The Role of Regulatory CD4 T Cells in Maintaining Tolerance in a Mouse Model of Autoimmune Hepatitis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The role of regulatory CD4 T cells (Treg) in immune-mediated liver disease is still under debate. It remains disputed whether Treg suppress T cell-mediated hepatitis in vivo and whether hepatic regulatory T cells are functional in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Methods

We used TF-OVA mice, which express ovalbumin in hepatocytes, to investigate the impact of Treg in a model of autoimmune hepatitis. Treg isolated from inflamed livers of TF-OVA mice were tested for their functionality in vitro. By employing double transgenic TF-OVAxDEREG (DEpletion of REGulatory T cells) mice we analyzed whether Treg-depletion aggravates autoimmune inflammation in the liver in vivo.

Results

CD25+Foxp3+ CD4 T cells accumulated in the liver in the course of CD8 T cell-media

SUBMITTER: An Haack I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4658037 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature