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Posavad CM, Zhao L, Mueller DE, Stevens CE, Huang ML, Wald A, Corey L. Persistence of mucosal T-cell responses to herpes simplex virus type 2 in the female genital tract. Mucosal Immunol 2015; 8:115-26. [PMID: 24917455 PMCID: PMC4263695 DOI: 10.1038/mi.2014.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Relatively little is known about the human T-cell response to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in the female genital tract, a major site of heterosexual HSV-2 acquisition, transmission, and reactivation. In order to understand the role of local mucosal immunity in HSV-2 infection, T-cell lines were expanded from serial cervical cytobrush samples from 30 HSV-2-infected women and examined for reactivity to HSV-2. Approximately 3% of the CD3+ T cells isolated from the cervix were HSV-2 specific and of these, a median of 91.3% were CD4+, whereas a median of 3.9% were CD8+. HSV-2-specific CD4+ T cells expanded from the cervix were not only more frequent than CD8+ T cells but also exhibited greater breadth in terms of antigenic reactivity. T cells directed at the same HSV-2 protein were often detected in serial cervical cytobrush samples and in blood. Thus, broad and persistent mucosal T-cell responses to HSV-2 were detected in the female genital tract of HSV-2+ women suggesting that these cells are resident at the site of HSV-2 infection. Understanding the role of these T cells at this biologically relevant site will be central to the elucidation of adaptive immune mechanisms involved in controlling HSV-2 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M. Posavad
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Lin Zhao
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Dawn E. Mueller
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Meei Li Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Anna Wald
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Lawrence Corey
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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Abstract
The ELISpot, a heterogeneous immunoassay, is widely used for detection of low abundant analytes. It is a reliable and robust assay to monitor responses of the immune system at the single-cell level by capturing secreted molecules of interest with specific, membrane-bound antibodies. Those molecules are then made visible by a cascade of ELISA-related development steps. The final results are distinct spots on the membrane as an imprint of the cell secreting the captured molecules, not only allowing their quantification but also providing insight on the kinetics and strength of secretion. This chapter describes the optimized protocol steps of the ELISpot technique, important improvements and tools available for the community, and the current expansion of the technique into polyfunctional cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Janetzki
- ZellNet Consulting, Inc., 555 North Avenue, Suite 25-S, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA.
| | - Rachel Rabin
- ZellNet Consulting, Inc., 555 North Avenue, Suite 25-S, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA
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Posevitz-Fejfár A, Posevitz V, Gross CC, Bhatia U, Kurth F, Schütte V, Bar-Or A, Meuth SG, Wiendl H. Effects of blood transportation on human peripheral mononuclear cell yield, phenotype and function: implications for immune cell biobanking. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115920. [PMID: 25541968 PMCID: PMC4277394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Human biospecimen collection, processing and preservation are rapidly emerging subjects providing essential support to clinical as well as basic researchers. Unlike collection of other biospecimens (e.g. DNA and serum), biobanking of viable immune cells, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and/or isolated immune cell subsets is still in its infancy. While certain aspects of processing and freezing conditions have been studied in the past years, little is known about the effect of blood transportation on immune cell survival, phenotype and specific functions. However, especially for multicentric and cooperative projects it is vital to precisely know those effects. In this study we investigated the effect of blood shipping and pre-processing delay on immune cell phenotype and function both on cellular and subcellular levels. Peripheral blood was collected from healthy volunteers (n = 9): at a distal location (shipped overnight) and in the central laboratory (processed immediately). PBMC were processed in the central laboratory and analyzed post-cryopreservation. We analyzed yield, major immune subset distribution, proliferative capacity of T cells, cytokine pattern and T-cell receptor signal transduction. Results show that overnight transportation of blood samples does not globally compromise T- cell subsets as they largely retain their phenotype and proliferative capacity. However, NK and B cell frequencies, the production of certain PBMC-derived cytokines and IL-6 mediated cytokine signaling pathway are altered due to transportation. Various control experiments have been carried out to compare issues related to shipping versus pre-processing delay on site. Our results suggest the implementation of appropriate controls when using multicenter logistics for blood transportation aiming at subsequent isolation of viable immune cells, e.g. in multicenter clinical trials or studies analyzing immune cells/subsets. One important conclusion might be that despite changes due to overnight shipment, highly standardized central processing (and analysis) could be superior to multicentric de-central processing with more difficult standardization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Posevitz-Fejfár
