Microscopic colitis patients demonstrate a mixed Th17/Tc17 and Th1/Tc1 mucosal cytokine profile

BACKGROUND

Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder of unknown aetiology comprising collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC). Data on the local cytokine profile in MC is limited. This study investigated the T helper (Th) cell and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) mucosal cytokine profile at messenger and protein levels in MC patients.

METHODS

Mucosal biopsies from CC (n=10), LC (n=5), and CC or LC patients in histopathological remission (CC-HR, n=4), (LC-HR, n=6), ulcerative colitis (UC, n=3) and controls (n=10) were analysed by real-time PCR and Luminex for expression/production of IL-1β, -4, -5, -6, -10, -12, -17, -21, -22, -23, IFN-γ, TNF-α, T-bet and RORC2.

RESULTS

Mucosal mRNA but not protein levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 were significantly up regulated in CC, LC as well as UC patients compared to controls. Transcription of the Th1 transcription factor T-bet was significantly enhanced in CC but not LC patients. mRNA levels for IL-17A, IL-21, IL-22 and IL-6 were significantly up regulated in CC and LC patients compared to controls, albeit less than in UC patients. Significantly enhanced IL-21 protein levels were noted in both CC and LC patients. IL-6 protein and IL-1β mRNA levels were increased in CC and UC but not LC patients. Increased mucosal mRNA levels of IFN-γ, IL-21 and IL-22 were correlated with higher clinical activity, recorded as the number of bowel movements per day, in MC patients. Although at lower magnitude, IL-23A mRNA was upregulated in CC and LC, whereas TNF-α protein was increased in CC, LC as well as in UC patients. Neither mRNA nor protein levels of IL-4, IL-5 or IL-10 were significantly changed in any of the colitis groups. LC-HR and especially CC-HR patients had normalized mRNA and protein levels of the above cytokines compared to LC and CC patients. No significant differences were found between LC and CC in cytokine expression/production.

CONCLUSION

LC and CC patients demonstrate a mixed Th17/Tc17 and Th1/Tc1 mucosal cytokine profile.

Evidence for defective Rab GTPase-dependent cargo traffic in immune disorders

A fully functional immune system is essential to protect the body against pathogens and other diseases, including cancer. Vesicular trafficking provides the correct localization of proteins within all cell types, but this process is most exquisitely controlled and coordinated in immune cells because of their specialized organelles and their requirement to respond to selected stimuli. More than 60 Rab GTPases play important roles in protein trafficking, but only five Rab-encoding genes have been associated with inherited human disorders, and only one of these (Rab27a) causes an immune defect. Mutations in RAB27A cause Griscelli Syndrome type 2 (GS2), an autosomal recessive disorder of pigmentation and severe immune deficiency. In lymphocytes, Munc13-4 is an effector of Rab27a, and mutations in the gene encoding this protein (UNC13D) cause Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Type 3 (FHL3). The immunological features of GS2 and FHL3 include neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and immunodeficiency due to impaired function of cytotoxic lymphocytes. The small number of disorders caused by mutations in genes encoding Rabs could be due to their essential functions, where defects in these genes could be lethal. However, with the increasing use of next generation sequencing technologies, more mutations in genes encoding Rabs may be identified in the near future.

T-large granular lymphocyte leukemia: current molecular concepts

T-large granular lymphocyte (T-LGL) leukemia is a chronic and often indolent T cell lymphoproliferation characterized by extreme expansion of a semi-autonomous cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone. Clinically, T-LGL can be associated with various cytopenias; neutropenia constitutes the most frequent manifestation. LGL clone represents a pathologic counterpart of the cytotoxic effector T cell but an abnormal memory CD8 cell seems to provide the supply of the matured LGL population. Analysis of clonal T cell receptor (TCR) rearrangement and complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of the TCR beta-chain is a useful tool to investigate clonal expansions, track the frequency of expanded clones and also clinically useful to monitor the response to therapy. The lessons learned from molecular analysis of clonal repertoire support a clinically-derived conclusion that the LGL clone arises in the context of an initially polyclonal immune response or an autoimmune process. Consequently, specific manifestations of T-LGL may be a result of the recognition spectrum of the transformed clone and the cytokines it produces. Due to the often monoclonal manifestation, T-LGL constitutes a suitable model to investigate polyclonal CTL-mediated processes. Application of new technologies, including TCR repertoire analysis by sequencing, clonotypic quantitative PCR and VB flow cytometry facilitate clinical diagnosis and may allow insights into the regulation of TCR repertoire and consequences resulting from the contraction of clonal diversity.

