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Keratinocytes (KCs) may play important roles for maintenance of peripheral tolerance in the upper layers of the skin. Coinhibitory signals mediated via the programmed death (PD)-1 and its ligand B7-H1 (PD-L1/CD274) are crucial for the downregulation of T cell immune responses and for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. In this study, to investigate the role of KC-expressed B7-H1 in the regulation of T cell immune responses, we generated transgenic (tg) mice overexpressing B7-H1 under the control of keratin 14 (K14) promoter (K14-B7-H1 tg). K14-B7-H1 tg mice displayed impaired contact hypersensitivity (CH) responses to primary and secondary hapten challenges. The K14-B7-H1 tg mice did not exhibit substantial impairment of cutaneous dendritic cell migration after sensitization and of hapten-specific proliferation and IFN-gamma production of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in the draining lymph nodes, suggesting that overexpression of B7-H1 on KCs did not affect the induction phase of the CH response. The systemic or s.c. injection of hapten-sensitized T cells into the K14-B7-H1 tg mice did not efficiently induce the CH response. IFN-gamma expression and apoptosis of KCs in the challenged ears were impaired in K14-B7-H1 tg mice. IFN-gamma production by presensitized CD8(+) T cells stimulated with hapten-pulsed KCs was markedly impaired for the KCs obtained from the K14-B7-H1 tg mice but was restored by the addition of an anti-B7-H1 mAb. These results suggest that KC-associated B7-H1 directly downregulates the effector function of CD8(+) T cells by associating with PD-1 at local inflammatory sites and that it plays a role in peripheral T cell tolerance against exogenous Ags.

B7-H1 (PD-L1) and B7-DC (PD-L2) are the ligands for programmed death-1 (PD-1), which is a member of the CD28/CTLA-4 family and has been implicated in peripheral tolerance. We investigated the roles of B7-H1 and B7-DC in a murine OVA-induced allergic asthma model. B7-H1 was constitutively expressed on dendritic cells, macrophages, B cells, and T cells in the lungs of naive mice, and its expression could be dramatically increased after allergen challenge. In contrast, B7-DC expression was scarcely expressed on dendritic cells in naive mice, but was up-regulated after allergen challenge, although the up-regulation of B7-DC expression on macrophages was minimal. Treatment of mice with anti-B7-DC mAb at the time of allergen challenge, but not at the time of sensitization, significantly increased their airway hyper-reactivity and eosinophilia. Such treatment also resulted in the increased production of IL-5 and IL-13, and decreased IFN-gamma production in the lungs and draining lymph node cells. These changes were diminished when mice were depleted of IFN-gamma by anti-IFN-gamma mAb pretreatment. Interestingly, treatment with anti-B7-H1 or anti-PD-1 mAb did not significantly affect the asthmatic response. These results suggest a unique role for B7-DC in the regulation of asthmatic response through an IFN-gamma-dependent, but PD-1-independent, mechanism.

Inducible costimulator (ICOS)-B7 homologous protein (B7h) is a new member of the CD28-B7 family of costimulatory molecules that regulates T cell-dependent humoral immune responses. In this study, we examined the involvement of this costimulatory pathway in the development and progression of lupus in NZB/W F(1) mice. Expression of ICOS on T cells was enhanced with disease progression, whereas B7h expression on B cells was down-regulated. Administration of anti-B7h mAb before the onset of renal disease significantly delayed the onset of proteinuria and prolonged survival. Blockade of B7h effectively inhibited all subclasses of IgG autoantibody production and accumulation of both Th1 and Th2 cells. Hypercellularity and deposition of IgG and C3 in glomeruli were significantly reduced. B7h blockade after the onset of proteinuria prevented the disease progression and improved the renal pathology. Our results demonstrated the involvement of the ICOS-B7h costimulatory pathway in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis, and the blockade of this pathway may be beneficial for the treatment of human systemic lupus erythematosus.