IL-21R expression on CD8+ T cells promotes CD8+ T cell activation in coxsackievirus B3 induced myocarditis

IL-21 is a multi-functional cytokine which can promote survival, proliferation and activation of T and B lymphocytes including CD8 T cells. Previous studies have shown that autoimmune CD8+ T cells are the primary pathogenic effector cell in coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) induced myocarditis in C57Bl/6 mice. To evaluate the role of IL-21 in promoting CD8+ T cell mediated cardiac injury in myocarditis, C57Bl/6 and IL-21RKO mice were infected with CVB3. IL-21RKO mice developed significantly less myocarditis than C57Bl/6 animals although cardiac virus titers were equivalent between the mouse strains. Numbers of CD8+IFNγ+ cells were decreased in IL-21RKO mice but numbers of either CD4+IFNγ+ or CD4+IL-4+ cells were not significantly different from C57Bl/6 animals indicating a selective effect of IL-21 signaling on the CD8+ T cell response. To confirm that IL-21 signaling exclusively functions at the level of the CD8+ T cell in CVB3 induced myocarditis, purified CD8+ cells were isolated from either C57Bl/6 or IL-21RKO donors and adoptively transferred into CD8KO recipients prior to CVB3 infection. CD8KO recipients given either C57Bl/6 or IL-21RKO CD8+ cells showed equivalent reconstitution of the CD8+ cells in the spleen but the recipients given C57Bl/6 CD8+ cells showed significantly greater myocarditis than recipients of IL-21RKO CD8+ cells. These data demonstrate that IL-21 signaling directly in the CD8+ cell population is required for CVB3-induced myocarditis.

► IL-21 promotes coxsackievirus B3 induced myocarditis but not virus clearance.
► IL-21 in CVB3 infection differs from other viruses by not controlling CVB3 clearance.
► The sole role for IL-21 in CVB3 myocarditis is promotion of CD8+ cell activation.
► IL-21 acts directly on CD8+ cells, not on CD4+, B or antigen presenting cells.