Cutting edge: human eosinophils regulate T cell subset selection through indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.
Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 2004 Nov 15; 173(10):5909-13
Odemuyiwa S SO, Ghahary A A, Li Y Y, Puttagunta L L, Lee J JE, Musat-Marcu S S, Ghahary A A, Moqbel R R
Department of Medicine (Pulmonary Research Group), 550A Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2S2.
Allergy involves eosinophilia and Th2 polarization. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-catalyzed conversion of tryptophan to kynurenines (KYN) regulates T cell function. We show that human eosinophils constitutively express IDO. Eosinophils treated with IFN-gamma showed an 8-fold increase in IDO mRNA within 4 h; IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF had no effect on baseline IDO expression. IL-3 pretreatment of eosinophils reduced IFN-gamma-induced IDO mRNA expression below baseline. Conversely, GM-CSF, but not IL-5, resulted in a 2-fold increase in IFN-gamma-induced IDO. Treatment with IL-3, IL-5, GM-CSF, or IFN-gamma alone expressed IDO enzymatic activity (the presence of KYN in supernatants 48 h postculture). CD28 cross-linking resulted in measurable KYN in culture supernatants, inhibitable by a neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma. Coculture of eosinophils with an IFN-gamma-producing T cell line, but not IL-4-producing T cell clone, led to apoptosis and inhibition of CD3 or CD3/CD28-induced proliferation. Eosinophils infiltrating asthmatic lung and associated lymphoid tissue exhibited intracellular IDO immunoreactivity. Eosinophils may, therefore, maintain Th2 bias through IDO.