A Role for CD154, the CD40 Ligand, in Granulomatous Inflammation

Abstract EN

Granulomatous inflammation is a distinctive form of chronic inflammation in which predominant cells include macrophages, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells.

Mechanisms regulating granulomatous inflammation remain ill-understood.

CD154, the ligand of CD40, is a key mediator of inflammation.

CD154 confers a proinflammatory phenotype to macrophages and controls several macrophagic functions.

Here, we studied the contribution of CD154 in a mouse model of toxic liver injury with carbon tetrachloride and a model of absorbable suture graft.

In both models, granulomas are triggered in response to endogenous persistent liver calcified necrotic lesions or by grafted sutures.

CD154-deficient mice showed delayed clearance of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver calcified necrotic lesions and impaired progression of suture-induced granuloma.

In vitro, CD154 stimulated phagocytosis of opsonized erythrocytes by macrophages, suggesting a potential mechanism for the altered granulomatous inflammation in CD154KO mice.

These results suggest that CD154 may contribute to the natural history of granulomatous inflammation.