Abstract
Commensal microbes can have a substantial impact on autoimmune disorders, but the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. We report that autoimmune arthritis was strongly attenuated in the K/BxN mouse model under germ-free (GF) conditions, accompanied by reductions in serum autoantibody titers, splenic autoantibody-secreting cells, germinal centers, and the splenic T helper 17 (Th17) cell population. Neutralization of interleukin-17 prevented arthritis development in specific-pathogen-free K/BxN mice resulting from a direct effect of this cytokine on B cells to inhibit germinal center formation. The systemic deficiencies of the GF animals reflected a loss of Th17 cells from the small intestinal lamina propria. Introduction of a single gut-residing species, segmented filamentous bacteria, into GF animals reinstated the lamina propria Th17 cell compartment and production of autoantibodies, and arthritis rapidly ensued. Thus, a single commensal microbe, via its ability to promote a specific Th cell subset, can drive an autoimmune disease.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 815-827 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Immunity |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2010 |
Keywords
- CELLIMMUNO
- MICROBIO
- MOLIMMUNO
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases