Hepatic AAV Gene Transfer of Cytoplasmic Transgene Induces Transgene Product-Specific T Cell Activation Initially in the Liver and Celiac Lymph Node Preceding Treg Induction

In several published studies, we have shown induction of immune tolerance to coagulations factors by hepatic gene transfer to animals with hemophilia. Tolerance induction is influenced by a number of complex factors, most notably T cell activation and induction of antigen-specific CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg). We sought to better understand antigen presentation to CD4+ T cells and the dynamics of the resulting T cell response. To characterize the interaction of adeno-associated virus (AAV) antigen expression in the liver with immune cells, we used an AAV8 vector, which have a high tropism for murine liver, expressing cytoplasmic ovalbumin (AAV8-Cyto-Ova) from the EF1α promoter. Use of AAV8-Cyto-Ova allowed us to eliminate effects from systemic antigen delivery. Vector was injected into the tail vein of DO11.10-transgenic RAG-/- mice, which contain exclusively Ova-specific CD4+ T cells and lack Treg. AAV8-Cyto-Ova caused upregulation of the very early activation marker CD69 on the CD4+ T cells as early as 2 weeks after gene transfer, with induced Treg emerging at about 3 weeks. CD69+CD4+ T cells were first observed in greatest numbers in the liver and celiac lymph node (LN), one of the liver-draining LN. This T cell activation persisted for several weeks. To better define the sites of T cell activation, we used the compound FTY720, which is an agonist of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors and prevents migration of lymphocytes but does not alter T cell function. Two weeks after AAV8-Cyto-Ova, FTY720 sequestered activated T cells mostly in the liver and celiac LN, when compared to other lymphoid organs, indicating that these are the initial sites of T cell activation. At the 3-week time point, there were fewer activated T cells in the liver and celiac LN in mice that received FTY720, while instead accumulating in the blood. Most likely, activated T cells were prevented from reentering the lymphoid organs from the circulation, where they were sequestered. We conclude that T cells are first activated by AAV8-Cyto-Ova in the liver and celiac LN after two weeks, where they subsequently egress into the circulation and re-enter lymphoid tissues, with many returning to the liver and celiac LN. FTY720 given at 2 weeks prevented the newly activated T cells from leaving the liver and celiac LN. These results strongly suggest that antigen presentation and CD4+ T cell activation occur first in the liver and celiac LN, beginning about 2 weeks after vector administration. Consistent with this conclusion, adoptively transferred Ova-specific CD4+ T cells proliferated first and to a much greater degree in the celiac LN of AAV8-Cyto-Ova transduced mice. Inactiviating Kupffer cells with gadolinium chloride significantly reduced antigen-specific proliferation, illustrating the requirement for professional resident liver antigen-presenting cells. Furthermore, we show that – in contrast to the AAV expression of secreted Ova – Treg are exclusively extrathymically induced after AAV8-Cyto-Ova vector administration. These Treg are found in high numbers in the blood after 2 weeks in mice given the FTY720 compound, suggesting that these peripherally induced Treg quickly enter the circulation. In conclusion, the liver and its draining celiac LN are key sites for antigen presentation and T cell activation in response to transgene expression directed by hepatic gene transfer. Presentation of antigen derived from a non-secreted transgene product induces FoxP3+ Treg that rapidly distribute through the circulation.