美国哈佛医学院Peter T. Sage团队发现了滤泡调节性T细胞通过抑制早期B细胞反应来控制体液免疫和过敏免疫。 这一研究成果2019年9月2日在线发表于《自然—免疫学》。

研究人员利用T_FR细胞缺失小鼠，选择性地敲除T_FR细胞，帮助研究T_FR细胞的功能。研究发现T_FR细胞调节早期而不是晚期的生发中心（GC）对抗抗原特异性抗体和B细胞记忆的反应。T_FR细胞的缺失还导致自身反应性免疫球蛋白（Ig）G和IgE增加。 IgE水平的增加使研究人员质疑T_FR细胞在室内尘螨模型中的作用。T_FR细胞可以调控T_FH13细胞诱导产生IgE。在体内，T_FR细胞的缺失增加了屋尘螨特异性IgE和肺部炎症。因此，T_FR细胞控制对病原体、过敏原和自身抗原的IgG和IgE应答，并在GC形成之前发挥关键的免疫调节功能。

研究人员介绍，滤泡调节性T（T_FR）细胞在调节滤泡辅助性T（T_FH）细胞活化B细胞中具有特殊作用。然而，由于缺乏特异性工具，T_FR细胞在体内调控抗体对外来抗原和自身抗原的反应中的确切作用仍不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Follicular regulatory T cells control humoral and allergic immunity by restraining early B cell responses

Author: Rachel L. Clement, Joe Daccache, Mostafa T. Mohammed, Alos Diallo, Bruce R. Blazar, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Scott B. Lovitch, Arlene H. Sharpe, Peter T. Sage

Issue&Volume: 2019-09-02

Abstract: Follicular regulatory T (TFR) cells have specialized roles in modulating follicular helper T (TFH) cell activation of B cells. However, the precise role of TFR cells in controlling antibody responses to foreign antigens and autoantigens in vivo is still unclear due to a lack of specific tools. A TFR cell-deleter mouse was developed that selectively deletes TFR cells, facilitating temporal studies. TFR cells were found to regulate early, but not late, germinal center (GC) responses to control antigen-specific antibody and B cell memory. Deletion of TFR cells also resulted in increased self-reactive immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgE. The increased IgE levels led us to interrogate the role of TFR cells in house dust mite models. TFR cells were found to control TFH13 cell-induced IgE. In vivo, loss of TFR cells increased house-dust-mite-specific IgE and lung inflammation. Thus, TFR cells control IgG and IgE responses to vaccines, allergens and autoantigens, and exert critical immunoregulatory functions before GC formation.

DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0472-4

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-019-0472-4