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
- * E-mail: (HW); (APF)
| | - Vilmos Posevitz
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Catharina C. Gross
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Urvashi Bhatia
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Frank Kurth
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Verena Schütte
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Amit Bar-Or
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sven G. Meuth
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
| | - Heinz Wiendl
- University Hospital Muenster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Muenster, Germany
- * E-mail: (HW); (APF)
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104
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Improvement of IFNg ELISPOT Performance Following Overnight Resting of Frozen PBMC Samples Confirmed Through Rigorous Statistical Analysis. Cells 2014; 4:1-18. [PMID: 25546016 PMCID: PMC4381205 DOI: 10.3390/cells4010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune monitoring of functional responses is a fundamental parameter to establish correlates of protection in clinical trials evaluating vaccines and therapies to boost antigen-specific responses. The IFNg ELISPOT assay is a well-standardized and validated method for the determination of functional IFNg-producing T-cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); however, its performance greatly depends on the quality and integrity of the cryopreserved PBMC. Here, we investigate the effect of overnight (ON) resting of the PBMC on the detection of CD8-restricted peptide-specific responses by IFNg ELISPOT. The study used PBMC from healthy donors to evaluate the CD8 T-cell response to five pooled or individual HLA-A2 viral peptides. The results were analyzed using a modification of the existing distribution free resampling (DFR) recommended for the analysis of ELISPOT data to ensure the most rigorous possible standard of significance. The results of the study demonstrate that ON resting of PBMC samples prior to IFNg ELISPOT increases both the magnitude and the statistical significance of the responses. In addition, a comparison of the results with a 13-day preculture of PBMC with the peptides before testing demonstrates that ON resting is sufficient for the efficient evaluation of immune functioning.
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105
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Zhou J, Min Z, Zhang D, Wang W, Marincola F, Wang X. Enhanced frequency and potential mechanism of B regulatory cells in patients with lung cancer. J Transl Med 2014; 12:304. [PMID: 25381811 PMCID: PMC4236438 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0304-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B cells (Bregs) play an important role in the development of lung cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the phenotype of circulating Tregs and Bregs in patients with lung cancer and explore potential mechanism by which lung cancer cells act on the development of both. METHODS Patients with lung cancer (n = 268) and healthy donors (n = 65) were enrolled in the study. Frequencies of Tregs and Bregs were measured by flow cytometry with antibodies against CD4, CD25, CD127, CD45RA, CD19, CD24, CD27 and IL-10 before and after co-cultures. qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate the mRNA levels of RANTES, MIP-1α, TGF-β, IFN-γ and IL-4. RESULTS We found a lower frequency of Tregs and a higher frequency of Bregs in patients with lung cancer compared to healthy donors. Co-culture of lung cancer cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells could polarize the lymphocyte phenotype in the similar pattern. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated lung cancer cells significantly modulated regulatory cell number and function in an in vitro model. CONCLUSION We provide initial evidence that frequencies of peripheral Tregs decreased or Bregs increased in patients with lung cancer, which may be modulated directly by lung cancer cells. It seems cancer cells per se plays a crucial role in the development of tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiebai Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhihui Min
- Biomedical Research Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
- Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ding Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
| | - William Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, UCL, London, UK.
| | | | - Xiangdong Wang
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
- Biomedical Research Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
- Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Shanghai, China.
