Cited by 212Immune Response and InflammationViral Infections and Immunology ResearchT-cell and B-cell Immunology

Cutting Edge: Cross-Regulation by TLR4 and T cell Ig Mucin-3 Determines Sex Differences in Inflammatory Heart Disease

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Frisancho-Kiss, Sylvia, Davis, Sarah E, Nyland, Jennifer F, Frisancho, J Augusto, Cihakova, Daniela, Barrett, Masheka A, Rose, Noel R, Fairweather, DeLisa·2007·The Journal of Immunology

Abstract

Recent clinical studies have reinforced the importance of sex-related differences in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, with an increased incidence and mortality in men. Similar to humans, male BALB/c mice infected with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) develop more severe inflammation in the heart even though viral replication is no greater than in females. We show that TLR4 and IFN-γ levels are significantly elevated and regulatory T cell (Treg) populations significantly reduced in the heart of males following CVB3 infection, whereas females have significantly increased T cell Ig mucin (Tim)-3, IL-4 and Treg. Blocking Tim-3 in males significantly increases inflammation and TLR4 expression while reducing Treg. In contrast, defective TLR4 signaling significantly reduces inflammation while increasing Tim-3 expression. Cross-regulation of TLR4 and Tim-3 occurs during the innate and adaptive immune response. This novel mechanism may help explain why inflammatory heart disease is more severe in males.

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Crossref · 10.4049/jimmunol.178.11.6710

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  • Tim-3 is a receptor upregulated on mast cells and macrophages after viral infection that inhibits T-cell responses and is associated with increased IL-10 release from alternatively activated macrophages.

    “Tim-3 (T-cell immunoglobulin mucin domain 3) is a receptor that is upregulated on mast cells and macrophages after viral infection that inhibits T-cell responses and is associated with increased IL-10 release from alternatively activated macrophages. 124,125,146”

    From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [124]

    The Innate cross-regulation section (p. 4) reports increased Tim-3 on mast cells and macrophages after CVB3 infection, and the Cross-regulation section (p. 4) links Tim-3 to increased regulatory T-cell populations and reduced inflammation. The cited paper does not report increased IL-10 release from alternatively activated macrophages, so that part of the claim is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Few females progress to DCM in humans or autoimmune/viral myocarditis animal models.

    “Few females progress to DCM in humans or autoimmune/viral myocarditis animal models. 64,124”

    From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [124]

    The introduction (p. 2) says heart disease, including myocarditis, is less common in women, and the Results and Discussion (p. 3) report less acute viral myocarditis in female than male mice. The introduction also says the mouse model can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy, but the paper does not establish that few females progress to it in humans or in autoimmune or viral myocarditis models. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Mast cells are the first APCs to respond to CVB3 within 15 minutes of intraperitoneal infection during autoimmune CVB3 myocarditis, leading to upregulation of TLR4, and this response leads to rapid increases in TNF, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFNγ in many organs including the heart.

    “We showed that mast cells are the first APCs to respond to CVB3 within 15 minutes of intraperitoneal infection during autoimmune CVB3 myocarditis, leading to upregulation of TLR4, and that this response leads to rapid increases in TNF, IL-1 β , IL-6, and IFN γ in many organs including the heart. 124,146,160”

    From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [124]

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  • Men develop more scar tissue and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) than women.

    “with men developing more scar tissue and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) than women. 64,124,131”

    From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [124]

    The Results and Discussion (p. 3) report more severe acute myocarditis in male than female mice. The introduction (p. 2) says this model can progress to dilated cardiomyopathy, but does not compare that outcome by sex; our copy also does not report a sex comparison for scar tissue. Thus, the paper supports a related sex difference in inflammation, not the two outcomes claimed. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Men have more neutrophils and monocytes, whereas women have more T cells, similar to autoimmune myocarditis.

    “And men have more neutrophils and monocytes, whereas women have more T cells, 13,121-123 similar to autoimmune myocarditis. 124,125”

    From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [124]

    In Results and Discussion (p. 3), the paper reports more monocyte/macrophages and granulocytes in male mice with CVB3-induced myocarditis. It reports more B cells and specific regulatory T-cell populations in females, but does not establish that females have more T cells overall. The findings are in mice, not men and women. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Frisancho-Kiss, S., Davis, S. E., Nyland, J. F., Frisancho, J. A., Cihakova, D., Barrett, M. A., Rose, N. R., & Fairweather, D.
Affiliations
  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD 21205
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD 21205
Corresponding author
Fairweather, DeLisa
Venue
The Journal of Immunology
Published
2007-06-01
Volume
178
Issue
11
Pages
6710-6714
ISSN
  • 0022-1767 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-6606
OpenAlex
W1500123828
Cited by
212
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 23
FWCI
3.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Immunology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL087033, HL077611, HL 70729, R01HL070729, HL087033)
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ES03819, P30ES003819, T32ES007141)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Response and Inflammation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Viral Infections and Immunology Research
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
sex differences, inflammatory heart disease, TLR4, TIM-3, coxsackievirus B3, myocarditis, regulatory T cells, interferon-gamma, IL-4, innate and adaptive immunity, viral infection, cardiac inflammation
MeSH terms
Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2, Animals, Coxsackievirus Infections, Female, Macrophages, Male, Mast Cells, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Mice, Transgenic, Myocarditis, Receptors, Virus, Sex Characteristics, Signal Transduction, Up-Regulation, Mice, Knockout, Receptor Cross-Talk, Enterovirus B, Human, Toll-Like Receptor 4, Mice

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