Essential role of IL-17A in the formation of a mycobacterial infection-induced granuloma in the lung

Y Okamoto Yoshida, M Umemura, A Yahagi… - The Journal of …, 2010 - journals.aai.org
Y Okamoto Yoshida, M Umemura, A Yahagi, RL O'Brien, K Ikuta, K Kishihara, H Hara
The Journal of Immunology, 2010journals.aai.org
Granulomas play an essential role in the sequestration and killing of mycobacteria in the
lung; however, the mechanisms of their development and maturation are still not clearly
understood. IL-17A is involved in mature granuloma formation in the mycobacteria-infected
lung. Therefore, IL-17A gene-knockout (KO) mice fail to develop mature granulomas in the
Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected lung. This study analyzed the
mechanism of IL-17A–dependent mature granuloma formation in the mycobacteria-infected …
Abstract
Granulomas play an essential role in the sequestration and killing of mycobacteria in the lung; however, the mechanisms of their development and maturation are still not clearly understood. IL-17A is involved in mature granuloma formation in the mycobacteria-infected lung. Therefore, IL-17A gene-knockout (KO) mice fail to develop mature granulomas in the Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infected lung. This study analyzed the mechanism of IL-17A–dependent mature granuloma formation in the mycobacteria-infected lung. The IL-17A KO mice showed a normal level of nascent granuloma formation on day 14 but failed to develop mature granulomas on day 28 after the BCG infection in the lung. The observation implies that IL-17A is required for the maturation of granuloma from the nascent to mature stage. TCR γδ T cells expressing TCR Vγ4 or Vγ6 were identified as the major IL-17A–producing cells that resided in the BCG-induced lung granuloma. The adoptive transfer of the IL-17A–producing TCR γδ T cells reconstituted granuloma formation in the IL-17A KO mice. The expression of ICAM-1 and LFA-1, which are adhesion molecules important in granuloma formation, decreased in the lung of the BCG-infected IL-17A KO mice, and their expression was induced on BCG-infected macrophages in coculture with IL-17A–producing TCR γδ T cells. Furthermore, IL-17A KO mice showed not only an impaired mature granuloma formation, but also an impaired protective response to virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, IL-17A produced by TCR γδ T cells plays a critical role in the prevention of M. tuberculosis infection through the induction of mature granuloma formation.
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