Upregulation of CD4+CD25+ T lymphocyte by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of CTLA4Ig fusion protein in experimental autoimmune myocarditis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of adenovirus vector-mediated gene transfer of CTLA4Ig fusion protein on CD4+CD25+ T cells in experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). METHODS: EAM was induced by porcine cardiac myosin as previously described. Adenovirus vector-mediated CTLA4Ig gene was administrated intravenously in EAM rats on days 1, 4 and 7, with EGFP as control. On day 21, myocardium histopathology was examined and CD4+CD25+ T cells were isolated. Proliferation and suppression assays were used to evaluate the suppressive capacity of CD4+CD25+ T cells in vitro. Relative mRNA level of Foxp3 and TGF-beta was determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR; expression of CTLA-4, B7-1 and B7-2 protein was compared with Western blot in CD4+CD25+ Tregs. RESULTS: Severe inflammatory lesions were observed in the hearts of EGFP-treated EAM rats and the untreated ones, while Ad-CMV-CTLA4Ig alleviated the myocarditis histologically. Adenovirus vector-mediated CTLA4Ig gene transfer up-regulated the proportion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs significantly. T cell proliferation was greatly inhibited in the CTLA4Ig group compared with the untreated and EGFP-treated groups in vitro. CTLA-4 and B7-2 proteins were down-regulated in the CTLA4Ig group, Foxp3 and TGF-beta mRNA was up-regulated significantly by CTLA4Ig treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Adenovirus vector-mediated CTLA4Ig gene transfer alleviated inflammation in EAM, one of the potential mechanisms is up-regulation of CD4+CD25+ Tregs.