TGF-β regulates in vivo expansion of Foxp3-expressing CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells responsible for protection against diabetes
TGF-β regulates in vivo expansion of Foxp3-expressing CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells responsible for protection against diabetes
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DOI:
10.1073/pnas.0400810101
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发表时间:
2004-03-30
影响因子:
11.1
通讯作者:
Flavell, RA
中科院分区:
文献类型:
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作者:
Peng, YF;Laouar, Y;Flavell, RA
CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells are essential in the protection from organ-specific autoimmune diseases. In the pancreas, they inhibit actions of autoreactive T cells and thereby prevent diabetes progression. The signals that control the generation, the maintenance, or the expansion of regulatory T cell pool in vivo remain poorly understood. Here we show that a transient pulse of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in the islets during the priming phase of diabetes is sufficient to inhibit disease onset by promoting the expansion of intraislet CD4(+)CD25(+) T cell pool. Approximately 40-50% of intraislet CD4(+) T cells expressed the CD25 marker and exhibited characteristics of regulatory T cells including small size, high level of intracellular CTLA-4, expression of Foxp3, and transfer of protection against diabetes. Results from in vivo incorporation of BrdUrd revealed that the generation of a high frequency of regulatory T cells in the islets is due to in situ expansion upon TGF-beta expression. Thus, these findings demonstrate a previously uncharacterized mechanism by which TGF-beta inhibits autoimmune diseases via regulation of the size of the CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cell pool in vivo.