Imbalance between regulatory and effector T cells in mice with different susceptibility to develop autoimmune diseases

GODOY GJ*; BRESER ML*; SANCHEZ LR; MOTRICH RD; RIVERO VE.

Los Cocos

Congreso; LXI Reunión Científica de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; 2013

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunologia

NOD mice are highly susceptible to develop spontaneous or induced autoimmune diseases like diabetes, thyroiditis, prostatitis and sialadenitis, while C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice are more resistant respectively. It has been suggested that this increased susceptibility could be related to defects in regulatory T cell (Treg) populations. Herein, we analyzed frequencies and absolute numbers of Treg and effector T cells (Teff, T cells with an activated phenotype) in lymph node and spleen cells from NOD, C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in steady state conditions, when animals show no signs of autoimmunity/inflammatory conditions (aged up to 8 weeks old). No significant differences in the frequencies or absolute numbers of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+, CD4+Foxp3+Helios+ and CD4+Foxp3+GITR+ cell populations from spleen or lymph node cells were observed among mouse strains. Analyses of the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) values of Foxp3, GITR and Helios also showed no differences among mouse strains; however, the MFI value of CD25 showed a significant decrease in the Treg population from NOD mice when compared to the other strains (p