CD28/B7 deficiency attenuates systolic overload-induced congestive heart failure, myocardial and pulmonary inflammation, and activated T cell accumulation in the heart and lungs

The inflammatory response regulates congestive heart failure (CHF) development. T cell activation plays an important role in tissue inflammation. We postulate that CD28 or B7 deficiency inhibits T cell activation and attenuates CHF development by reducing systemic, cardiac, and pulmonary inflammation. We demonstrated that chronic pressure overload-induced end-stage CHF in mice is characterized by profound accumulation of activated effector T cells (CD3 + CD44 high cells) in the lungs and a mild but significant increase of these cells in the heart. In knockout mice lacking either CD28 or B7, there was a dramatic reduction in the accumulation of activated effector T cells in both hearts and lungs of mice under control conditions and after transverse aortic constriction. CD28 or B7 knockout significantly attenuated transverse aortic constriction-induced CHF development, as indicated by less increase of heart and lung weight and less reduction of left ventricle contractility. CD28 or B7 knockout also significantly reduced transverse aortic constriction-induced CD45 + leukocyte, T cell, and macrophage infiltration in hearts and lungs, lowered proinflammatory cytokine expression (such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) in lungs. Furthermore, CD28/B7 blockade by CTLA4-Ig treatment (250 μg/mouse every 3 days) attenuated transverse aortic constriction-induced T cell activation, left ventricle hypertrophy, and left ventricle dysfunction. Our data indicate that CD28/B7 deficiency inhibits activated effector T cell accumulation, reduces myocardial and pulmonary inflammation, and attenuates the development of CHF. Our findings suggest that strategies targeting T cell activation may be useful in treating CHF.