Characterization of T cell receptors in a novel murine model of nickel-induced intraoral metal contact allergy

PLoS One. 2018 Dec 17;13(12):e0209248. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209248. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Nickel is a component of several alloy types that are widely used in our environment, including several dental alloy types that cause intraoral metal contact allergy. However, metal-specific immune responses in the oral mucosa have not been elucidated because a suitable animal model has not been established. In this study, we established a novel murine model of nickel-induced intraoral metal contact allergy and aimed to elucidate the immune response in terms of T-cell receptor repertoire and cytokine profiles in inflamed oral mucosa. The intraoral metal contact allergy model was induced by two sensitizations of nickel plus lipopolysaccharide solution into the postauricular skin followed by a single nickel challenge of the buccal mucosa. Cytokine expression profiles and T-cell phenotypes were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. T cells accumulated in the cervical lymph nodes and inflamed oral mucosa were characterized by analyzing their T-cell receptor α- and β-chain repertoires, and the nucleotide sequences of complementary determining region 3. Significant swelling and pathological features were histologically evident at 1 day after challenge in mice with nickel allergy. At 1 day after the challenge, CD8-positive T cells producing high levels of T helper 1 type cytokines had accumulated in the allergic oral mucosa. At 7 days after the challenge, excessive nickel allergy in the oral mucosa was suppressed by regulatory T cells. Characterization of the T-cell receptor repertoire in nickel allergic mice revealed the presence of natural killer T cells and T cells bearing Trav6-6-Traj57 at 1 day after the challenge. Our murine model of nickel-induced intraoral metal contact allergy showed that natural killer T cells and T cells bearing Trav6-6-Traj57 might be involved in the immune responses of nickel-induced intraoral metal contact allergy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / immunology*
  • Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Foot
  • Gene Expression
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Lymph Nodes / immunology
  • Lymph Nodes / pathology
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mouth
  • Nickel / immunology*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Nickel

Grants and funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP15K11329 (Y.H., K.Ku. and R.S.) and JP16K20443 (H.S.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.