Humoral immune responses to CTL epitope peptides from tumor-associated antigens are widely detectable in humans: a new biomarker for overall survival of patients with malignant diseases

Both cellular and humoral immune responses are crucial to induce potent anti-tumor immunity, but most of currently conducted peptide-based cancer vaccines paid attention to cellular responses alone, and none of them are yet approved as a therapeutic modality against cancer patients. We investigated humoral immune responses to CTL epitope peptides derived from tumor-associated antigens in healthy donors and patients with various diseases to facilitate better understanding of their distribution patterns and potential roles. Bead-based multiplex assay, ELISA, and Western blotting were used to measure immunoglobulins reactive to each of 31 different CTL epitope peptides. Importantly, the sums of anti-peptide IgG levels specific to 31 CTL epitope peptides were well correlated with better overall survival (OS) in patients with malignant diseases. Our results suggested that humoral immune responses to CTL epitope peptides were widely detectable in humans. Measurement of immunoglobulins specific to CTL epitope peptides may provide a new biomarker for OS of patients with malignant diseases, although it still remains to be determined whether the correlations between humoral immune responses to epitope peptides and OS are observed only for the CTL epitopes used, or also for other panels of peptides. Quantity of circulating IgG reactive to these peptides was also discussed.

Tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells inhibit endogenous cytotoxic T cell responses to lung adenocarcinoma

Immune cells comprise a substantial proportion of the tumor mass in human nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLC), but the precise composition and significance of this infiltration are unclear. In this study, we examined immune complexity of human NSCLC as well as NSCLC developing in CC10-TAg transgenic mice, and revealed that CD4(+) T lymphocytes represent the dominant population of CD45(+) immune cells, and, relative to normal lung tissue, CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) were significantly increased as a proportion of total CD4(+) cells. To assess the functional significance of increased Tregs, we evaluated CD8(+) T cell-deficient/CC10-TAg mice and revealed that CD8(+) T cells significantly controlled tumor growth with antitumor activity that was partially repressed by Tregs. However, whereas treatment with anti-CD25-depleting mAb as monotherapy preferentially depleted Tregs and improved CD8(+) T cell-mediated control of tumor progression during early tumor development, similar monotherapy was ineffective at later stages. Because mice bearing early NSCLC treated with anti-CD25 mAb exhibited increased tumor cell death associated with infiltration by CD8(+) T cells expressing elevated levels of granzyme A, granzyme B, perforin, and IFN-γ, we therefore evaluated carboplatin combination therapy resulting in a significantly extended survival beyond that observed with chemotherapy alone, indicating that Treg depletion in combination with cytotoxic therapy may be beneficial as a treatment strategy for advanced NSCLC.

Involvement of Galectin-9/TIM-3 pathway in the systemic inflammatory response in early-onset preeclampsia

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a common obstetrical disease affecting 3-5% of pregnancies and representing one of the leading causes of both maternal and fetal mortality. Maternal symptoms occur as an excessive systemic inflammatory reaction in response to the placental factors released by the oxidatively stressed and functional impaired placenta. The T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain (TIM) family is a relatively newly described group of molecules with a conserved structure and important immunological functions. Identification of Galectin-9 as a ligand for TIM-3 has established the Galectin-9/TIM-3 pathway as an important regulator of Th1 immunity and tolerance induction.

METHODS

The aim of our study was to investigate the expression and function of Galectin-9 and TIM-3 molecules by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the possible role of Galectin-9/TIM-3 pathway in the immunoregulation of healthy pregnancy and early-onset preeclampsia. We determined TIM-3 and Gal-9 expression and cytotoxicicty of peripheral lymphocytes of early-onset preeclamptic women and healthy pregnant woman using flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Investigating peripheral lymphocytes of women with early-onset preeclampsia, our results showed a decreased TIM-3 expression by T cells, cytotoxic T cells, NK cells and CD56(dim) NK cells compared to healthy pregnant women. Interestingly, we found a notably increased frequency of Galectin-9 positive cells in each investigated lymphocyte population in the case of early-onset preeclamptic patients. We further demonstrated increased cytotoxic activity by cytotoxic T and CD56(dim) NK cells in women with early-onset preeclampsia. Our findings showed that the strongest cellular cytotoxic response of lymphocytes occurred in the TIM-3 positive subpopulations of different lymphocytes subsets in early-onset preeclampsia.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that Gal-9/TIM-3 pathway could play an important role in the immune regulation during pregnancy and the altered Galectin-9 and TIM-3 expression could result an enhanced systemic inflammatory response including the activation of Th1 lymphocytes in preeclampsia.

