Transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3) serves as a negative regulator controlling IgE class switching

Abstract

Abstract A mutation in the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT-3) has been linked to incidence of Autosomal Dominant Hyper Immunoglobulin E Syndrome (AD-HIES), a disease characterized by elevated serum IgE antibody and susceptibility to respiratory and skin infection. However, how this genetic mutation leads to the phenotype has not been fully understood. In this study we investigated the specific role of STAT-3 in the germinal center (GC) B cells and plasma cells for IgE class switching. Through the use of CD2-Cre or CD19-Cre driven STAT-3 conditional knockout (cKO) mice in a Th2-type immunization model, we aimed to determine the specific cell subset(s) and signaling mechanism by which STAT-3 mediated class switching is regulated. We demonstrated in vivo and in vitro that CD2-Cre driven STAT-3 cKO mice showed elevated IgE and decreased IgG1 in the serum, and a reduction in GC formation. Within the GC, IgG1+ GC B cells were decreased while IgE+ GC B cells were more prevalent. Additionally, these mice exhibited reduced IgG1 and elevated IgE populations of antibody-producing plasma cells. Subsequent experiments using a CD19-Cre B-cell specific cKO mouse established this effect to be B-cell intrinsic. Mice with STAT-3 deficiency in B cells have also demonstrated an increase in lung inflammation when used in an asthma-like disease model. Our data also revealed other transcription factors, including Bcl-6 and Aicda, function as downstream signals of STAT-3 regulation. This model suggests a negative role for STAT-3 in regulating class switching of the GC B cells from the IgG1 to the IgE producing state, which may serve as a therapeutic target for treatment of AD-HIES and other immune disorders.