B cells regulate autoimmunity by provision of IL-10

S Fillatreau, CH Sweenie, MJ McGeachy, D Gray… - Nature …, 2002 - nature.com
S Fillatreau, CH Sweenie, MJ McGeachy, D Gray, SM Anderton
Nature immunology, 2002nature.com
To assess the importance of B cell control of T cell differentiation, we analyzed the course of
the T helper type 1 (TH1)-driven disease experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in
mice with an altered B cell compartment. We found that recovery was dependent on the
presence of autoantigen-reactive B cells. B cells from recovered mice produced interleukin
10 (IL-10) in response to autoantigen. With a bone marrow chimeric system, we generated
mice in which IL-10 deficiency was restricted to B cells but not T cells. In the absence of IL …
Abstract
To assess the importance of B cell control of T cell differentiation, we analyzed the course of the T helper type 1 (TH1)-driven disease experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice with an altered B cell compartment. We found that recovery was dependent on the presence of autoantigen-reactive B cells. B cells from recovered mice produced interleukin 10 (IL-10) in response to autoantigen. With a bone marrow chimeric system, we generated mice in which IL-10 deficiency was restricted to B cells but not T cells. In the absence of IL-10 production by B cells, the pro-inflammatory type 1 immune response persisted and mice did not recover. These data show that B cell–derived IL-10 plays a key role in controlling autoimmunity.
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