RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Role of T lymphocytes in rat 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis: increased mortality after γδ T cell depletion and no effect of αβ T cell depletion
JF Gut
JO Gut
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
SP 489
OP 495
DO 10.1136/gut.48.4.489
VO 48
IS 4
A1 Hoffmann, J C
A1 Peters, K
A1 Henschke, S
A1 Herrmann, B
A1 Pfister, K
A1 Westermann, J
A1 Zeitz, M
YR 2001
UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/48/4/489.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND AIM Indirect evidence suggests that CD4+ T cells have a pathogenic while γδ T cells have a protective role in the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory bowel disease. To define the role of T cell subsets in a rat colitis model (2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)) we analysed colitis severity after effective depletion of T helper cells, αβ Τ cells, or γδ T cells.METHODS T helper cells, αβ T cells, or γδ T cells were depleted using previously described monoclonal antibodies directed at the CD4 molecule (OX38), the CD2 molecule (OX34, both depleting CD4+ T cells), the αβ T cell receptor (R73), and the γδ T cell receptor (V65). Depletion was verified by flow cytometry and/or immunohistology. Colitis was induced using intracolonic application of TNBS.RESULTS Surprisingly, depletion of T helper cells or αβ T cells had no influence on survival, macroscopic or microscopic scores, or myeloperoxidase activity following colitis induction. In contrast, depletion of γδ T cells resulted in significantly increased mortality (V65: 73%, n=15) compared with controls (30%, n=13; p<0.03). In addition, colitis was histologically more severe in the γδ T cell depleted group compared with controls (p<0.05).CONCLUSIONS T helper cells or αβ T cells did not influence the initiation or perpetuation of rat TNBS colitis. In contrast, γδ T cells had a protective role in rat TNBS colitis as depletion caused increased mortality.IBDinflammatory bowel diseasekoknock outPALSperiarteriolar lymphocyte sheathTCRT cell receptorTNBS2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acidTh1T helper 1mAbmonoclonal antibody