BTLA associates with increased Foxp3 expression in CD4(+) T cells in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease, and its pathogenesis involves a variety of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors such as T helper cells and their secreted cytokines. B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immunoregulatory receptor that has a strong suppressive effect on T-cell function. However the role of BTLA in UC remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrated that the frequency of BTLA-expressing CD3(+) T cells, especially CD4(+) T cells, increased in blood and mucosa in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The frequency of Foxp3-expressing cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cell from lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) was much higher in DSS-treated mice than that in controls. Similarly, the proportion of IL-17+ cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cells from LPMCs in DSS-treated mice is much higher than that in controls, while no perceptible difference for the proportion of IFN-γ+ cells in BTLA+ CD4(+) T cells was noted between DSS-treated mice and controls. Treatment of mesalazine, an anti-ulcerative colitis drug, down-regulated Foxp3 and IL-17 expression in BTLA positive T cells along with attenuated severity for colitis. Our findings indicate that BTLA may be involved in the control of inflammatory responses through increasing Foxp3 expression, rather than attenuating IL-17 production, in DSS-induced colitis.

• Authors: Han-Xian Zhang, Bin Zhu, Xiao-Xia Fu, Jin-Cheng Zeng, Jun-Ai Zhang, Wan-Dang Wang, Bin Kong, Wen-Yu Xiang, Jixin Zhong, Cong-Yi Wang, Xue-Bao Zheng, Jun-Fa Xu
• Journal: International journal of clinical and experimental pathology (Int J Clin Exp Pathol) Vol. 8 Issue 2 Pg. 1259-69 ( 2015) ISSN: 1936-2625 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25973010 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• BTLA protein, mouse
• Forkhead Transcription Factors
• Foxp3 protein, mouse
• IL17A protein, human
• Interleukin-17
• Receptors, Immunologic
• Mesalamine
• Dextran Sulfate

Topics

• Animals
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Colitis, Ulcerative (chemically induced, metabolism, pathology)
• Colon (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Dextran Sulfate
• Disease Models, Animal
• Down-Regulation (drug effects)
• Forkhead Transcription Factors (metabolism)
• Humans
• Interleukin-17 (metabolism)
• Mesalamine (pharmacology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mucous Membrane (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Receptors, Immunologic (metabolism)