Dexamethasone potentiates the responses of both Treg and B-1 cells to antigen immunization in the ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 193; no. 1; pp. 35 - 39
• Main Authors: Chen, Aoshuang, Geng, Yajun, Ke, Hanzhong, Constant, Laura, Yan, Zhaoqi, Pan, Yue, Lee, Patricia, Tan, Isaiah, Williams, Kurt, George, Samantha, Gnanasekar, Munirathinam, Reardon, Catherine A., Getz, Godfrey S., Wang, Bin, Zheng, Guoxing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 04.06.2014
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1302469

The immunosuppressant dexamethasone was previously shown to preferentially deplete CD4 + Teff cells while sparing Treg cells in vivo. In the present study, we show that it also preferentially depletes B-2 cells while sparing B-1 cells. In the ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis, where both Treg and B-1 cells are thought to play an atheroprotective role, we show that HSP60-targeted immunization in the presence of dexamethasone raises Ag-reactive Treg and B-1 cells concomitantly and reduces the severity of atherosclerosis. These results indicate that dexamethasone is an adjuvant that potentiates both the Treg and the B-1 responses to immunogens. This study shows for the first time that B-1 cells with the specificity for a disease-relevant Ag can be raised in vivo by immunization.