Abstracts (complete list) - Wissenschaft Online

Wiebke Hansen, Simone Reinwald, Astrid M. Westendorf, Carsten Wiethe, Jan Buer
CD83 is involved in the immunosuppressive function of
regulatory T cells
The transmembrane protein CD83 has been initially described as maturation marker for
dendritic cells (DCs). Moreover, there is increasing evidence that CD83 also regulates B
cell function, thymic T cell maturation and peripheral T cell activation. Here, we show
that CD83 plays also a pivotal role in regulatory T cells (Treg) biology. CD83 is upregulated
in CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells of both murine and human origin in comparison to
their naïve counterparts. Furthermore, stimulation in vitro leads to a further increase in
CD83 protein expression on Treg cells. Transduction of naïve CD4 + CD25 - T cells with
CD83 encoding retroviruses confers suppressive activity in vitro, which is accompanied
by the induction of Foxp3 expression. Functional analysis of CD83-transduced T cells in
vivo demonstrate that these CD83 + Foxp3 + T cells are able to interfere with the effector
phase of a severe contact hypersensitivity reaction of the skin and prevent the paralysis
associated with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In summary, our
data demonstrate that CD83 seems to be involved in the immunosuppressive function
of Treg cells and thereby might play a crucial role in the course of immune responses.