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106
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Bart PA, Huang Y, Karuna ST, Chappuis S, Gaillard J, Kochar N, Shen X, Allen MA, Ding S, Hural J, Liao HX, Haynes BF, Graham BS, Gilbert PB, McElrath MJ, Montefiori DC, Tomaras GD, Pantaleo G, Frahm N. HIV-specific humoral responses benefit from stronger prime in phase Ib clinical trial. J Clin Invest 2014; 124:4843-56. [PMID: 25271627 DOI: 10.1172/jci75894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND. Vector prime-boost immunization strategies induce strong cellular and humoral immune responses. We examined the priming dose and administration order of heterologous vectors in HIV Vaccine Trials Network 078 (HVTN 078), a randomized, double-blind phase Ib clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost regimens, with a New York vaccinia HIV clade B (NYVAC-B) vaccine and a recombinant adenovirus 5-vectored (rAd5-vectored) vaccine. METHODS. NYVAC-B included HIV-1 clade B Gag-Pol-Nef and gp120, while rAd5 included HIV-1 clade B Gag-Pol and clades A, B, and C gp140. Eighty Ad5-seronegative subjects were randomized to receive 2 × NYVAC-B followed by 1 × 1010 PFU rAd5 (NYVAC/Ad5hi); 1 × 108 PFU rAd5 followed by 2 × NYVAC-B (Ad5lo/NYVAC); 1 × 109 PFU rAd5 followed by 2 × NYVAC-B (Ad5med/NYVAC); 1 × 1010 PFU rAd5 followed by 2 × NYVAC-B (Ad5hi/NYVAC); or placebo. Immune responses were assessed 2 weeks after the final vaccination. Intracellular cytokine staining measured T cells producing IFN-γ and/or IL-2; cross-clade and epitope-specific binding antibodies were determined; and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were assessed with 6 tier 1 viruses. RESULTS. CD4+ T cell response rates ranged from 42.9% to 93.3%. NYVAC/Ad5hi response rates (P ≤ 0.01) and magnitudes (P ≤ 0.03) were significantly lower than those of other groups. CD8+ T cell response rates ranged from 65.5% to 85.7%. NYVAC/Ad5hi magnitudes were significantly lower than those of other groups (P ≤ 0.04). IgG response rates to the group M consensus gp140 were 89.7% for NYVAC/Ad5hi and 21.4%, 84.6%, and 100% for Ad5lo/NYVAC, Ad5med/NYVAC, and Ad5hi/NYVAC, respectively, and were similar for other vaccine proteins. Overall nAb responses were low, but aggregate responses appeared stronger for Ad5med/NYVAC and Ad5hi/NYVAC than for NYVAC/Ad5hi. CONCLUSIONS. rAd5 prime followed by NYVAC boost is superior to the reverse regimen for both vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immune responses. Higher Ad5 priming doses significantly increased binding and nAbs. These data provide a basis for optimizing the design of future clinical trials testing vector-based heterologous prime-boost strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00961883. FUNDING. NIAID, NIH UM1AI068618, AI068635, AI068614, and AI069443.
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107
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Landry N, Pillet S, Favre D, Poulin JF, Trépanier S, Yassine-Diab B, Ward BJ. Influenza virus-like particle vaccines made in Nicotiana benthamiana elicit durable, poly-functional and cross-reactive T cell responses to influenza HA antigens. Clin Immunol 2014; 154:164-77. [PMID: 25128897 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity plays a major role in long-lived, cross-reactive protection against influenza virus. We measured long-term poly-functional and cross-reactive T cell responses to influenza hemagglutinin (HA) elicited by a new plant-made Virus-Like Particle (VLP) vaccine targeting either H1N1 A/California/7/09 (H1) or H5N1 A/Indonesia/5/05 (H5). In two independent clinical trials, we characterized the CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell homotypic and heterotypic responses 6 months after different vaccination regimens. Responses of VLP-vaccinated subjects were compared with placebo and/or a commercial trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV:Fluzone™) recipients. Both H1 and H5 VLP vaccines elicited significantly greater poly-functional CD4(+) T cell responses than placebo and TIV. Poly-functional CD8(+) T cell responses were also observed after H1 VLP vaccination. Our results show that plant-made HA VLP vaccines elicit both strong antibody responses and poly-functional, cross-reactive memory T cells that persist for at least 6 months after vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Landry
- Medicago inc., 1020 Route de l'Église, Bureau 600, Québec, Qc G1V 3V9, Canada.
| | - Stéphane Pillet
- Medicago inc., 1020 Route de l'Église, Bureau 600, Québec, Qc G1V 3V9, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Qc H3G 1A4, Canada.
| | - David Favre
- ImmuneCarta, 201 President-Kennedy, Suite PK-3900, Montreal, Qc H2X 3Y7, Canada.
| | - Jean-François Poulin
- ImmuneCarta, 201 President-Kennedy, Suite PK-3900, Montreal, Qc H2X 3Y7, Canada.
| | - Sonia Trépanier
- Medicago inc., 1020 Route de l'Église, Bureau 600, Québec, Qc G1V 3V9, Canada.
| | - Bader Yassine-Diab
- ImmuneCarta, 201 President-Kennedy, Suite PK-3900, Montreal, Qc H2X 3Y7, Canada.
| | - Brian J Ward
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Qc H3G 1A4, Canada.
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Bourguignon P, Clément F, Renaud F, Le Bras V, Koutsoukos M, Burny W, Moris P, Lorin C, Collard A, Leroux-Roels G, Roman F, Janssens M, Vandekerckhove L. Processing of blood samples influences PBMC viability and outcome of cell-mediated immune responses in antiretroviral therapy-naïve HIV-1-infected patients. J Immunol Methods 2014; 414:1-10. [PMID: 25224748 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assay is increasingly used in vaccine clinical trials to measure antigen-specific T-cell mediated immune (CMI) responses in cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and whole blood. However, recent observations indicate that several parameters involved in blood processing can impact PBMC viability and CMI responses, especially in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve HIV-1-infected individuals. In this phase I study (NCT01610427), we collected blood samples from 22 ART-naïve HIV-1-infected adults. PBMCs were isolated and processed for ICS assay. The individual and combined effects of the following parameters were investigated: time between blood collection and PBMC processing (time-to-process: 2, 7 or 24 h); time between PBMC thawing and initiation of in vitro stimulation with HIV-1 antigens (resting-time: 0, 2, 6 and 18 h); and duration of antigen-stimulation in PBMC cultures (stimulation-time: 6h or overnight). The cell recovery after thawing, cell viability after ICS and magnitude of HIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses were considered to determine the optimal combination of process conditions. The impact of time-to-process (2 or 4 h) on HIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses was also assessed in a whole blood ICS assay. A higher quality of cells in terms of recovery and viability (up to 81% and >80% respectively) was obtained with shorter time-to-process (less than 7 h) and resting-time (less than 2 h) intervals. Longer (overnight) rather than shorter (6 h) stimulation-time intervals increased the frequency of CD8(+)-specific T-cell responses using ICS in PBMCs without change of the functionality. The CD8(+) specific T-cell responses detected using fresh whole blood showed a good correlation with the responses detected using frozen PBMCs. Our results support the need of standardized procedures for the evaluation of CMI responses, especially in HIV-1-infected, ART-naïve patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frédéric Clément
- Center for Vaccinology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frédéric Renaud
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Vivien Le Bras
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | | | - Wivine Burny
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Philippe Moris
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Clarisse Lorin
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Alix Collard
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Geert Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - François Roman
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Michel Janssens
- GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rue de l'institut 89, Rixensart 1330, Belgium.
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- ARC (AIDS Reference Center), Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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von Sonnenburg F, Perona P, Darsow U, Ring J, von Krempelhuber A, Vollmar J, Roesch S, Baedeker N, Kollaritsch H, Chaplin P. Safety and immunogenicity of modified vaccinia Ankara as a smallpox vaccine in people with atopic dermatitis. Vaccine 2014; 32:5696-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Portevin D, Moukambi F, Clowes P, Bauer A, Chachage M, Ntinginya NE, Mfinanga E, Said K, Haraka F, Rachow A, Saathoff E, Mpina M, Jugheli L, Lwilla F, Marais BJ, Hoelscher M, Daubenberger C, Reither K, Geldmacher C. Assessment of the novel T-cell activation marker-tuberculosis assay for diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children: a prospective proof-of-concept study. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2014; 14:931-8. [PMID: 25185458 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(14)70884-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diagnosis of paediatric tuberculosis is complicated by non-specific symptoms, difficult specimen collection, and the paucibacillary nature of the disease. We assessed the accuracy of a novel immunodiagnostic T-cell activation marker-tuberculosis (TAM-TB) assay in a proof-of-concept study to identify children with active tuberculosis. METHODS Children with symptoms that suggested tuberculosis were prospectively recruited at the NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center in Mbeya, and the Ifakara Health Institute in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, between May 10, 2011, and Sept 4, 2012. Sputum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained for Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and performance assessment of the TAM-TB assay. The children were assigned to standardised clinical case classifications based on microbiological and clinical findings. FINDINGS Among 290 children screened, we selected a subgroup of 130 to ensure testing of at least 20 with culture-confirmed tuberculosis. 