We show that in vitro activation of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP)-specific T cells from C57BL/6 mice immunized with an uveitogenic IRBP peptide (IRBP_1–20) under TH17-polarizing conditions is associated with increased expansion of T cells expressing the γδ TCR. We also show that highly purified αβ or γδ T cells from C57BL/6 mice immunized with IRBP_1–20 produced only small amounts of IL-17 after exposure to the immunizing Ag in vitro, whereas a mixture of the same T cells produced greatly increased amounts of IL-17. IRBP-induced T cells from IRBP-immunized TCR-δ^−/− mice on the C57BL/6 genetic background produced significantly lower amounts of IL-17 than did wild-type C57BL/6 mice and had significantly decreased experimental autoimmune uveitis-inducing ability. However, reconstitution of the TCR-δ^−/− mice before immunization with a small number of γδ T cells from IRBP-immunized C57BL/6 mice restored the disease-inducing capability of their IRBP-specific T cells and greatly enhanced the generation of IL-17⁺ T cells in the recipient mice. Our study suggests that γδ T cells are important in the generation and activation of IL-17-producing autoreactive T cells and play a major role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune uveitis.

Previous studies have shown that IL-17 is a strong proinflammatory cytokine and that IL-17-producing autoreactive T cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. In a previous study, we showed that injection of experimental autoimmune uveitis-susceptible mice with anti-IL-17 Abs blocked subsequent disease development. To determine whether administration of IL-17 to experimental autoimmune uveitis-susceptible Lewis rats and B10RIII mice injected with disease-inducing peptides enhanced disease susceptibility, we injected the recipient animals with various doses of human rIL-17 (hIL-17). Unexpectedly, the treated animals showed significant amelioration of disease; in addition, both the intensity of the autoreactive response and cytokine production by the autoreactive T cells induced by immunization with uveitogenic peptides were significantly decreased. Our results show that IL-17 has anti-inflammatory activity and that this cytokine can suppress the development of autoimmune disease.

We have previously reported that, depending on their activation status, mouse γδ T cells can either enhance or inhibit the activity of IL-17⁺ autoreactive T cells in experimental autoimmune uveitis. In this study, we showed that γδ T cells in naive C57BL/6 (B6) mouse do not express the IL-23R, whereas in immunized mice, it is expressed on >50% of γδ T cells. In vitro studies showed that IL-23R expression on γδ T cells is modulated by their state of activation, as weakly activated γδ T cells expressed the IL-23R, but highly activated γδ T cells did not. Functional studies showed that IL-23R⁺ γδ T cells had the strongest suppressive effect on IL-17⁺ autoreactive T cells, and that this effect was inhibited when the IL-23R was blocked by anti–IL-23R Ab or in the presence of excessive amounts of exogenous IL-23. We conclude that the balance between the enhancing and inhibitory effects of γδ T cells is regulated by their level of IL-23R expression. The expression of variable IL-23R levels allows γδ T cells to have different regulatory effects on adaptive immune responses, conceivably as a result of αβ and γδ T cells competing for IL-23.

Purpose.: To determine how the activation of γδ T cells affects the generation of uveitogenic αβ T cells and the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Methods.: γδ T cells were isolated from B6 mice immunized with the uveitogenic peptide IRBP_1–20 and αβ T cells from immunized TCR-δ^−/− mice. Resting γδ T cells were prepared by culture of separated γδ T cells in cytokine-free medium for 3 to 5 days, when they showed downregulation of CD69 expression. Activated γδ T cells were prepared by incubating resting γδ T cells with anti-γδ TCR (GL3) for 2 days. Responder αβ T cells were cocultured with immunizing antigen and antigen-presenting cells. The numbers of antigen-specific T cells expressing IL-17 or IFN-γ were determined by intracellular staining followed by FACS analysis after stimulation, with or without the addition of purified γδ T cells. The cytokines in the culture medium were measured by ELISA. Results.: Highly enriched γδ T cells exert widely different effects on autoreactive αβ T cells in EAU, depending on the activation status of the γδ T cells. Whereas nonactivated γδ T cells had little effect on the activation of interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein–specific αβ T cells in vitro and in vivo, activated γδ T cells promoted the generation of uveitogenic T cells and exacerbated the development of EAU. Conclusions.: The functional ability of γδ T cells is greatly influenced by their activation status. Activated γδ T cells exacerbate EAU through increased activation of uveitogenic T cells.

In the current study, we showed that in vivo administration of an anti-CD25 Ab (PC61) decreased the Th17 response in C57BL/6 mice immunized with the uveitogenic peptide interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (1–20), while enhancing the autoreactive Th1 response. The depressed Th17 response was closely associated with decreased numbers of a splenic dendritic cell (DC) subset expressing CD11c⁺CD3⁻CD25⁺ and decreased expansion of γδ T cells. We demonstrated that ablation of the CD25⁺ DC subset accounted for the decreased activation and the expansion of γδ T cells, leading to decreased activation of IL-17⁺ interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein-specific T cells. Our results show that an enhanced Th17 response in an autoimmune disease is associated with the appearance of a DC subset expressing CD25 and that treatment of mice with anti-CD25 Ab causes functional alterations in a number of immune cell types, namely DCs and γδ T cells, in addition to CD25⁺αβTCR⁺ regulatory T cells.