The absence of B cells disrupts splenic and myocardial Treg homeostasis in coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis

Abstract

Although B cells are essential for humoral immunity and show noteworthy immunomodulatory activity through antibody-independent functions, the role of B cells in regulating Treg cell responses remains controversial. Tregs (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+) are considered to play an immunoprotective role in viral myocarditis (VMC) by controlling autoimmune effector T cells. Here, we proved that B-cell knockout can not only lead to significant reductions in Tregs in the spleen, blood, and heart of VMC mice but also decrease the activation and immune function of splenic Tregs, which was reversed by adoptive transfer of B cells; the transcription levels of TGF-β and Foxp3 in the myocardium were also significantly reduced. B-cell depletion by anti-CD20 impaired the anti-inflammatory function of splenic Tregs and the homeostasis of myocardial Tregs population. Moreover, B cells can convert CD4+CD25- T cells into Foxp3+ and Foxp3-, two functionally suppressive Treg subgroups. Although the reduction in myocardial inflammation in BKO mice indicates that B cells may play a proinflammatory role, the beneficial side of B cells cannot be ignored, that is, to control autoimmunity by maintaining Treg numbers. The results observed in the animal model of VMC highlight the potential harm of rituximab in the nonselective depletion of B cells in clinical applications.

Keywords: B-lymphocytes; regulatory T cells; rituximab; viral myocarditis.