CTL hyporesponsiveness induced by 2,3,7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin: role of cytokines and apoptosis

Studies have shown that blocking B7-mediated costimulation induces T cell tolerance via anergy or apoptosis. Provision of exogenous IL-2 can reverse or prevent the induction of tolerance. We have previously shown that TCDD-induced suppression of the CTL response to allogeneic P815 tumor cells is accompanied by decreased expression of CD86 (B7-2) as well as suppressed IL-2 and IFNgamma production. In the present studies, the role of IL-2 and IFNgamma and the analysis of inappropriate deletion of CD8(+) cells was examined. Administration of IL-2 on days 7-9 relative to the injection of P815 tumor cells dose-dependently increased the CTL activity and the generation of CD8(+) CTL effector cells in TCDD-treated mice. This increased CTL response was not due to recruitment of naive CTL precursors (CTLp), suggesting that a small pool of activated CTLp in TCDD-treated mice could respond to the IL-2. A much larger pool of activated CTLp in control mice was also expanded by IL-2 treatment. In contrast, treatment with IFNgamma during the same time period did not alter CTL activity in control or TCDD-treated mice. To address the possibility that insufficient IL-2 early in the response was responsible for the reduced pool of activated CTLp in TCDD-treated mice, IL-2 was administered on days 1-3 after P815 injection. However, not only did early treatment with IL-2 fail to restore the response in TCDD-treated mice, it suppressed the CTL response of non-TCDD-treated mice. To test whether exposure to TCDD induced apoptosis of activated CD8(+) T cells, phosphatidylserine (PS) expression was measured on various days after P815 tumor challenge. Surprisingly, the percentage of apoptotic CD8(+) T cells was significantly lower in TCDD-treated mice compared to controls throughout the allograft response. Similarly, exposure to TCDD failed to enhance peripheral deletion of Vbeta3(+)CD8(+) T cells after injection of the superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA). Taken together, the data indicate that TCDD induces an early defect in CTLp activation that is not due to insufficient IL-2 or deletion of CD8(+) cells and may implicate a novel mechanism by which ligands of the Ah receptor disrupt CTL precursor activation.