Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells limit the risk of autoimmune disease arising from T cell receptor crossreactivity

2005; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 102; Issue: 48 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.0507454102

1091-6490

Leigh A. Stephens, David Gray, Stephen M. Anderton,

Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

The molecular-mimicry theory proposes that immune crossreactivity between microbial and self-antigen is the initiating event in the activation of autoaggressive immune responses leading to autoimmune disease. In support of this possibility, it is now accepted that T cell recognition of antigen is highly degenerate. However, it is to be expected that the immune system would have evolved mechanisms to counter such a potential danger. We studied the influence of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells (Treg) on the ability of suboptimal T cell receptor ligands to provoke autoimmunity. By using CD4 + T cell-driven experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis as a model, it was found that depletion of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg allowed pathology to develop in response to suboptimal T cell stimulation. These data demonstrate the importance of Treg in raising the threshold of triggering of autoreactive T cell responses, thus limiting the risk of autoimmune disease due to molecular mimicry.