Chronic CD70-driven costimulation impairs IgG responses by instructing T cells to inhibit germinal center B cell formation through FasL-Fas interactions

J Immunol. 2009 Nov 15;183(10):6442-51. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0901565. Epub 2009 Oct 28.

Abstract

CD70 provides costimulation that enhances effector T cell differentiation upon binding of its receptor, CD27. During chronic immune activation, CD70 is constitutively expressed on activated immune cells, and this induces T cell-driven disruption of neutralizing Ab responses via an unknown mechanism. We used CD70-transgenic mice to investigate the effect of constitutive expression of CD70 on T cell-dependent B cell responses. CD70 induced up-regulation of the B cell follicle homing chemokine receptor CXCR5 on T cells, enabling not only CD4 but also CD8 T cells to infiltrate the B cell follicles. CD70-transgenic mice failed to develop productive germinal center formation and displayed impaired IgG Ab responses. Defective germinal center B cell differentiation was critically dependent on CD70-mediated CD27 signaling in T cells, and involved Fas-dependent impairment of germinal center B cell differentiation. Thus, CD70-driven costimulation enables T cells to terminate B cell responses, thereby compromising durable Ab production. Our findings imply that the CD70- and CD27-driven costimulatory axis may be involved in shutdown of B cell responses before clearance of Ag. Because CD70 is expressed constitutively in chronic viral infections such as HIV-1 infection, this mechanism may also contribute to defects in humoral immunity associated with this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / virology
  • CD27 Ligand / immunology*
  • CD27 Ligand / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Fas Ligand Protein / immunology
  • Fas Ligand Protein / metabolism
  • Germinal Center / immunology*
  • Haptens
  • Hemocyanins / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Receptors, CXCR5 / immunology
  • Receptors, CXCR5 / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / pathology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / virology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / immunology*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation / immunology
  • fas Receptor / immunology
  • fas Receptor / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • CD27 Ligand
  • CXCR5 protein, mouse
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Fas protein, mouse
  • Fasl protein, mouse
  • Haptens
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Receptors, CXCR5
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7
  • fas Receptor
  • trinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin
  • Hemocyanins