CD4 +CD25 + regulatory/suppressor T cells prevent allogeneic fetus rejection in mice

• Published in: Immunology letters 2006-01, Vol.102 (1), p.106-109
• Main Authors: Darasse-Jèze, Guillaume, Klatzmann, David, Charlotte, Frédéric, Salomon, Benoît L., Cohen, José L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Embryo Loss - immunology; Embryo Loss - prevention & control; Female; Immunoregulation; Immunoregulatory T cell; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Male; Mice; Pregnancy; Receptors, Interleukin-2 - immunology; Suppressive T cell; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology
• ISSN: 0165-2478; 1879-0542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2005.07.002

Recent evidences indicate that naturally occurring CD4 +CD25 + regulatory/suppressor T cells (T reg) regulate not only autoimmunity, but also alloreactivity. In mice, they notably control tolerance to allogeneic transplants and graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Here, we studied the role of T reg in maternal tolerance to fetuses, i.e. natural semi-allogeneic grafts. We show that semi-allogeneic pregnancies in mice induce an expansion of T reg, but not of activated CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, in para-aortic lymph nodes draining fetal antigens. The treatment of female mice with an anti-CD25 antibody before mating results in depletion of T reg and expansion of activated CD4 + and CD8 + T cells solely in the draining lymph nodes, ultimately leading to fetus rejection. These observations were not made in the context of syngeneic pregnancies. Thus, T reg play a major role in maternal–fetal tolerance.