BACKGROUND: Interleukin 21 (IL-21) is involved in regulating the expansion and effector function of a broad range of leukocytes, including T cells and B cells. In transplantation, the exact role of IL-21 in the process of allograft rejection is unknown. To further explore this, the aim of this study is to test the effect of an IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) blocking antibody on the early phase of allograft rejection in a humanized skin transplantation model in mice reconstituted with human T and B cells. METHODS: Immunodeficient Balb/c IL2rγRag2 mice were transplanted with human skin followed by adoptive transfer of human allogeneic splenocytes. Control animals were treated with a phosphate buffered saline vehicle while the other group was treated with a humanized anti-IL-21R antibody (αIL-21R). RESULTS: In the phosphate buffered saline-treated animals, human skin allografts were infiltrated with lymphocytes and developed a thickened epidermis with increased expression of the inflammatory markers Keratin 17 (Ker17) and Ki67. In mice treated with αIL-21R, these signs of allograft reactivity were significantly reduced. Concordantly, STAT3 phosphorylation was inhibited in this group. Of note, treatment with αIL-21R attenuated the process of T and B cell reconstitution after adoptive cellular transfer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that blockade of IL-21 signaling can delay allograft rejection in a humanized skin transplantation model.

doi.org/10.1097/TP.0000000000002773, hdl.handle.net/1765/120043
Transplantation
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

de Leur, K., Luk, F., van den Bosch, T.P.P. (Thierry P P), Dieterich, M., van der Laan, L., Hendriks, R., … Hoogduijn, M. (2019). The Effects of an IL-21 Receptor Antagonist on the Alloimmune Response in a Humanized Mouse Skin Transplant Model. Transplantation, 103(10), 2065–2074. doi:10.1097/TP.0000000000002773