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Abstract
Systemic administration of Pertussis toxin (PTX) abrogates T cell tolerance mediated
by injection of neuroantigens in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) and causes experimental
autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). PTX concomitantly induces high frequencies of
neuroantigen-specific IFN-gamma- and IL-17-producing T cells. Both IL-17 and IFN-gamma
have been implicated as a key effector cytokines in the pathogenesis of EAE, possibly
with different functions. We therefore investigated potential differences in the temporal
and spatial kinetics of the PTX-induced neuroantigen-specific IFN-gamma- and IL-17-producing
T cell effector populations. IFN-gamma- and IL-17-producing PLPp-specific T cells
initially arose in comparable frequencies in the local draining lymph nodes (drLN)
after immunization as measured by cytokine ELISPOT. High frequencies of both IFN-gamma-
and IL-17-producing T cells were present in the immune periphery before onset of EAE.
The highest frequencies of PTX-induced IFN-gamma- and IL-17-producing PLPp-specific
cells coincided in the inflamed CNS during acute EAE. During recovery, both IFN-gamma-
and IL-17-producing PLPp-specific T cells simultaneously disappeared from the CNS,
whereas high frequencies of these cells remained present in the immune periphery.
The functional affinity of both IFN-gamma- and IL-17-producing T cells did not change
during EAE. Therefore, autoimmune pathology in this model did not correlate with specific
PTX effects either on Th1 or Th17 cells regarding their kinetics and CNS migration.