CD40/CD40 ligand interactions are critical for elicitation of autoimmune-mediated fibrosis in the lung

Pulmonary interstitial fibrosis (PIF), associated with persistent inflammation and increased collagen deposition in the interstitium, is often considered an autoimmune disease. Hapten immune PIF (HIPIF), a model for PIF, is elicited in the lung by a single intratracheal (i.t.) challenge in mice sensitized with hapten (2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, TNBS). In this study, we characterized the role of CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) interactions in the elicitation of secondary cell-mediated immune responses that lead to development of fibrosis in the lung using an adoptive transfer model of HIPIF. The expression of CD40 was detected on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells 1-3 days after i.t. challenge with hapten in the HIPIF lung, but not lungs from the control mice. The CD40(bright) BAL cells morphologically resembled infiltrating monocytes. Furthermore, blocking CD40/CD40L interactions with blocking Ab decreased BAL production of Th1-mediators (IL-12 and TNF-alpha). Moreover, either blocking CD40/CD40L interactions with the Ab or using IL-12 knockout recipient mice prevented the increased collagen deposition (accumulation of hydroxyproline) in the lungs during HIPIF induction. We conclude that second signals (CD40/CD40L interactions) are required for elicitation of secondary immune responses that lead to PIF in vivo. The results support the notion that CD40/CD40L interactions are involved in the pathogenesis of an ongoing autoimmune disease.