Differential Regulatory Function of Resting and Preactivated Allergen-Specific CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Th2-Type Airway Inflammation

Although CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are known to suppress Th1 cell-mediated immune responses, their effect on Th2-type immune responses remains unclear. In this study we examined the role of Treg cells in Th2-type airway inflammation in mice. Depletion and reconstitution experiments demonstrated that the Treg cells of naive mice effectively suppressed the initiation and development of Th2-driven airway inflammation. Despite effective suppression of Th2-type airway inflammation in naive mice, adoptively transferred, allergen-specific Treg cells were unable to suppress airway inflammation in allergen-presensitized mice. Preactivated allergen-specific Treg cells, however, could suppress airway inflammation even in allergen-presensitized mice by accumulating in the lung, where they reduced the accumulation and proliferation of Th2 cells. Upon activation, allergen-specific Treg cells up-regulated CCR4, exhibited enhanced chemotactic responses to CCR4 ligands, and suppressed the proliferation of and cytokine production by polarized Th2 cells. Collectively, these results demonstrated that Treg cells are capable of suppressing Th2-driven airway inflammation even in allergen-presensitized mice in a manner dependent on their efficient migration into the inflammatory site and their regulation of Th2 cell activation and proliferation. The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 181: 6889-6897.