/c mice (Fig. 2A, left panel). The response to OVA by SPC.OVA T cells did not differ from the response by cells from unimmunized mice, confirming the deletion and/or tolerance of OVA-specific T cells, as expected by the presence of OVA protein in serum (Fig. 1B). In other transgenic Ag models, coexpression of an Ag-specific transgenic TCR has promoted escape from negative selection, presumably driven by the high thymic precursor frequency established by the TCR transgene (24, 25, 26). To assess whether similar outcomes might occur in the lung, we crossed the SPC.OVA mice to OVA-specific DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mice which contain CD4 T cells that recognize OVA peptide in the context of I-Ad MHC class II molecules (27). The clonotypic OVA-specific CD4 T cells from the spleen of double-transgenic mice, designated SPC.OVA x DO11.10, proliferated in a dose-dependent response that was comparable to clonotypic cells from DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mice (Fig. 2A, right panel). Thus, despite high-level Ag expression, clonotypic T cells from the double-transgenic mice maintained function. Analysis of numbers of clonotypic cells in thymus and spleen, however, revealed comparable numbers and percentages in the thymus but a 6-fold reduction in numbers of cells in the spleen as compared with control DO11.10 mice (Fig. 2B and data not shown).



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FIGURE 2. Functional analysis of OVA-specific CD4 T cells in SPC.OVA and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice. A, Left panel, spleen CD4 T cells were purified from SPC.OVA mice immunized with OVA ({blacksquare}) or control BALB/c mice immunized with OVA ({diamond}) or saline control ({circ}) and incubated at 105 cells/well with irradiated APC and the designated concentrations of OVA peptide for 48 h. Proliferation was analyzed by [3H]thymidine incorporation over the final 18 h. Data represent results from one of three comparable experiments. Right panel, Spleen CD4 T cells were purified from nonimmunized SPC.OVA x DO11.10 ({blacksquare}), DO11.10 ({diamond}), or control BALB/c mice ({circ}) and analyzed as previously described. Comparable numbers of KJ1-26+ cells from transgenic mice were present at the initiation of the assay. Data represent results from one of three comparable experiments. B, Thymi and spleens from DO11.10 and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice were dispersed and analyzed for the presence of clonotypic cells using mAb KJ1-26 and anti-CD4 mAb. Percentages in boxes represent the fraction of total lymphoid cells. Flow cytometric analysis is representative of studies in >10 single- and double-transgenic mice.

 
Lymphocytic accumulation in the lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice independent of Rag-1 or Stat6

The reduction in numbers of clonotypic DO11.10 T cells in the spleen of the double-transgenic mice raised the possibility of either activation-induced cell death (28) or recruitment into tissues where OVA was expressed at high levels. Although lungs of DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mice did not differ from normal tissues (Fig. 3A and data not shown), the lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice contained peribronchiolar and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates (Fig. 3B). Organized bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue structures, or BALT, were scattered throughout the lungs (Fig. 3C). Examination of the larger airways using PAS stains revealed areas of mucin-containing goblet cells adjacent to the infiltrates that were not apparent in control DO11.10 mice (Fig. 3D and data not shown).



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FIGURE 3. Lung pathology in SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice. A, DO11.10 lung (H&E). B, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 lung with peribronchial and perivascular infiltrates (H&E). C, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 lung with BALT in interstitium (H&E). D, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 lung with mucin-producing cells indicated by arrow (PAS). E, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-/- lung with persistent infiltrates and BALT (H&E). F, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-/- lung with mucin-producing cells indicated by arrow (PAS). G, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Stat6-/- lung with persistent infiltrates and BALT (H&E). H, SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-/- lung with absence of mucin-producing cells (PAS). Each photograph represents x100 magnification, except C, which was x250 magnification. At least four independent mice were examined to confirm the representative nature of pulmonary histology.

 
Analysis of the cellular infiltrate revealed the presence of clonotypic OVA-specific T cells (see below), although the possibility remained that some of the T cell specificity was driven through use of nonclonotypic TCRs from endogenous TCR-{alpha} genes. To restrict the T cell specificity to the single clonotype, transgenic DO11.10 TCR and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice were further crossed to create SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-deficient mice. Despite this reduction in TCR specificity, the accumulation of pulmonary infiltrates into organized BALT-like structures, as well as the presence of scattered regions of mucin-producing goblet cells, were unchanged (Fig. 3, E and F).

