Graft-versus-host disease reduces lymph node display of tissue-restricted self-antigens and promotes autoimmunity.

Dertschnig S., Evans P., Santos E Sousa P., Manzo T., Ferrer IR., Stauss HJ., Bennett CL., Chakraverty R.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is initially triggered by alloreactive T cells, which damage peripheral tissues and lymphoid organs. Subsequent transition to chronic GVHD involves the emergence of autoimmunity, although the underlying mechanisms driving this process are unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that acute GVHD blocks peripheral tolerance of autoreactive T cells by impairing lymph node (LN) display of peripheral tissue-restricted antigens (PTAs). At the initiation of GVHD, LN fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) rapidly reduced expression of genes regulated by DEAF1, an autoimmune regulator-like transcription factor required for intranodal expression of PTAs. Subsequently, GVHD led to the selective elimination of the FRC population, and blocked the repair pathways required for its regeneration. We used a transgenic mouse model to show that the loss of presentation of an intestinal PTA by FRCs during GVHD resulted in the activation of autoaggressive T cells and gut injury. Finally, we show that FRCs normally expressed a unique PTA gene signature that was highly enriched for genes expressed in the target organs affected by chronic GVHD. In conclusion, acute GVHD damages and prevents repair of the FRC network, thus disabling an essential platform for purging autoreactive T cells from the repertoire.

DOI

10.1172/JCI133102

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Clin Invest

Publication Date

01/04/2020

Volume

130

Pages

1896 - 1911

Keywords

Autoimmunity, Bone marrow transplantation, Stem cell transplantation, Tolerance, Transplantation, Animals, Autoantigens, Autoimmunity, Graft vs Host Disease, Intestinal Diseases, Lymph Nodes, Mice, Mice, Knockout, T-Lymphocytes

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