Potential for TCDD to Induce Regulatory Functions in B Cells as Part of the Mechanism for T Cell Suppression in EAE
ORCID
Kaplan: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1992-4145
MSU Affiliation
College of Veterinary Medicine; Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences; Center for Environmental Health Sciences
Creation Date
2026-03-30
Abstract
Part of the mechanism by which 2,3,7.8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) suppresses immune function involves induction of regulatory T cells and suppression of effector T cells. The goal of this project was to examine whether TCDD's suppression of effector T cells was due in part to inducing B regulatory cells (Bregs). TCDD's potential to increase the percentage and/or function of CD24+CD38+ B cells was assessed in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + interleukin (IL)-4 in vitro and in a mild model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in vivo. In vitro, TCDD did not consistently increase the percentage of CD19+CD24+CD38+ cells using splenocytes, purified B cells or bone marrow (BM) cells. However, TCDD increased IL-10 in all three culture preparations, and TCDD increased the percentage of CD5+CD24+CD38+ cells producing IL-10. In EAE, TCDD did not affect the percentage of the CD24+CD38+ cell population in CD19, B220 or CD5 B cells in splenocytes (SPLC), lymph nodes (LN) nor BM cells at end-stage disease. On the other hand, TCDD increased the CD19+CD24+CD38+ percentage in the spinal cord (SC) in EAE. Moreover, TCDD-treated B cells isolated from spleens or TCDD-treated BM cells in EAE mice modestly reduced the ability of naïve effector T cells to express interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Together these data show that TCDD can induce regulatory functions in B cells, although it was not obvious simply by examining the expression of regulatory markers but by assessing function by cytokine production or mixed lymphocyte responses.
Publication Date
11-1-2022
Publication Title
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Publisher
Elsevier
Recommended Citation
McDonald, A., Nicaise, A., Sears, E. R., Bell, A., Kummari, E., & Kaplan, B. L. F. (2022). Potential for TCDD to induce regulatory functions in B cells as part of the mechanism for T cell suppression in EAE. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 454, 116259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2022.116259