B7-H1 and CD8+ Treg: the enigmatic role of B7-H1 in peripheral tolerance.

The interaction between B7-H1 (PD-L1) expressed on APC with PD-1 expressed by T cells was shown previously to result in inhibition of T-cell activation and autoimmune diseases. A paper in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology demonstrates that DC B7-H1 expression can in fact enhance autoimmunity, rather than suppress it. Using a model of direct injection of self antigen-loaded DC into the CNS, the authors demonstrate that DC with intact B7-H1 expression exacerbate CNS autoimmune disease. Importantly, the improved disease outcome in animals treated with B7-H1(-/-) DC is a result of a population of CD8(+) Treg cells that expand at the site of autoimmune inflammation.