Background
Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) predisposes to the formation of donor-specific antibodies, a factor contributing to chronic rejection and late allograft loss.
Conclusions
IRI promotes elaboration of IL-18 from endothelial cells to selectively expand alloreactive IL-18R1+ T peripheral helper cells in allograft tissues to promote donor-specific antibody formation.
Methods
We describe a mechanism underlying the correlative association between IRI and donor-specific antibodies by using humanized models and patient specimens.
Results
IRI induces immunoglobulin M-dependent complement activation on endothelial cells that assembles an NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3) inflammasome via a Rab5-ZFYVE21-NIK axis and upregulates ICOS-L (inducible costimulator ligand) and PD-L2 (programmed death ligand 2). Endothelial cell-derived interleukin-18 (IL-18) selectively expands a T-cell population (CD4+CD45RO+PD-1hiICOS+CCR2+CXCR5-) displaying features of recently described T peripheral helper cells. This population highly expressed IL-18R1 and promoted donor-specific antibodies in response to IL-18 in vivo. In patients with delayed graft function, a clinical manifestation of IRI, these cells were Ki-67+IL-18R1+ and could be expanded ex vivo in response to IL-18. Conclusions: IRI promotes elaboration of IL-18 from endothelial cells to selectively expand alloreactive IL-18R1+ T peripheral helper cells in allograft tissues to promote donor-specific antibody formation.