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma

Subcutaneous panniculitis like T-cell lymphoma derived from α/β T-cells (SPTCL-AB) belongs to the group of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and it represents less than the 1% of all primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. It affects patients in the 4th decade of life (median age of 36 years) with a female preference (male/female ratio 0.5) with 19% of patients being 20 years or younger. It can be sometime complicated by a hemophagocytic syndrome, and patients without hemophagocytic syndrome had a significantly better survival (5-year OS: 91% vs. 46%). Histopathologically, SPTCL-AB is characterized by a lobular lymphocytic panniculitis. Tumor cells distribute between individual adipose lobules, proliferating and forming "rim" and "capping" images, conferring a lace-like appearance at scanning magnification. This is not an entirely disease-specific feature, and can also be seen in other lobular lymphocytic panniculitis, either of inflammatory and neoplastic origin. Tumor cells are phenotypically CD45RO+, βF1+ (a monoclonal antibody able to identify the alpha/beta chain of TCR), CD3+, CD4-, CD8+, and express cytotoxic granules (TIA-1, granzyme and perforin), whereas they show variable deletion of T-cell restricted antigens like CD2, CD5 and CD7. The majority of cases show a monoclonal rearrangement for TCR beta and gamma genes and do not show genomic integration of EBV. The present review will focus on histopathologic, immunophenotypical and molecolare data useful to overcome to a specific diagnosis of SPTCL-AB and to differentiate SPTCL-AB from other lymphomas of T-cell or NK/T cell origin and with benign panniculitidis sharing with SPTCL-AB a predominant lobular lymphocytic pattern of involvement of subcutaneous tissue.

Rapidly fatal leukemia comprising pleomorphic large granular lymphocytes: a report of 2 cases

BACKGROUND

Large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) are either cytotoxic T or natural killer (NK) cells exhibiting round nuclei and azurophilic cytoplasmic granules. Morphologically, neoplastic LGLs of T cell lineage (T-LGLLs) are usually indistinguishable from normal LGLs, while there is a wide morphological range of aggressive NK cell leukemia (ANKL).

CASES

We present 2 consecutive cases of leukemia comprising pleomorphic LGLs. One patient presented with drowsy consciousness and unstable hemodynamics. Her peripheral blood smear disclosed a significant number of LGLs with pleomorphic nuclei expressing CD2, CD56 and HLA-DR but not surface or cytoplasmic CD3 (cCD3). The second patient, previously healthy, presented with a sudden death. Her peripheral blood revealed LGLs ranging from round to pleomorphic nuclei with a CD2+ cCD3+ surface CD3- CD56+ phenotype and clonally rearranged T cell receptor gene. The findings of the first patient were consistent with ANKL and the second, T-LGLL. Both patients passed away shortly before treatment.

CONCLUSION

The 2 cases highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in addition to cytological examination to reach accurate diagnoses of such rare leukemia cases.

Cytotoxic T cells mediate pathology and metastasis in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Disease progression in response to infection can be strongly influenced by both pathogen burden and infection-induced immunopathology. While current therapeutics focus on augmenting protective immune responses, identifying therapeutics that reduce infection-induced immunopathology are clearly warranted. Despite the apparent protective role for murine CD8⁺ T cells following infection with the intracellular parasite Leishmania, CD8⁺ T cells have been paradoxically linked to immunopathological responses in human cutaneous leishmaniasis. Transcriptome analysis of lesions from Leishmania braziliensis patients revealed that genes associated with the cytolytic pathway are highly expressed and CD8⁺ T cells from lesions exhibited a cytolytic phenotype. To determine if CD8⁺ T cells play a causal role in disease, we turned to a murine model. These studies revealed that disease progression and metastasis in L. braziliensis infected mice was independent of parasite burden and was instead directly associated with the presence of CD8⁺ T cells. In mice with severe pathology, we visualized CD8⁺ T cell degranulation and lysis of L. braziliensis infected cells. Finally, in contrast to wild-type CD8⁺ T cells, perforin-deficient cells failed to induce disease. Thus, we show for the first time that cytolytic CD8⁺ T cells mediate immunopathology and drive the development of metastatic lesions in cutaneous leishmaniasis.

