Autoantigen presentation by splenic dendritic cells is required for RBC-specific autoimmunity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Failure of humoral tolerance to red blood cell (RBC) antigens may lead to autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), a severe and sometimes fatal disease. Previous studies have shown that although tolerance is robust in HOD mice, autoantibodies are generated upon adoptive transfer of OTII CD4⁺ T cells, which are specific for an epitope contained within the HOD antigen. These data imply that antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are presenting RBC-derived autoantigen(s) and are capable of driving T-cell activation. Given that multiple APCs participate in erythrophagocytosis, we used a transgenic approach to determine which cellular subsets were required for autoantigen presentation and subsequent autoreactive T-cell activation.

Study design and methods

HOD mice, whic

SUBMITTER: Richards AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9092285 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature