STAT3 activation has been observed in several autoimmune diseases, suggesting that STAT3-mediated pathways promote pathologic immune responses. We provide in vivo evidence that the fundamental role of STAT3 signaling in autoimmunity relates to its absolute requirement for generating TH17 T cell responses. We show that STAT3 is a master regulator of this pathogenic T cell subtype, acting at multiple levels in vivo, including TH17 T cell differentiation and cytokine production, as well as induction of RORγt and the IL-23R. Neither naturally occurring TH17 cells nor TH17-dependent autoimmunity occurs when STAT3 is ablated in CD4 cells. Furthermore, ablation of STAT3 signaling in CD4 cells results in increased TH1 responses, indicating that STAT3 signaling skews TH responses away from the TH1 pathway and toward the TH17 pathway. Thus, STAT3 is a candidate target for TH17-dependent autoimmune disease immunotherapy that could selectively inhibit pathogenic immune pathways.

Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 (LAG-3) is a transmembrane protein that binds MHC class II, enhances regulatory T cell activity, and negatively regulates cellular proliferation, activation, and homeostasis of T cells. Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) also negatively regulates T cell function. LAG-3 and PD-1 are both transiently expressed on CD8 T cells that have been stimulated during acute activation. However, both LAG-3 and PD-1 remain on CD8 T cells at high levels after stimulation within tolerizing environments. Our previous data demonstrated that blockade of either LAG-3 or PD-1 using mAb therapy in combination with vaccination restores the function of tolerized Ag-specific CD8 T cells in models of self and tumor tolerance. It is unclear whether tolerized CD8 T cells coexpress PD-1 and LAG-3 or whether PD-1 and LAG-3 mark functionally distinct populations of CD8 T cells. In this study, we describe three populations of CD8 T cells activated under tolerizing conditions based on LAG-3 and PD-1 staining, each with distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics. From a mechanistic perspective, both Ag concentration and proinflammatory signals control the expression of LAG-3 and PD-1 phenotypes on CD8 T cells under activating and tolerizing conditions. These results imply that signaling through the PD-1 and LAG-3 pathways have distinct functional consequences to CD8 T cells under tolerizing conditions and manipulation of both Ag and cytokine signaling can influence CD8 tolerance through LAG-3 and PD-1.

IL-17-secreting CD8 T cells (Tc17) have been described in several settings, but little is known regarding their functional characteristics. While Tc1 cells produced IFN-γ and efficiently killed targets, Tc17 cells lacked lytic function in vitro. Interestingly, the small numbers of IFN-γ-positive or IL-17/IFN-γ-double-positive cells generated under Tc17 conditions also lacked lytic activity and expressed a similar pattern of cell surface proteins to IL-17-producing cells. As is the case for Th17 (CD4) cells, STAT3 is important for Tc17 polarization, both in vitro and in vivo. Adoptive transfer of highly purified, Ag-specific IL-17-secreting Tc17 cells into Ag-bearing hosts resulted in near complete conversion to an IFN-γ-secreting phenotype and substantial pulmonary pathology, demonstrating functional plasticity. Tc17 also accumulated to a greater extent than did Tc1 cells, suggesting that adoptive transfer of CD8 T cells cultured in Tc17 conditions may have therapeutic potential for diseases in which IFN-γ-producing cells are desired.