CD40 activation rescues antiviral CD8⁺ T cells from PD-1-mediated exhaustion

The intrahepatic immune environment is normally biased towards tolerance. Nonetheless, effective antiviral immune responses can be induced against hepatotropic pathogens. To examine the immunological basis of this paradox we studied the ability of hepatocellularly expressed hepatitis B virus (HBV) to activate immunologically naïve HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells after adoptive transfer to HBV transgenic mice. Intrahepatic priming triggered vigorous in situ T cell proliferation but failed to induce interferon gamma production or cytolytic effector function. In contrast, the same T cells differentiated into cytolytic effector T cells in HBV transgenic mice if Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) expression was genetically ablated, suggesting that intrahepatic antigen presentation per se triggers negative regulatory signals that prevent the functional differentiation of naïve CD8⁺ T cells. Surprisingly, coadministration of an agonistic anti-CD40 antibody (αCD40) inhibited PD-1 induction and restored T cell effector function, thereby inhibiting viral gene expression and causing a necroinflammatory liver disease. Importantly, the depletion of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) strongly diminished the αCD40 mediated functional differentiation of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells, suggesting that activation of mDCs was responsible for the functional differentiation of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells in αCD40 treated animals. These results demonstrate that antigen-specific, PD-1-mediated CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion can be rescued by CD40-mediated mDC-activation.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is responsible for more than 500,000 deaths annually as a result of the immune-mediated chronic liver damage it induces. The HBV specific CD8⁺ T cell response contributes to the pathogenesis of liver disease and viral clearance, and the failure to induce and/or sustain a vigorous CD8⁺ T cell response results in viral persistence and causes chronic necroinflammatory liver disease. To understand how the HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cell response is generated in response to intrahepatically expressed HBV, we generated T cell receptor transgenic mice whose CD8⁺ T cells are specific for HBV core or HBV envelope antigens. We find that these T cells are primed in the liver when they are adoptively transferred into HBV transgenic mouse recipients whose livers produce infectious virus particles, and that they proliferate vigorously in situ but do not differentiate into functional effector T cells after antigen recognition. Functional differentiation is suppressed by dominant negative regulatory signals, including PD-1, unless they are suppressed by anti-CD40 activation of myeloid dendritic cells.

Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein stimulation reverses cardiac allograft acceptance induced by CD40-CD40L blockade

CD40-CD40L blockade has potent immunosuppressive effects in cardiac allograft rejection but is less effective in the presence of inflammatory signals. To better understand the factors that mediate CD40-CD40L blockade-resistant rejection, we studied the effects of stimulation through glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR), a costimulatory protein expressed by regulatory and effector T cells. Stimulation of CD40-/- or wild-type recipient mice treated with anti-CD40L mAb (WT+anti-CD40L) and with agonistic anti-GITR mAb resulted in cardiac allograft rejection. GITR stimulation did not induce rejection once long-term graft acceptance was established. In vitro, GITR stimulation increased proliferation of effector T cells and decreased regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation in both treatment groups. GITR-stimulated CD40-/- recipients rejected their allografts more rapidly compared to GITR-stimulated WT+anti-CD40L recipients, and this rejection, characterized by a robust Th2 response and significant eosinophilic infiltrate, could be mediated by CD4+ T cells alone. In contrast, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were required to induce rejection in GITR-stimulated WT+anti-CD40L-treated recipients, and the pathology of rejection was less severe. Hence, early GITR stimulation could initiate graft rejection despite CD40 deficiency or anti-CD40L mAb treatment, though the recipient response was dependent on the mechanism of CD40-CD40L disruption.

Perineural mast cells are specifically enriched in pancreatic neuritis and neuropathic pain in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic neuritis is a histopathological hallmark of pancreatic neuropathy and correlates to abdominal neuropathic pain sensation in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PCa) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). However, inflammatory cell subtypes that compose pancreatic neuritis and their correlation to the neuropathic pain syndrome in PCa and CP are yet unknown.

METHODS

Inflammatory cells within pancreatic neuritis lesions of patients with PCa (n = 20) and CP (n = 20) were immunolabeled and colorimetrically quantified with the pan-leukocyte marker CD45, with CD68 (macrophages), CD8 (cytotoxic T-lymphocytes), CD4 (T-helper cells), CD20 (B-lymphocytes), NCL-PC (plasma cells), neutrophil elastase, PRG2 (eosinophils), anti-mast cell (MC) tryptase and correlated to pain sensation. Perineural mast cell subtypes were analyzed by double immunolabeling with MC chymase. Expression and neural immunoreactivity of protease-activated receptor type 1 (PAR-1) and type 2 (PAR-2) were analyzed in PCa and CP and correlated to pain status of the patients.

RESULTS

In PCa and CP, nerves were predominantly infiltrated by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (PCa: 35% of all perineural inflammatory cells, CP: 33%), macrophages (PCa: 39%, CP: 33%) and MC (PCa: 21%, CP: 27%). In both entities, neuropathic pain sensation was associated with a specific increase of perineural MC (PCa without pain: 14% vs. PCa with pain: 31%; CP without pain: 19% vs. CP with pain: 34%), not affecting the frequency of other inflammatory cell subtypes. The vast majority of these MC contained MC chymase. PAR-1 and PAR-2 expression did not correlate to the pain sensation of PCa and CP patients.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic neuritis in PC and CP is composed of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, macrophages and MC. The specific enrichment of MC around intrapancreatic nerves in neuropathic pain due to PCa and CP suggests the presence of MC-induced visceral hypersensitivity in the pancreas. Therefore, pancreatic and enteric neuropathies seem to share a similar type of neuro-immune interaction in the generation of visceral pain.

Pathobiology of T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas

T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas are uncommon lymphomas with an aggressive clinical course. The causes and precise cellular origins of most T-cell lymphomas are still not well defined. The WHO classification utilizes morphologic and immunophenotypic features in conjunction with clinical aspects and in some instances genetics to delineate a prognostically and therapeutically meaningful categorization. The anatomic localization of neoplastic T-cells and NK-cells parallels in part their proposed normal cellular counterparts and functions. T-cells of the adaptive immune system are mainly based in lymph nodes and peripheral blood, whereas lymphomas derived from T-cells and NK-cells of the innate immune system are mainly extranodal. This approach allows for better understanding of some of the manifestations of the T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas, including their cellular distribution, some aspects of morphology and even associated clinical findings.

Poor immune reconstitution in HIV-infected patients associates with high percentage of regulatory CD4+ T cells

CD4⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for the maintenance of the immune system's equilibrium, by dampening the activation of potential auto-reactive T cells and avoiding excessive immune activation. To correctly perform their function, Tregs must be maintained at the right proportion with respect to effector T cells. Since this equilibrium is frequently disrupted in individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), we hypothesize that its deregulation could hamper immune reconstitution in patients with poor CD4⁺ T cell recovery under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We analysed Tregs percentages amongst CD4⁺ T cells in 53 HIV-infected patients under HAART, with suppression of viral replication and distinct levels of immune reconstitution. As controls, 51 healthy individuals were also analysed. We observed that amongst the patients with Nadir values (the lowest CD4⁺ T cell counts achieved) <200 cells/µL, the individuals with high Tregs percentages (≥10% of total CD4⁺ T cells) had the worse CD4⁺ T cell reconstitution. In accordance, the well-described direct correlation between the Nadir value and CD4⁺ T cell reconstitution is clearly more evident in individuals with high Tregs proportions. Furthermore, we observed a strong negative correlation between Tregs percentages and CD4⁺ T cell recovery among immunological non-responder HIV⁺ individuals. All together, this work shows that high Tregs frequency is an important factor associated with sub-optimal CD4⁺ T cell recovery. This is particularly relevant for immunological non-responders with low Nadir values. Our results suggest that the Tregs proportion might be of clinical relevance to define cut-offs for HAART initiation.