17 of 130 children were excluded because of inconclusive TAM-TB assay results. The TAM-TB assay enabled detection of 15 of 18 culture-confirmed cases (sensitivity 83·3%, 95% CI 58·6-96·4). Specificity was 96·8% (95% CI 89·0-99·6) in the cases that were classified as not tuberculosis (n=63), with little effect from latent tuberculosis infection. The TAM-TB assay identified five additional patients with highly probable or probable tuberculosis, in whom M tuberculosis was not isolated. The median time to diagnosis was 19·5 days (IQR 14-45) for culture. INTERPRETATION The sputum-independent TAM-TB assay is a rapid and accurate blood test that has the potential to improve the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children. FUNDING European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and Swiss National Science Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Portevin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Felicien Moukambi
- NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany
| | - Petra Clowes
- NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany
| | - Asli Bauer
- NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center, Mbeya, Tanzania; Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Rachow
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany
| | - Elmar Saathoff
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany
| | | | - Levan Jugheli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Fred Lwilla
- Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Ben J Marais
- Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Hoelscher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Daubenberger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Reither
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
| | - Christof Geldmacher
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany.
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Early skewed distribution of total and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell memory phenotypes during primary HIV infection is related to reduced antiviral activity and faster disease progression. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104235. [PMID: 25093660 PMCID: PMC4122399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The important role of the CD8+ T-cells on HIV control is well established. However, correlates of immune protection remain elusive. Although the importance of CD8+ T-cell specificity and functionality in virus control has been underscored, further unraveling the link between CD8+ T-cell differentiation and viral control is needed. Here, an immunophenotypic analysis (in terms of memory markers and Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) expression) of the CD8+ T-cell subset found in primary HIV infection (PHI) was performed. The aim was to seek for associations with functional properties of the CD8+ T-cell subsets, viral control and subsequent disease progression. Also, results were compared with samples from Chronics and Elite Controllers. It was found that normal maturation of total and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells into memory subsets is skewed in PHI, but not at the dramatic level observed in Chronics. Within the HIV-specific compartment, this alteration was evidenced by an accumulation of effector memory CD8+ T (TEM) cells over fully differentiated terminal effector CD8+ T (TTE) cells. Furthermore, higher proportions of total and HIV-specific CD8+ TEM cells and higher HIV-specific TEM/(TEM+TTE) ratio correlated with markers of faster progression. Analysis of PD-1 expression on total and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cells from PHI subjects revealed not only an association with disease progression but also with skewed memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. Most notably, significant direct correlations were obtained between the functional capacity of CD8+ T-cells to inhibit viral replication in vitro with higher proportions of fully-differentiated HIV-specific CD8+ TTE cells, both at baseline and at 12 months post-infection. Thus, a relationship between preservation of CD8+ T-cell differentiation pathway and cell functionality was established. This report presents evidence concerning the link among CD8+ T-cell function, phenotype and virus control, hence supporting the instauration of early interventions to prevent irreversible immune damage.
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Garcia A, Keinonen S, Sanchez AM, Ferrari G, Denny TN, Moody MA. Leukopak PBMC sample processing for preparing quality control material to support proficiency testing programs. J Immunol Methods 2014; 409:99-106. [PMID: 24928650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
External proficiency testing programs designed to evaluate the performance of end-point laboratories involved in vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials form an important part of clinical trial quality assurance. Good clinical laboratory practice (GCLP) guidelines recommend both assay validation and proficiency testing for assays being used in clinical trials, and such testing is facilitated by the availability of large numbers of well-characterized test samples. These samples can be distributed to laboratories participating in these programs and allow monitoring of laboratory performance over time and among participating sites when results are obtained with samples derived from a large master set. The leukapheresis procedure provides an ideal way to collect samples from participants that can meet the required number of cells to support these activities. The collection and processing of leukapheresis samples require tight coordination between the clinical and laboratory teams to collect, process, and cryopreserve large number of samples within the established ideal time of ≤8 hours. Here, we describe our experience with a leukapheresis cryopreseration program that has been able to preserve the functionality of cellular subsets and that provides the sample numbers necessary to run an external proficiency testing program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambrosia Garcia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sarah Keinonen
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ana M Sanchez
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Departments of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Thomas N Denny
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Departments of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - M Anthony Moody
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Departments of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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113
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Hensley-McBain T, Heit A, De Rosa SC, McElrath MJ, Andersen-Nissen E. Optimization of a whole blood phenotyping assay for enumeration of peripheral blood leukocyte populations in multicenter clinical trials. J Immunol Methods 2014; 411:23-36. [PMID: 24925805 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination with viral vectors or adjuvants can induce early changes in circulating peripheral blood leukocytes that are predictive of a protective immune response. In this study, we define an 11-color whole blood antibody staining Trucount Panel (TP1) to enumerate and phenotype the major leukocyte populations in a human vaccine experimental medicine trial setting. TP1 can be prepared up to 8weeks prior to use, enabling bulk preparation at a central laboratory and distribution to clinical sites. Cells in whole blood must be stained within 4h of draw to accurately detect the major cell populations. Staining of cells with TP1 followed by storage and shipping at -80°C to a central laboratory has little to no effect on the cell concentrations observed. We also present data from an HIV vaccine multicenter clinical trial obtained using the optimized TP1 assay protocol and show that the data produced accurately correlates with complete blood count (CBC) data. Taken together, these data indicate the optimized TP1 panel assay can be used in a multicenter clinical trial setting to increase our understanding of systemic responses to vaccination or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Hensley-McBain
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Antje Heit
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Stephen C De Rosa
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - M Juliana McElrath
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Erica Andersen-Nissen
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory, Hutchinson Center Research Institute of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.
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The Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) multi-site quality assurance program for cryopreserved human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Immunol Methods 2014; 409:21-30. [PMID: 24910414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) consortium was established to determine the host and virus factors associated with HIV transmission, infection and containment of virus replication, with the goal of advancing the development of an HIV protective vaccine. Studies to meet this goal required the use of cryopreserved Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) specimens, and therefore it was imperative that a quality assurance (QA) oversight program be developed to monitor PBMC samples obtained from study participants at multiple international sites. Nine site-affiliated laboratories in Africa and the USA collected and processed PBMCs, and cryopreserved PBMC were shipped to CHAVI repositories in Africa and the USA for long-term storage. A three-stage program was designed, based on Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP), to monitor PBMC integrity at each step of this process. The first stage evaluated the integrity of fresh PBMCs for initial viability, overall yield, and processing time at the site-affiliated laboratories (Stage 1); for the second stage, the repositories determined post-thaw viability and cell recovery of cryopreserved PBMC, received from the site-affiliated laboratories (Stage 2); the third stage assessed the long-term specimen storage at each repository (Stage 3). Overall, the CHAVI PBMC QA oversight program results highlight the relative importance of each of these stages to the ultimate goal of preserving specimen integrity from peripheral blood collection to long-term repository storage.
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Kofanova OA, Davis K, Glazer B, De Souza Y, Kessler J, Betsou F. Viable mononuclear cell stability study for implementation in a proficiency testing program: impact of shipment conditions. Biopreserv Biobank 2014; 12:206-16. [PMID: 24955735 PMCID: PMC4955601 DOI: 10.1089/bio.2013.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of shipping temperatures and preservation media used during transport of either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or Jurkat cells was assessed, in view of implementing of a proficiency testing scheme on mononuclear cell viability. Samples were analyzed before and after shipment at different temperatures (ambient temperature, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen) and in different preservation media (serum with cryoprotectant, commercial cryopreservation solution, and room temperature transport medium). Sample quality was assessed by viability assays (Trypan Blue dye exclusion, flow cytometry, Cell Analysis System cell counting (CASY)), and by ELISpot functional assay. The liquid nitrogen storage and shipment were found to be the most stable conditions to preserve cell viability and functionality. However, we show that alternative high quality shipment conditions for viable cells are dry ice shipment and commercial cryopreservation solution. These were also cost-efficient shipment conditions, satisfying the requirements of a proficiency testing scheme for viable mononuclear cells. Room temperature transport medium dramatically and adversely affected the integrity of mononuclear cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga A. Kofanova
- Integrated BioBank Of Luxembourg (IBBL), 6 rue Nicolas Ernest Barblé, L-1210, Luxembourg
| | - Kristine Davis
- PPD Vaccines and Biologics Laboratory, Wayne, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Joseph Kessler
- PPD Vaccines and Biologics Laboratory, Wayne, Pennsylvania
| | - Fotini Betsou
- Integrated BioBank Of Luxembourg (IBBL), 6 rue Nicolas Ernest Barblé, L-1210, Luxembourg
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Natural killer cell and T-cell subset distributions and activation influence susceptibility to perinatal HIV-1 infection. AIDS 2014; 28:1115-24. [PMID: 24752082 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000000263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine neonatal immunologic factors that correlate with mother-to-child-transmission of HIV-1. DESIGN This case-control study compared cord blood natural killer (NK) and T-cell populations of HIV-1 exposed infants who subsequently acquired infection by 1 month (cases) to those who remained uninfected by 1 year of life (controls). Control specimens were selected by proportional match on maternal viral load. METHODS Cryopreserved cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) were thawed and stained for multiparameter flow cytometry to detect NK and T-cell subsets and activation status. CBMCs were also used in a viral suppression assay to evaluate NK cell inhibition of HIV-1 replication in autologous CD4 T cells. RESULTS Cord blood from cases contained a skewed NK cell repertoire characterized by an increased proportion of CD16CD56 NK cells. In addition, cases displayed less-activated CD16CD56 NK cells and CD8 T cells, based on HLA-DRCD38 costaining. NK cell suppression of HIV-1 replication ex vivo correlated with the proportion of acutely activated CD68CD16CD56 NK cells. Finally, we detected a higher proportion of CD27CD45RA effector memory CD4 and CD8 T cells in cord blood from cases compared with controls. CONCLUSION When controlled for maternal viral load, cord blood from infants who acquired HIV-1 had a higher proportion of CD16CD56 NK cells, lower NK cell activation and higher levels of mature T cells (potential HIV-1 targets) than control infants who remained uninfected. Our data provide evidence that infant HIV-1 acquisition may be influenced by both innate and adaptive immune cell phenotypes and activation status.
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Sambor A, Garcia A, Berrong M, Pickeral J, Brown S, Rountree W, Sanchez A, Pollara J, Frahm N, Keinonen S, Kijak GH, Roederer M, Levine G, D'Souza MP, Jaimes M, Koup R, Denny T, Cox J, Ferrari G. Establishment and maintenance of a PBMC repository for functional cellular studies in support of clinical vaccine trials. J Immunol Methods 2014; 409:107-16. [PMID: 24787274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A large repository of cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) samples was created to provide laboratories testing the specimens from human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) vaccine clinical trials the material for assay development, optimization, and validation. One hundred thirty-one PBMC samples were collected using leukapheresis procedure between 2007 and 2013 by the Comprehensive T cell Vaccine Immune Monitoring Consortium core repository. The donors included 83 human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) seronegative and 32 HIV-1 seropositive subjects. The samples were extensively characterized for the ability of T cell subsets to respond to recall viral antigens including cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza virus, and HIV-1 using Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme linked immunospot (ELISpot) and IFN-γ/interleukin 2 (IL-2) intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assays. A subset of samples was evaluated over time to determine the integrity of the cryopreserved samples in relation to recovery, viability, and functionality. The principal results of our study demonstrate that viable and functional cells were consistently recovered from the cryopreserved samples. Therefore, we determined that this repository of large size cryopreserved cellular samples constitutes a unique resource for laboratories that are involved in optimization and validation of assays to evaluate T, B, and NK cellular functions in the context of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sambor
- Foundation for National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ambrosia Garcia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Sara Brown
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wes Rountree
