目的研究白细胞介素2(IL-2)在调节移植抗原特异性转基因CD8^+T细胞介导的免疫排斥反应中的作用。方法将经荧光染科CFSE标记后的C57BL/6小鼠和2CTg小鼠(CD4敲除鼠)淋巴细胞分别植入经致死剂量γ射线照射过的两组DBA/2J小鼠体内,检测CD4^+与CD8^+T细胞在体内分裂增殖的时相,并用胞浆内IL-2标志染色方法测定活化后T细胞表达IL-2的能力。以Balb/c小鼠为供者,糖尿病2CTg小鼠和2C Tg-IL-2KO小鼠(IL-2敲除鼠)为受者,进行胰岛细胞移植。观察CD8^+ T细胞在介导移植排斥中的作用。结果DBA/2J小鼠输注了C57BL/6小鼠的淋巴细胞后,CD4^+与CD8^+T细胞分裂增殖均非常明显,前者表达大量IL-2,后者则不表达。DBA/2J小鼠输注了2CTg小鼠的淋巴细胞后。在完全没有CD4^+T细胞存在的情况下,CD8^+T细胞仍明显分裂增殖并大量表达IL-2。2CTg和2CTg—IL-2KO小鼠移植胰岛细胞后,前者迅速发生排斥反应,胰岛移植物的平均存活时间仅为8d,而后者胰岛移植物的平均存活时间〉50d。结论CD8^+T细胞在产生和利用IL-2时有很大的可塑性。CD4^+T细胞存在时,CD8^+T细胞能有效利用CD4^+T细来源的IL-2进行分裂增殖,在缺乏CD4^+T细胞时,则利用自身来源的IL-2进行分裂增殖;移植抗原特异性CD8^+T细胞的效应功能完全依赖于IL-2,排斥反应由CD8^+T细胞介导时,阻断IL-2/IL-2受体通路可诱导移植物长期存活。
Objective To study the role of IL-2 in regulating allograft rejection mediated by alloantigen-specific CD8^+ T cell. Methods T cell proliferation in vivo at a single cell level was examined using the CFSE dilution assay. IL-2 expression by activated CD4^+ versus CD8^+ T cells was determined by intraeellular cytokine staining. The ability of alloantigen-specific CD8^+ T cells in mediating allograft rejection was studied using the islet transplantation model. Results CD8^+ T cells divided vigorously in vivo in the allogeneic hosts regaMless the presence or absence of CD4^+ T cells. CD4^+ T cells, but not CD8^+ T cells, were the primary source of IL-2 when both subsets were present. However, CD8^+ T cells could express high levels of IL-2 in the complete absence of CD4^+ T cells. In 2C TCR transgenic (Tg) mice in which the 2C TCR transgene was selectively expressed on the CD8^+ T cells that specifically recognized alloantigen (Ld) of Balb/c origin, islet allografts from Balb/c mice was promptly rejected by the 2CTg recipients with mean survival time of only 8 days. In contrast, in 2CTg mice with a genetic deletion of the IL-2 gene (2CTg-IL-2KO mice), the alloantigen specific CI)8^+ T cells failed to mediate the islet allograft rejection and all the Balb/c islets survived for more than 50 days. Conclusions CD8^+ T cells appear to be very plastic in producing and utilizing IL-2. In the presence or absence of CD4^+ T cells, CD8^+ T cells can use CD4^+ derived or self derived IL-2 for proliferation and effector function respectively. In an alloantigen specific TCR transgenic model, the effector function of CD8^+ T cells is strictly IL-2 dependent. Thus, in situations where graft rejection is mediated solely by the CD8^+ T cells, blocking IL-2/ IL-2R pathway may be critically important in preventing transplant rejection.