In various models of airway hyperreactivity, mucin production by airway epithelial cells is largely dependent on IL-4R{alpha}-mediated signaling via Stat6 (29, 30). To assess whether the modest amounts of goblet cell hyperplasia that occurred in SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice was similarly Stat6 dependent, we additionally intercrossed mice to generate SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Stat6-deficient mice. Although the accumulation of spontaneous lung infiltrates remained unchanged, mucin production was entirely ablated on the Stat6-deficient background (Fig. 3, G and H).

Accumulation of CD25+ clonotypic T cells in lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice

Dispersal of lung cells and analysis using surface markers revealed increased percentages of CD4 T cells and B cells in the SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice compared with DO11.10 controls (Fig. 4A). Despite the presence of some mucin-containing goblet cell hyperplasia consistent with aspects of type 2 immunity, no eosinophils were detected. As compared with cells from control DO11.10 animals, substantial numbers of clonotypic CD4 T cells from the double-transgenic mice displayed an activated phenotype consisting of marked up-regulation of CD25 and CD69 and down-regulation of CD62 ligand (Fig. 4B). The appearance of CD25+ CD4 T cells did not require the expression of endogenous TCRs, since SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-deficient mice also accumulated activated OVA-specific T cells in lung and spleen (Fig. 4C). However transgenic Ag expression was a prerequisite on the Rag-1-deficient background for the generation of these cells because they were not present in single-transgenic DO11.10 x Rag-1-deficient mice (Fig. 4C). Crossing the double-transgenic mice onto the Stat6-deficient background also did not affect the accumulation of CD25+ clonotypic T cells relative to the wild-type background (Fig. 4C and data not shown). Thus, introduction of the TCR transgene into mice concomitant with Ag expression in the airway mucosa resulted in the appearance of Ag-specific, CD25+ CD4 T cells in spleen and their accumulation in pulmonary tissue.



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FIGURE 4. Characterization of lung-infiltrating cells in SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice. A, Dispersed lung cells from SPC.OVA x DO11.10 ({blacksquare}) and DO11.10 ({square}) mice were analyzed for percentages of CD4 and CD8 T cells and B220+ B cells using flow cytometry after staining with appropriate mAb. Macrophages and eosinophil percentages were evaluated after staining cytospin preparations. Bars represent means and SEM. B, Dispersed lung cells from DO11.10 and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice were analyzed after gating on CD4 cells for surface expression of the clonotypic TCR using mAb KJ1-26, and CD25, CD62 ligand, and CD69 using appropriate mAb. Depicted percentages represent boxed gates as a proportion of total CD4 lymphocytes. C, CD4 gated cells from spleen and lung cells of DO11.10 or SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice that were crossed onto Rag-1-deficient (Rag-1-/-) or Stat6-deficient (Stat6-/-) backgrounds were analyzed for surface expression of the clonotypic TCR (KJ1-26) and CD25. Depicted percentages represent boxed gates as a proportion of total CD4 lymphocytes.

 
Clonotypic CD25+ CD4 T cells recruited to the lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice have the functional phenotype of regulatory T cells

The presence of infiltrating CD25+ CD4 T cells raised the possibility that these cells were effector cells activated by exposure to cognate Ag expressed in large amounts in lung tissues. Analysis of intracellular cytokine production of IL-4 and IFN-{gamma} after PMA/ionomycin stimulation, however, revealed no difference in cells collected from SPC.OVA x DO11.10 and DO11.10 mice (see below). Pulmonary infiltrates consisting of Th2 or Th1 effector cells have been associated with increases in airway hyperreactivity to bronchoconstricting agents (31, 32, 33). Analysis of airway resistance to increasing doses of ACh, however, revealed no differences in basal airway hyperreactivity between SPC.OVA x DO11.10 and control DO11.10 mice (see below).

Regulatory T cells are a specialized population of CD4 T cells that express the IL-2R {alpha}-chain (CD25) and suppress Ag-induced activation of T cells in vitro and in vivo (34). They have been invoked in a variety of autoimmune, infectious, and inflammatory diseases (35). To assess whether the CD25+ CD4 T cells in SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice functionally resembled regulatory T cells, we separated CD4 T cells into CD25+ and CD25- subsets and examined their capacity to proliferate either alone or together in response to escalating doses of the cognate OVA peptide. Since SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-deficient mice accumulated comparable CD25+ clonotypic T cells (Fig. 4C), we performed similar experiments using fractionated cells from these animals. The CD25- CD4 T cells from both double-transgenic and double-transgenic/Rag-1-deficient mice proliferated to OVA in a dose-dependent fashion, in contrast to the CD25+ CD4 T cells from both groups of mice that remained unresponsive (Fig. 5A). When cultured with the CD25- T cells at the 1:4 ratio of CD25+:CD25- T cells that was present in the lungs of the mice, the CD25+ CD4 T cells suppressed proliferation to OVA peptide. Thus, whether on the wild-type or Rag-1-deficient background, the lung CD25+ CD4 T cells had the phenotype of regulatory T cells.



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FIGURE 5. Lung CD25+ CD4 T cells from SPC x DO11.10 mice inhibit CD25- CD4 T cells and maintain resistance to IL-4 induction. A, CD4 T cells from the lungs of SPC. OVA x DO11.10 and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x Rag-1-/- mice were fractionated by flow cytometry into CD25+ and CD25- populations and examined either alone or together (ratio of 4:1 for CD25-:CD25+ T cells) for proliferation to OVA peptide at varying concentrations with irradiated APC as assessed by radioactive thymidine incorporation. Data represent results from one of two comparable experiments. B, Purified CD4 T cells from lung and spleen of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x 4get mice were examined for eGFP fluorescence either directly ex vivo (thin broken line) or 1 wk after activation with OVA peptide and APC in the presence of IL-2 (thick solid line, Neutral) or IL-2 plus IL-4 and anti-IFN-{gamma} mAb (thin solid line, Th2). Data represent results from the live CD4+ gate from one of two comparable experiments. C, CD4 T cells from the lung and spleen of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x 4get mice were separated by flow cytometry into CD25+ (thin solid line) and CD25- (thick solid line) populations and independently examined 1 wk after activation with OVA peptide and APC under neutral or Th2 conditions noted in B. Data represent results from the live CD4+ gate from one of two comparable experiments

 
The appearance of peribronchial lymphocytic infiltrates along with induction of Stat6-dependent goblet cell hyperplasia suggested that aspects of type 2 immunity were induced in the double-transgenic SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice. To assess the status of IL-4 expression, we further crossed the SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice to 4get mice, which contain a bicistronic knockin IL-4 gene modified with an internal ribosome entry segment and eGFP, thus enabling sensitive tracking of IL-4-producing cells (19). When analyzed directly from mice, neither lung nor spleen CD4 T cells expressed eGFP, indicating that the IL-4 gene was not actively transcribed in the SPC.OVA x DO11.10 x 4get T cells (Fig. 5B). When activated under Th2 conditions with IL-2 to overcome potential regulatory T cell function (36, 37), CD4 T cells from lung and spleen were induced to express eGFP at levels not different from cells taken from DO11.10 x 4get mice (Fig. 5B and data not shown). Activation under neutral conditions, however, using IL-2 without IL-4 and anti-IFN-{gamma}, suggested that T cells in the lung, in contrast to the spleen, were poised to express IL-4 more readily. Indeed, IL-4 expression, as quantitated using eGFP fluorescence, was comparable under neutral or polarizing Th2 conditions in lung T cells (Fig. 5B).

To assess the individual contributions of the CD25+ and CD25- CD4 T cell subsets, we isolated the respective cell populations from the lung and spleen and examined their capacity to express eGFP after priming in the presence of IL-2 alone or in Th2-polarizing conditions (Fig. 5C). Under both conditions, the CD25- CD4 T cells expressed a more robust IL-4 response, and this was particularly evident using lung T cells. The CD25+ CD4 T cells were consistently more refractory to the induction of IL-4.

Taken together, the CD25+ CD4 T cells that accumulate in the lungs of double-transgenic mice do not proliferate in response to their cognate Ag, suppress the proliferation of CD25- CD4 T cells, and maintain resistance to IL-4 induction even under Th2 conditions in vitro.

CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells from lung suppress Th2 effector function in vivo but do not inhibit Ag-induced airway hyperreactivity

Despite the accumulation of pulmonary infiltrates, saline-treated SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice have basal airway reactivity to ACh that is not different from similarly treated single-transgenic DO11.10 mice (Fig. 6A). Repeated intranasal administration of OVA induces airway hyperreactivity and activated T cell responses in DO11.10 mice (38). Despite the expression of OVA in the lungs of the SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice, we tested the capacity of exogenous OVA to induce airway hyperreactivity, perhaps due to activation of innate inflammatory systems. Indeed, after sensitization five times with OVA, airway hyperreactivity was induced to a comparable degree in both DO11.10 and in SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice (Fig. 6A). Since the CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells were not ablated by OVA sensitization (data not shown), we assessed whether Ag sensitization had completely overcome their regulatory function in vivo. Whether assayed using serum IgE or intracellular IL-4 production, the SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice, however, revealed a marked suppression of type 2 effector function (Fig. 6, B and C). Histologic study revealed diminished numbers of both lymphocytes and eosinophils in the remaining peribronchial infiltrates and lung parenchyma (data not shown). These data indicated that Ag-induced airway hyperreactivity continued to be manifest even in the presence of Ag-specific regulatory T cells that functionally suppressed type 2 immunity in vivo.



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FIGURE 6. Ag-treated SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice exhibit elevated airway hyperreactivity and suppressed type 2 immune responses. A, Cohorts of four to six DO11.10 and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice were challenged with intranasal OVA or saline. Asterisk indicates significant difference (p < 0.05) between means and SEM of saline and OVA groups. B, Serum IgE levels in control and OVA-sensitized mice depicted as mean and SEM. Significant differences (p < 0.05) between single- and double-transgenic groups given OVA are indicated by an asterisk. C, Lung cells from DO11.10 and SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice sensitized with saline or OVA were isolated and examined for intracellular IL-4 and IFN-{gamma} after activation with PMA/ionomycin for 4 h. Percentages in boxed gates depict proportion of IL-4-expressing cells in the lymphocyte gate. Data represent results from one of two comparable experiments.

 
To investigate the dissociation between airway hyperreactivity and inhibition of type 2 immunity more fully, we reconstituted T and B cell-deficient Rag-1 knockout mice with CD25- CD4 T cells from DO11.10 mice in the presence or absence of CD25+ CD4 T regulatory cells isolated from the lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice. The recipients were reconstituted at the ratio of CD25-CD25+ cells present in the lungs of double-transgenic mice (4:1). After repeated intranasal sensitization with OVA, cohorts of mice were examined for airway hyperreactivity, IL-4 production by CD4 T cells, and histologic criteria of type 2 immunity, including lung infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia. In two independent experiments, airway hyperreactivity after OVA sensitization did not differ in the presence or absence of CD25+ regulatory T cells (Fig. 7A). Despite the lack of effect on airway hyperreactivity, however, IL-4 expression by lung-infiltrating CD4 T cells was inhibited >5-fold in mice that received CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells (Fig. 7B). Additionally, lung infiltrates, composed predominantly of lymphocytes and eosinophils, and mucus production by goblet cells were attenuated (Fig. 7C). Thus, by this independent analysis, regulatory T cells capable of inhibiting Ag-specific type 2 immune responses in the lung had no effect on the development of airway hyperreactivity.



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FIGURE 7. Lung CD25+ CD4 T cells from SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice suppress type 2 immune responses but not OVA-induced airway hyperreactivity. A, Groups of four to six Rag-1-deficient mice were reconstituted with 2 x 106 purified CD25- CD4 T cells from spleens of DO11.10 mice alone (CD4+) or together with 5 x 105 purified CD25+ CD4 T cells from lungs of SPC.OVA x DO11.10 mice (CD4+ and Treg). After sensitization five times with OVA, mice were analyzed for PC200 to escalating doses of ACh. Bars represent means and SEM, with asterisk indicating significant differences between saline and OVA (p < 0.05). B, Lung cell suspensions from mice in A were examined for intracellular IL-4 and IFN-{gamma} expression 4 h after activation with PMA/ionomycin. Boxed gates depict Ab isotype controls and percentages indicate IL-4-expressing cells in the lymphocyte gate. C, Lungs from mice of the designated reconstituted and challenged groups were sectioned and examined using H&E and PAS stains. Magnification, x100. In each case, results are representative of two independent experiments.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The role for type 2 immunity in mediating Ag-induced airway responses has been established in multiple animal models (7). Associations with asthma have further implicated these effector pathways in human disease (39). In an effort to mimic more closely the chronic exposure to airway Ags that characterizes human asthma, we generated transgenic mice that express a model Ag, OVA, in the airways and crossed these onto an OVA-specific TCR-transgenic background to overcome tolerance. A number of novel findings were made using these mice. First, despite driving the accumulation of lung-infiltrating lymphocytes, evidence for spontaneous effector type 2 immunity in the airways was minimal; although Stat6-dependent goblet cell mucin production was evident, airway hyperreactivity, eosinophils, and IL-4-producing CD4 T cells were absent. Second, the coexpression of self-Ag and high-avidity TCR led to the accumulation of CD25+ CD4 T cells in the lung that expressed regulatory function in vitro and in vivo capable of suppressing Ag-induced type 2 immunity. Indeed, these cells likely played a role in mitigating the spontaneous expression of type 2 effector function in the double-transgenic mice. Finally, despite the clear ability of the CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells to attenuate type 2 responses, these cells had little effect on acute Ag-induced airway hyperreactivity.