Cytotoxic capacity of SIV-specific CD8(+) T cells against primary autologous targets correlates with immune control in SIV-infected rhesus macaques

Although the study of non-human primates has resulted in important advances for understanding HIV-specific immunity, a clear correlate of immune control over simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication has not been found to date. In this study, CD8(+) T-cell cytotoxic capacity was examined to determine whether this function is a correlate of immune control in the rhesus macaque (RM) SIV infection model as has been suggested in chronic HIV infection. SIVmac251-infected human reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-transduced CD4(+) T-cell clone targets were co-incubated with autologous macaque effector cells to measure infected CD4(+) T-cell elimination (ICE). Twenty-three SIV-infected rhesus macaques with widely varying plasma viral RNA levels were evaluated in a blinded fashion. Nineteen of 23 subjects (83%) were correctly classified as long-term nonprogressor/elite controller (LTNP/EC), slow progressor, progressor or SIV-negative rhesus macaques based on measurements of ICE (weighted Kappa 0.75). LTNP/EC had higher median ICE than progressors (67.3% [22.0-91.7%] vs. 23.7% [0.0-58.0%], p = 0.002). In addition, significant correlations between ICE and viral load (r = -0.57, p = 0.01), and between granzyme B delivery and ICE (r = 0.89, p<0.001) were observed. Furthermore, the CD8(+) T cells of LTNP/EC exhibited higher per-cell cytotoxic capacity than those of progressors (p = 0.004). These findings support that greater lytic granule loading of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells and efficient delivery of active granzyme B to SIV-infected targets are associated with superior control of SIV infection in rhesus macaques, consistent with observations of HIV infection in humans. Therefore, such measurements appear to represent a correlate of control of viral replication in chronic SIV infection and their role as predictors of immunologic control in the vaccine setting should be evaluated.

Inhibition of IL-17A in tumor microenvironment augments cytotoxicity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in tumor-bearing mice

It remains controversial whether IL-17A promotes or inhibits cancer progression. We hypothesized that IL-17A that is locally produced in the tumor microenvironment has an important role in angiogenesis and tumor immunity. We investigated the effect of inhibiting IL-17A at tumor sites on tumor growth and on local and systemic anti-tumor immunity. MC38 or B16 cells were inoculated subcutaneously into mice, and intratumoral injection of an adenovirus vector expressing siRNA against the mouse IL-17A gene (Ad-si-IL-17) significantly inhibited tumor growth in both tumor models compared with control mice. Inhibition of IL-17A at tumor sites significantly suppressed CD31, MMP9, and VEGF expression in tumor tissue. The cytotoxic activity of CD8(+) T cells from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in mice treated with Ad-si-IL-17 was significantly higher than in control mice; however, CD8(+) T cells from splenocytes had similar activity levels. Suppression of IL-17A at tumor sites led to a Th1-dominant environment, and moreover, eliminated myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells at tumor sites but not in splenocytes. In conclusion, blockade of IL-17A at tumor sites helped suppress tumor growth by inhibiting angiogenesis as well as cytotoxic T lymphocytes activation at tumor sites.

Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke alters later-life antitumor cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity via possible changes in T-regulatory cells

Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal smoking increases the incidence in the progeny of certain childhood cancers. Our previous study in mice demonstrated the feasibility of such an association by demonstrating that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) elevated the incidence of transplanted tumors and reduced cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity in juvenile male offspring. The current study extends these findings by investigating the relationship between CS-induced CTL suppression and effects on regulators of effector T-cell activity, such as T-regulatory (Treg; CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+) cells and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Results here demonstrate that in utero exposure to CS, at a maternal particle concentration of 15 mg/m3 (4 h/d, 5 d/wk), significantly reduced ex vivo CTL activity of whole splenocytes (and isolated CD8+ cells) against tumor cells both before and after injection of prenatally exposed mice with EL4 lymphoma cells. In contrast, prenatal CS exposure significantly increased levels of thymic Treg cells in a time-dependent manner following tumor cell injection. In vitro production of TGF-β by splenocytes recovered from prenatally exposed, tumor-bearing mice was also altered. Neither prenatal CS exposure nor subsequent administration of EL4 cells exerted any marked effects on lymphoid organ weights, cellularity, or histologic profiles. Given that Treg cells and TGF-β suppress effector T-cell activities, these findings suggest possible immune mechanisms by which early exposure to CS reduces CTL tumoricidal activity during tumor cell development. Data suggest that children of smoking mothers may be less able to mount an appropriate adaptive immune response to tumors, thus increasing their risk for some cancers later in life.

