A T Cell Intrinsic Role of Id3 in a Mouse Model for Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

AbstractSjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease with clinical hallmarks of keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eyes) and xerostomia (dry mouth). The genetic basis of this autoimmune disease is poorly understood. Id3 is an immediate early-response gene in growth regulation and is involved in TCR-mediated T cell selection during T cell development. Here, we show that Id3-deficient mice develop many disease symptoms found in primary Sjögren's syndrome patients including dry eyes and mouth, lymphocyte infiltration in lachrymal and salivary glands, and development of anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies. Adoptive transfer experiment indicated a T cell intrinsic role for Id3 in the development of Sjögren's symptoms. Furthermore, genetic ablation of T cells or neonatal 3 day thymectomy in Id3-deficient mice showed a rescue of disease symptoms, suggesting a thymic origin of autoimmune T cells. Thus, this study establishes a critical connection between Id3-mediated T cell development and autoimmune diseases