It is intriguing to compare the outcome of forced expression of self-Ag at the mucosa, as done here, with forced expression at systemic nonmucosal tissue sites, such as the liver or pancreas. In most systemic models, various checkpoints appear to interrupt a default type 1 immune differentiation pathway that, if unchecked, leads to tissue injury (24, 25, 40, 41). Indeed, suppression of type 1 immune responses to Bordetella infection of the respiratory tract by regulatory T cells has been reported (42). In contrast, our forced expression of self-Ag at the mucosa suggested the presence of a similar checkpoint appearing to interrupt default type 2 allergic tissue injury. Deposition of exogenous Ag on respiratory epithelia typically engenders type 2 immunity (43), perhaps reflecting release of specific epithelial chemokines and cytokines involved in allergic responses, such as eotaxin (44, 45). Alternatively, respiratory tract dendritic cells may intrinsically activate a type 2 differentiation pathway after migration and maturation to mediastinal lymph nodes (46). Although no IL-4 was produced in these double-transgenic mice as assessed directly ex vivo or by inference with respect to normal IgE levels, IL-4 was readily revealed when T cells were activated in the presence of IL-2. Activation with IL-2 overcomes inhibition by regulatory T cells (36, 37), leaving the effector T cells to reveal evidence for priming as Th2 cells by their high levels of IL-4 gene expression. Indeed, IL-4 expression was comparable to that achieved by Th2-polarized cells from control TCR-transgenic mice. Furthermore, the capacity of these effector T cells to express a type 2 cytokine program was blocked by cotransfer of regulatory T cells, demonstrating directly the capacity of these cells to inhibit type 2 immunity in vivo. Together, these data provide evidence for an endogenous type 2 bias in response to high Ag load at the respiratory mucosa that is kept in check through recruitment of regulatory T cells.

Additional evidence supporting a poised type 2 immune state in the double-transgenic mice was the consistent appearance of mucus production at levels above those seen in wild-type or single-transgenic mice. Although not as widespread as the goblet cell hyperplasia that occurs in Ag-sensitized mice (9), mucus production remained Stat6 dependent, suggesting an underlying IL-13-mediated activation pathway (47, 48). We were unable to demonstrate IL-13 protein levels above background using a sensitive ELISA assay from lung T cell supernatants from double-transgenic mice (data not shown), although this does not exclude a role for IL-13 produced by non-T cells. If so, the capacity of regulatory T cells to suppress cytokine effector function may be incomplete with respect to non-T cells.

The lung CD25+ CD4 regulatory T cells we describe have the phenotype of regulatory T cells generated in numerous autoimmune and inflammatory models (49). Their capacity to suppress type 2 immune responses has been infrequently examined, however. As we demonstrated, lung regulatory T cells suppressed type 2 immunity in vivo and in vitro. The mechanisms by which these cells inhibit effector function remain inconclusive. Most previous in vitro experimental systems have suggested a contact-mediated T cell-T cell mechanism as opposed to cytokines such as TGF{beta} or IL-10 (36, 37). Although regulatory T cells express high levels of CTLA-4 (50, 51), we were unable to relieve suppression by treating mice with either CTLA-4/Ig fusion protein or with anti-CTLA-4 Fab (data not shown).