[Evaluation of tumor vascularization and microenvironment in follicular lymphoma]

AIM

To characterize the degree of follicular lymphoma (FL) vascularization and microenvironment by immunohistochemical studies (IHCS) of lymph node biopsy paraffin-embedded sections in 2 different disease pattern groups.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The investigation included 59 patients: 39 (67%) women and 20 (33%) men whose age was 27 to 83 years (median age 53 years) treated at the Hematology Research Center, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (n=49), and the N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (n=10), in April 2001 to May 2011. In accordance with the clinical features of the disease, the authors identified 2 patient groups: 1) 31 patients with the good results of FL treatment and 2) 28 patients with its poor results. IHCS was performed on lymph node tumor biopsy paraffin-embedded sections prior to treatment using antibodies to CD34, D2-40, CD68, and granzyme B. Morphometric analysis was made applying microscopy and a Leica x400 digital camera. The images of histological specimens were processed by the computer program VideoTesT-Morphology 5.2: the specific vessel area (%) in relation with tumor tissue was estimated under visual guidance of an investigator. Cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) and macrophages were quantitatively characterized using 1 mm2 of tumor tissue (12 fields of vision with the objective lens magnifying x400). Immunohistochemical specimens to be examined were chosen randomly, by using the random number table.

RESULTS

In Group 2, the specific area of blood vessels was statistically significantly higher than in Group 1: 0.04% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03 to 0.05%) versus 0.02% (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.03%; p=0.05). In Group 2, that of lymphatic vessels was significantly higher than in Group 1: 0.06% (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.07%) versus 0.03% (95% CI, 0.01 to 4%; p=0.03). With a nodular diffuse growth, Group 2 showed a significantly more CD68-positive macrophages than did Group 1: 800 (95% CI, 380 to 1222) versus 79 (95% CI, 10 to 566; p=0.01). In Group 1, the count of CTL was statistically significantly (p=0.05) higher than in Group 2 in both the nodule (with a nodular growth pattern: 14 (5-27) versus 5 (1-11)) and the internodular space (with a nodular growth pattern: 158 (118-410) versus 35 (5-287) and with a nodular diffuse growth pattern: 126 (102-360) versus 35 (3-120)).

CONCLUSION

Increased tumor vascularization (estimated by the specific density of tumor vasculature) and a pronounced macrophageal reaction are associated with the poor outcomes of FL; the marked cytotoxic component in tumor tissue is linked to the favorable outcomes of the disease.

Asthma discordance in twins is linked to epigenetic modifications of T cells

T cells mediate the inflammatory responses observed in asthma among genetically susceptible individuals and have been suspected to be prone to epigenetic regulation. However, these relationships are not well established from past clinical studies that have had limited capacity to control for the effects of variable genetic predisposition and early environmental exposures. Relying on a cohort of monozygotic twins discordant for asthma we sought to determine if epigenetic modifications in T cells were associated with current asthma and explored whether such modifications were associated with second hand smoke exposures. Our study was conducted in a monozygotic twin cohort of adult twin pairs (n = 21) all discordant for asthma. Regulatory T cell (Treg) and effector T cell (Teff) subsets were assessed for levels of cellular function, protein expression, gene expression and CpG methylation within Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interferon gamma-γ (IFNγ) loci. Comparisons by asthma and current report of exposure to second hand smoke were made. Treg from asthmatic discordant twins demonstrated decreased FOXP3 protein expression and impaired Treg function that was associated with increased levels of CpG methylation within the FOXP3 locus when compared to their non-asthmatic twin partner. In parallel, Teff from discordant asthmatic twins demonstrated increased methylation of the IFNγ locus, decreased IFNγ expression and reduced Teff function when compared to Teff from the non-asthmatic twin. Finally, report of current exposure to second hand smoke was associated with modifications in both Treg and Teff at the transcriptional level among asthmatics. The results of the current study provide evidence for differential function of T cell subsets in monozygotic twins discordant for asthma that are regulated by changes in DNA methylation. Our preliminary data suggest exposure to second hand smoke may augment the modified T cell responses associated with asthma.

Cytotoxic mechanisms employed by mouse T cells to destroy pancreatic β-cells

Several cytotoxic mechanisms have been attributed to T cells participating in β-cell death in type 1 diabetes. However, sensitivity of β-cells to these mechanisms in vitro and in vivo is likely to be different. Moreover, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells may use distinct mechanisms to cause β-cell demise that possibly involve activation of third-party cytotoxic cells. We used the transfer of genetically modified diabetogenic T cells into normal, mutant, and bone marrow chimeric recipients to test the contribution of major cytotoxic mechanisms in β-cell death. We found that 1) the killing of β-cells by CD4⁺ T cells required activation of the recipient's own cytotoxic cells via tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); 2) CD8⁺ T-cell cytotoxic mechanisms destroying β-cells were limited to perforin and Fas ligand, as double knockouts of these molecules abrogated the ability of T cells to cause diabetes; and 3) individual CD8⁺ T-cell clones chose their cytotoxic weaponry by a yet unknown mechanism and destroyed their targets via either Fas-independent or Fas-dependent (~40% of clones) pathways. Fas-dependent destruction was assisted by TNF-α.

Granzyme B is dispensable in the development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice

Pancreatic beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes is mediated by cytotoxic CD8(+) T lymphoctyes (CTL). Granzyme B is an effector molecule used by CTL to kill target cells. We previously showed that granzyme B-deficient allogeneic CTL inefficiently killed pancreatic islets in vitro. We generated granzyme B-deficient non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice to test whether granzyme B is an important effector molecule in spontaneous type 1 diabetes. Granzyme B-deficient islet antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells had impaired homing into islets of young mice. Insulitis was reduced in granzyme B-deficient mice at 70 days of age (insulitis score 0.043±0.019 in granzyme B-deficient versus 0.139±0.034 in wild-type NOD mice p<0.05), but was similar to wild-type at 100 and 150 days of age. We observed a reduced frequency of CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells in the islets and peripheral lymphoid tissues of granzyme B-deficient mice (p<0.005 and p<0.0001 respectively), but there was no difference in cell proportions in the thymus. Antigen-specific CTL developed normally in granzyme B-deficient mice, and were able to kill NOD islet target cells as efficiently as wild-type CTL in vitro. The incidence of spontaneous diabetes in granzyme B-deficient mice was the same as wild-type NOD mice. We observed a delayed onset of diabetes in granzyme B-deficient CD8-dependent NOD8.3 mice (median onset 102.5 days in granzyme B-deficient versus 57.50 days in wild-type NOD8.3 mice), which may be due to the delayed onset of insulitis or inefficient priming at an earlier age in this accelerated model of diabetes. Our data indicate that granzyme B is dispensable for beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes, but is required for efficient early activation of CTL.

Long-term persistence of limited HTLV-I Tax-specific cytotoxic T cell clones in a patient with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE

Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a highly aggressive malignancy of T cells caused by human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Recent clinical studies have suggested that allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improves the clinical course of ATL by harnessing a graft-versus-ATL effect, and that donor-derived HTLV-1 Tax-specific CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) contribute to the graft-versus-ATL effect after HSCT. However, little is known about the immunological characteristics of Tax-specific CTLs in ATL patients who underwent HSCT.

METHODS

We serially analyzed frequencies, differentiation, functions and clonal dynamics of Tax-specific CTLs in paired samples of peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) from an ATL patient after HSCT at the single-cell level. We used flowcytometric and single-cell T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis methods without culture steps.

RESULTS

Donor-derived Tax-specific CTLs effectively suppressed HTLV-1 replication in both PB and BM at least during chronic graft-versus-host disease after HSCT. Furthermore, Tax-specific CTLs had comparable properties between BM and PB, except for preferential accumulation in BM rather than PB. Tax-specific CTLs persistently existed as less-differentiated CD45RA(-)CCR7(-) effector memory CTLs based on predominant phenotypes of CD27(+), CD28(+/-) and CD57(+/-). Our approach using single-cell TCR repertoire analysis method showed highly restricted oligoclonal responses of Tax-specific CTLs, and TCR BV7- or BV30- expressing two predominant CTL clones persistently existed and maintained strong cytotoxic activities against HTLV-1 in both PB and BM over three years after HSCT.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings about Tax-specific CTLs provide insights into future directions for studies on immunotherapy against ATL.