Increased CD4 Foxp3 T cells in BAFF-transgenic mice suppress T cell effector responses

Abstract

The cytokine B cell activation factor of the TNF family (BAFF) is considered to perform a proinflammatory function. This paradigm is particularly true for B cell-dependent immune responses; however the exact role for BAFF in regulating T cell immunity is ill-defined. To directly assess the effect of BAFF upon T cells, we analyzed T cell-dependent immune responses in BAFF-transgenic (Tg) mice. We found that T cell responses in BAFF-Tg mice are profoundly compromised, as indicated by their acceptance of islet allografts and delayed skin graft rejection. However, purified BAFF-Tg effector T cells could reject islet allografts with a normal kinetic, suggesting that the altered response did not r..