Specificity of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells for self-T cell receptor determinants

✍ Scribed by Abigail C. Buenafe; Laura Tsaknaridis; Leslie Spencer; Kevin S. Hicks; Rachel H. McMahan; Lisa Watson; Nicole E. Culbertson; Dorian Latocha; Keith Wegmann; Tom Finn; Richard Bartholomew; Gregory G. Burrows; Ruth Whitham; Dennis N. Bourdette; Richard E. Jones; Halina Offner; Yuan K. Chou; Arthur A. Vandenbark

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 445 KB
• Volume: 76
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-4012
• DOI: 10.1002/jnr.20066

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Although the phenotypic and regulatory properties of the CD4^+^CD25^+^ T cell lineage (Treg cells) have been well described, the specificities remain largely unknown. We demonstrate here that the CD4^+^CD25^+^ Treg population includes the recognition of a broad spectrum of human TCR CDR2 determinants found in the germline V gene repertoire as well as that of a clonotypic nongermline‐encoded CDR3β sequence present in a recombinant soluble T cell receptor (TCR) protein. Regulatory activity was demonstrated in T cell lines responsive to TCR but not in T cell lines responsive to control antigens. Inhibitory activity of TCR‐reactive T cells required cell–cell contact and involved CTLA‐4, GITR, IL‐10, and IL‐17. Thus, the T–T regulatory network includes Treg cells with specificity directed toward self‐TCR determinants. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.