Lung injury induces preferential expansion of Foxp3 +regulatory T cells over conventional T cells in self-antigen specific CD4 +T cell repertoire.

Abstract Self antigen-specific T cells are prevalent in the mature adaptive immune repertoire. At steady state, these regulated by various mechanisms of peripheral tolerance. Characterizing activation self during inflammation may shed crucial insights into pathogenesis autoimmunity. Utilizing an experimental animal model where mice express three cell epitopes (2W, gp66, and OVA) a tissue restricted manner, we detect exclusive expansion autoreactive regulatory (Tregs) following acute lung injury that is dependent on recognition their cognate antigen IL-2 signaling. Conversely, conventional same antigen-specificity did not expand inflammation, even depletion endogenous Tregs. Therefore, our findings suggest self-antigen specific repertoire serve function damage to regulate ongoing response limit possibility