Despite the capacity to inhibit type 2 immunity in the presence of large amounts of Ag and effector T cells, the Ag-specific regulatory T cells did not affect acute airway hyperreactivity after Ag challenge. Even in the presence of endogenous Ag, exogenous administration of OVA was required to induce airway hyperreactivity. We hypothesize that chronic Ag expression at high levels in the airways induces strong immunosuppressive pathways in alveolar macrophages (for example, see Ref. 52), which have been shown to interrupt the Ag-presenting capacity of resident dendritic cells (53). Exogenous OVA may overcome the inherent macrophage homeostatic function and achieve Ag delivery by pulmonary dendritic cells which subsequently favors type 2 immunity (46). Indeed, endotoxin contamination in OVA, or direct aspiration of endotoxin during administration of Ag, may enhance dendritic cell maturation and transit (54). In the presence of CD25 regulatory T cells, Th2 effector function was markedly attenuated, but expression of type 2 immunity by non-T cells may be unaffected. These latter pathways may underlie the development of mucus cell hyperplasia and airway hyperreactivity that escapes the regulatory capacity of the CD25 CD4 T cells. As such, the mechanisms that drive innate type 2 immune responses to mucosal Ag challenge in the airway remain an important focus for further study.


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Ninetta Flores, Cliff McArthur, Xiaozhu Huang, Xinliu Bernstein, and Salina Chan for expert technical assistance; Jeff Bluestone, Jeff Whitsett, and Cor Turnnir for reagents; Markus Mohrs for mice; and Jason Cyster and Dean Sheppard for critical comments on this manuscript.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by Grants HL56385 and AI30663 from the National Institutes of Health. R.M.L. is an Ellison Senior Scholar in Global Infectious Diseases. Back

2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Richard M. Locksley, University of California, Box 0654, C-443, 521 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0654. E-mail address: locksley{at}medicine.ucsf.edu Back

3 Abbreviations used in this paper: SPC, surfactant protein C; ACh, acetylcholine; BALT, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue; eGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; PC200, provocative concentration of acetylcholine required to raise baseline airway resistance 200%; PAS, periodic acid-Schiff. Back

Received for publication November 22, 2002. Accepted for publication March 24, 2003.


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M. S. Wilson, M. D. Taylor, A. Balic, C. A.M. Finney, J. R. Lamb, and R. M. Maizels
Suppression of allergic airway inflammation by helminth-induced regulatory T cells
J. Exp. Med., November 7, 2005; 202(9): 1199 - 1212.
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Eur Respir JHome page
A. J. M. van Oosterhout and N. Bloksma
Regulatory T-lymphocytes in asthma
Eur. Respir. J., November 1, 2005; 26(5): 918 - 932.
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JEMHome page
B. D. Medoff, E. Seung, J. C. Wain, T. K. Means, G. S.V. Campanella, S. A. Islam, S. Y. Thomas, L. C. Ginns, N. Grabie, A. H. Lichtman, et al.
BLT1-mediated T cell trafficking is critical for rejection and obliterative bronchiolitis after lung transplantation
J. Exp. Med., July 5, 2005; 202(1): 97 - 110.
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J. Immunol.Home page
N. Jin, C. Taube, L. Sharp, Y.-S. Hahn, X. Yin, J. M. Wands, C. L. Roark, R. L. O'Brien, E. W. Gelfand, and W. K. Born
Mismatched Antigen Prepares {gamma}{delta} T Cells for Suppression of Airway Hyperresponsiveness
J. Immunol., March 1, 2005; 174(5): 2671 - 2679.
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ThoraxHome page
D S Robinson
Regulation: the art of control? Regulatory T cells and asthma and allergy
Thorax, August 1, 2004; 59(8): 640 - 643.
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J. Immunol.Home page
Z. Jaffar, T. Sivakuru, and K. Roberts
CD4+CD25+ T Cells Regulate Airway Eosinophilic Inflammation by Modulating the Th2 Cell Phenotype
J. Immunol., March 15, 2004; 172(6): 3842 - 3849.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
M. A. Aronica, S. McCarthy, S. Swaidani, D. Mitchell, M. Goral, J. R. Sheller, and M. Boothby
Recall Helper T Cell Response: T Helper 1 Cell-resistant Allergic Susceptibility without Biasing Uncommitted CD4 T Cells
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