CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells control induction of autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is the result of increased destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) due to the production of autoantibodies, and it can be life-threatening. To study the mechanisms that trigger AIHA, we used the Marshall-Clarke and Playfair model of murine AIHA, in which mice repeatedly immunized with rat RBCs develop erythrocyte autoantibodies as well as rat-specific alloantibodies. We analyzed the role of CD25(+) T-regulatory subsets in controlling AIHA in C57/Bl6 mice using antibody depletion studies. Treatment with anti-CD25 antibody but not isotype control prior to immunization with rat RBCs increased the incidence of AIHA from 30% to 90%. Adoptive transfer of purified splenic population of CD4(+)CD25(+) but not CD4(+)CD25(-) cells from immunized mice into naive recipients prevented the induction of autoantibody production. Altogether, our data establish a critical role for CD4(+)CD25(+) cells for control of AIHA, which may help to establish therapeutic strategies for treatment of AIHA.