Cytokine regulation of chronic cardiac allograft rejection: Evidence against a role for TH1 in the disease process

Background. Transient depletion of CD4(+) T cells in cardiac allograft reci pients prolongs allograft survival; however, grafts exhibit signs of chroni c rejection characterized by collagen deposition and neointima development. Although it is believed that Th1 cells promote acute graft rejection, the role of these cells in chronic rejection remains unclear. Hence, our study evaluated whether Th1 cells are associated with the development of chronic cardiac allograft rejection. Methods. Splenocytes obtained from C57BL/6 recipients bearing BALB/c hearts with signs of chronic rejection were adoptively transferred into C57BL/6 S CID cardiac allograft recipients. As a measure of Th1 function, interferon- gamma production was determined after restimulation of recipient splenocyte s with donor alloantigens. Results. Transfer of splenocytes in SCID allograft recipients resulted in a ccelerated chronic rejection in the majority of mice. Characterization of t hese cells before transfer revealed hyporesponsive Th1 function. However, d onor-specific proliferative responses and precursor interleukin-2 producing helper and cytotoxic T lymphocyte frequencies were comparable to that of n aive splenocytes. Further, splenocytes obtained front SCID recipients with advanced signs of chronic rejection remained deficient in Th1 function, sug gesting that Th1 are not involved in this disease process. This possibility was further supported by the development of chronic rejection in IL-12 kno ckout recipients. Finally, when splenocytes used for adoptive transfer reta ined Th1 function, transfer of these cells into SCID recipients resulted in acute allograft rejection. Conclusions. We have established a model in which the mediators of chronic rejection may be further explored. In this system, the absence rather than the presence of donor-reactive Th1 is associated with chronic rejection. Th ese data indicate that Th1-independent effector mechanisms are responsible for chronic rejection in this model.