Pathogenicity of T helper 2 T-cell clones from T-cell receptor transgenic non-obese diabetic mice is determined by tumour necrosis factor-alpha

Autoimmune diabetes is predominated by a T helper 1 (Th1) response at the expense of an impaired Th2 response. Although T cells producing Th2 cytokines are generally thought to counter a Th1 response, there have been reports of Th2 T-cell clones with pathogenic activity, including one previously reported by us in which the Th2 T-cell clone was derived from a T-cell receptor transgenic (TCR-Tg) mouse bearing pathogenic TCR. In this study, our goal was to determine whether Th2 T-cell clones derived from a TCR-Tg in which the autoantigen was absent would be pathogenic and if so, to investigate possible mechanisms by which the Th2 T-cell clone could promote disease. We found that a Th2 T-cell clone derived from the 6.9 TCR-Tg/non-obese diabetic (NOD).C6 mouse in which 6.9 T cells do not encounter autoantigen, produced Th2 cytokines but not interferon-gamma. This Th2 T-cell clone, like the previous one we had isolated from the 2.5 TCR-Tg/NOD mouse, also turned out to be pathogenic. Intracellular staining revealed that these Th2 T-cell clones produce low levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in vitro, and after adoptive transfer, they migrate to the pancreas where they produce TNF-alpha as well as Th2 cytokines (interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10). Induction of disease was prevented by administration of soluble TNF-alpha receptor to recipient mice, suggesting that the diabetogenicity of these Th2 T-cell clones is caused by their low level production of TNF-alpha.