Regulatory T Cells in Type 1 Autoimmune Pancreatitis

• Main Authors: Kazushige Uchida, Takeo Kusuda, Masanori Koyabu, Hideaki Miyoshi, Norimasa Fukata, Kimi Sumimoto, Yuri Fukui, Yutaku Sakaguchi, Tsukasa Ikeura, Masaaki Shimatani, Toshiro Fukui, Mitsunobu Matsushita, Makoto Takaoka, Akiyoshi Nishio, Kazuichi Okazaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Rheumatology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/795026
• ISSN: 1687-9260; 1687-9279

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a newly recognized pancreatic disorder. Recently, International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for AIP (ICDC) was published. In this ICDC, AIP was classified into Type 1 and Type 2. Patients with Type 1 AIP have several immunologic and histologic abnormalities specific to the disease, including increased levels of serum IgG4 and storiform fibrosis with infiltration of lymphocytes and IgG4-positive plasmacytes in the involved organs. Among the involved organs showing extrapancreatic lesions, the bile duct is the most common, exhibiting sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC). However, the role of IgG4 is unclear. Recently, it has been reported that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in both the development of various autoimmune diseases and the shift of B cells toward IgG4, producing plasmacytes. Our study showed that Tregs were increased in the pancreas with Type 1 AIP and IgG4-SC compared with control. In the patients with Type 1 AIP and IgG4-SC, the numbers of infiltrated Tregs were significantly positively correlated with IgG4-positive plasma cells. In Type 1 AIP, inducible costimulatory molecule (ICOS)+ and IL-10+ Tregs significantly increased compared with control groups. Our data suggest that increased quantities of ICOS+ Tregs may influence IgG4 production via IL-10 in Type 1 AIP.