Regulation of allograft survival by inhibitory Fc?RIIb signaling.

ABSTRACT: Fc? receptors (Fc?R) provide important immunoregulation. Targeting inhibitory Fc?RIIb may therefore prolong allograft survival, but its role in transplantation has not been addressed. Fc?RIIb signaling was examined in murine models of acute or chronic cardiac allograft rejection by transplanting recipients that either lacked Fc?RIIb expression (Fc?RIIb(-/-)) or overexpressed Fc?RIIb on B cells (B cell transgenic [BTG]). Acute heart allograft rejection occurred at the same tempo in Fc?RIIb(-/-) C57BL/6 (B6) recipients as wild type recipients, with similar IgG alloantibody responses. In contrast, chronic rejection of MHC class II-mismatched bm12 cardiac allografts was accelerated in Fc?RIIb(-/-) mice, with development of more severe transplant arteriopathy and markedly augmented effector autoantibody production. Autoantibody production was inhibited and rejection was delayed in BTG recipients. Similarly, whereas MHC class I-mismatched B6.K(d) hearts survived indefinitely and remained disease free in B6 mice, much stronger alloantibody responses and progressive graft arteriopathy developed in Fc?RIIb(-/-) recipients. Notably, Fc?RIIb-mediated inhibition of B6.K(d) heart graft rejection was abrogated by increasing T cell help through transfer of additional H2.K(d)-specific CD4 T cells. Thus, inhibitory Fc?RIIb signaling regulates chronic but not acute rejection, most likely because the supra-optimal helper CD4 T cell response in acute rejection overcomes Fc?RIIb-mediated inhibition of the effector B cell population. Immunomodulation of Fc?RIIb in clinical transplantation may hold potential for inhibiting progression of transplant arteriopathy and prolonging transplant survival.

SUBMITTER: Callaghan CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3605772 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature