Impaired central tolerance induces changes in the gut microbiota that exacerbate autoimmune hepatitis.

ABSTRACT: Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) induce T cell tolerance in the thymus through the elimination of self-reactive thymocytes. Commensal bacteria are also critical for shaping T cell responses in the gut and distal organs. We previously showed that mice depleted of mTECs (Traf6ΔTEC) generated autoreactive T cells and developed autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). In this report, we found that Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated microbial sensing on liver hematopoietic cells and the gut microbiota contributed to AIH development in Traf6ΔTEC mice. While adoptive transfer of thymic Traf6ΔTEC T cells in immune-deficient mice was sufficient for AIH development, colonization of germ-free mice with Traf6ΔTEC microbiota failed to induce AIH, suggesting that the gut microbiota contributes to but is not

SUBMITTER: Centa M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8963681 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature