Interleukin (IL)-1 promotes allogeneic T cell intimal infiltration and IL-17 production in a model of human artery rejection

Interleukin (IL) 1α produced by human endothelial cells (ECs), in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or to co-culture with allogeneic T cells in a TNF-dependent manner, can augment the release of cytokines from alloreactive memory T cells in vitro. In a human–mouse chimeric model of artery allograft rejection, ECs lining the transplanted human arteries express IL-1α, and blocking IL-1 reduces the extent of human T cell infiltration into the artery intima and selectively inhibits IL-17 production by infiltrating T cells. In human skin grafts implanted on immunodeficient mice, administration of IL-17 is sufficient to induce mild inflammation. In cultured cells, IL-17 acts preferentially on vascular smooth muscle cells rather than ECs to enhance production of proinflammatory mediators, including IL-6, CXCL8, and CCL20. Neutralization of IL-17 does not reduce T cell infiltration into allogeneic human artery grafts, but markedly reduces IL-6, CXCL8, and CCL20 expression and selectively inhibits CCR6⁺ T cell accumulation in rejecting arteries. We conclude that graft-derived IL-1 can promote T cell intimal recruitment and IL-17 production during human artery allograft rejection, and suggest that targeting IL-1 in the perioperative transplant period may modulate host alloreactivity.