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Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) modulates adaptive immune functions through alternation of T helper cell polarization

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 13, pages 795–804 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is a key determinant of lipoprotein metabolism, and both animal and human studies converge to indicate that PLTP promotes atherogenesis and its thromboembolic complications. Moreover, it has recently been reported that PLTP modulates inflammation and immune responses. Although earlier studies from our group demonstrated that PLTP can modify macrophage activation, the implication of PLTP in the modulation of T-cell-mediated immune responses has never been investigated and was therefore addressed in the present study. Approach and results: In the present study, we demonstrated that PLTP deficiency in mice has a profound effect on CD4+ Th0 cell polarization, with a shift towards the anti-inflammatory Th2 phenotype under both normal and pathological conditions. In a model of contact hypersensitivity, a significantly impaired response to skin sensitization with the hapten-2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) was observed in PLTP-deficient mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, PLTP deficiency in mice exerted no effect on the counts of total white blood cells, lymphocytes, granulocytes, or monocytes in the peripheral blood. Moreover, PLTP deficiency did not modify the amounts of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets. However, PLTP-deficiency, associated with upregulation of the Th2 phenotype, was accompanied by a significant decrease in the production of the pro-Th1 cytokine interleukin 18 by accessory cells. Conclusions: For the first time, this work reports a physiological role for PLTP in the polarization of CD4+ T cells toward the pro-inflammatory Th1 phenotype.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Philip Bastable for editing this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM UMR866, Dijon, F21079, France

    Catherine Desrumaux, Stéphanie Lemaire-Ewing, Nicolas Ogier, Akadiri Yessoufou, Arlette Hammann, Valérie Deckert, Jean-Paul Pais de Barros, Naïg Le Guern, Naim A Khan & Laurent Lagrost

  2. Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, F-21000, France

    Catherine Desrumaux, Stéphanie Lemaire-Ewing, Nicolas Ogier, Akadiri Yessoufou, Anabelle Sequeira-Le Grand, Valérie Deckert, Jean-Paul Pais de Barros, Naïg Le Guern, Naim A Khan & Laurent Lagrost

  3. LipSTIC LabEx, Fondation de Coopération Scientifique Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Dijon, F-21000, France

    Catherine Desrumaux, Stéphanie Lemaire-Ewing, Nicolas Ogier, Akadiri Yessoufou, Arlette Hammann, Valérie Deckert, Jean-Paul Pais de Barros, Naïg Le Guern, Naim A Khan & Laurent Lagrost

  4. CHU, Hôpital du Bocage, Dijon, France

    Stéphanie Lemaire-Ewing, Arlette Hammann, Julien Guy & Laurent Lagrost

  5. Plateforme de Cytométrie en Flux, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

    Anabelle Sequeira-Le Grand

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  1. Catherine Desrumaux
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Correspondence to Catherine Desrumaux.

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Desrumaux, C., Lemaire-Ewing, S., Ogier, N. et al. Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) modulates adaptive immune functions through alternation of T helper cell polarization. Cell Mol Immunol 13, 795–804 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2015.75

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