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ana Sanchez
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Nicole Frahm
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sarah Keinonen
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gustavo H Kijak
- Viral Genetics Section, US Military HIV Research Program, Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | | | - Gail Levine
- Foundation for National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Richard Koup
- Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Denny
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Josephine Cox
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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118
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Benefits of a comprehensive quality program for cryopreserved PBMC covering 28 clinical trials sites utilizing an integrated, analytical web-based portal. J Immunol Methods 2014; 409:9-20. [PMID: 24709391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) is a global network of 28 clinical trial sites dedicated to identifying an effective HIV vaccine. Cryopreservation of high-quality peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is critical for the assessment of vaccine-induced cellular immune functions. The HVTN PBMC Quality Management Program is designed to ensure that viable PBMC are processed, stored and shipped for clinical trial assays from all HVTN clinical trial sites. The program has evolved by developing and incorporating best practices for laboratory and specimen quality and implementing automated, web-based tools. These tools allow the site-affiliated processing laboratories and the central Laboratory Operations Unit to rapidly collect, analyze and report PBMC quality data. The HVTN PBMC Quality Management Program includes five key components: 1) Laboratory Assessment, 2) PBMC Training and Certification, 3) Internal Quality Control, 4) External Quality Control (EQC), and 5) Assay Specimen Quality Control. Fresh PBMC processing data is uploaded from each clinical site processing laboratory to a central HVTN Statistical and Data Management Center database for access and analysis on a web portal. Samples are thawed at a central laboratory for assay or specimen quality control and sample quality data is uploaded directly to the database by the central laboratory. Four year cumulative data covering 23,477 blood draws reveals an average fresh PBMC yield of 1.45×10(6)±0.48 cells per milliliter of useable whole blood. 95% of samples were within the acceptable range for fresh cell yield of 0.8-3.2×10(6) cells/ml of usable blood. Prior to full implementation of the HVTN PBMC Quality Management Program, the 2007 EQC evaluations from 10 international sites showed a mean day 2 thawed viability of 83.1% and a recovery of 67.5%. Since then, four year cumulative data covering 3338 specimens used in immunologic assays shows that 99.88% had acceptable viabilities (>66%) for use in cellular assays (mean, 91.46% ±4.5%), and 96.2% had acceptable recoveries (50%-130%) with a mean of recovery of 85.8% ±19.12% of the originally cryopreserved cells. EQC testing revealed that since August 2009, failed recoveries dropped from 4.1% to 1.6% and failed viabilities dropped from 1.0% to 0.3%. The HVTN PBMC quality program provides for laboratory assessment, training and tools for identifying problems, implementing corrective action and monitoring for improvements. These data support the benefits of implementing a comprehensive, web-based PBMC quality program for large clinical trials networks.
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Sanchez AM, Rountree W, Berrong M, Garcia A, Schuetz A, Cox J, Frahm N, Manak M, Sarzotti-Kelsoe M, D'Souza MP, Denny T, Ferrari G. The External Quality Assurance Oversight Laboratory (EQAPOL) proficiency program for IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (IFN-γ ELISpot) assay. J Immunol Methods 2014; 409:31-43. [PMID: 24685833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (IFN-γ ELISpot) assay has been developed and used as an end-point assay in clinical trials for infectious diseases and cancer to detect the magnitude of antigen-specific immune responses. The ability to compare data generated by different laboratories across organizations is pivotal to understand the relative potency of different therapeutic and vaccine strategies. We developed an external proficiency program for the IFN-γ ELISpot assay that evaluates laboratory performance based on five parameters: timeliness for data reporting; ability to handle cellular samples; detection of background (non-specific) responses; accuracy to consensus of the results; and precision of the measurements. Points are awarded for each criterion, and the sum of the points is used to determine a numeric and adjectival performance rating. Importantly, the evaluation of the accuracy to the consensus mean for the detection of antigen-specific responses using laboratory-specific procedures informs each laboratory and its sponsor on the degree of concordance of its results with those obtained by other laboratories. This study will ultimately provide the scientific community with information on how to organize and implement an external proficiency program to evaluate longitudinally the performance of the participating laboratories and, therefore, fulfill the requirements of the GCLP guidelines for laboratories performing end-point IFN-γ ELISpot assay for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Sanchez
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wes Rountree
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mark Berrong
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ambrosia Garcia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Josephine Cox
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Frahm
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mark Manak
- Department of Diagnostics and Monitoring, US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), HJF, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Marcella Sarzotti-Kelsoe
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Center for AIDS Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - M Patricia D'Souza
- Vaccine Clinical Research Branch, Division of AIDS, NIAID, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Denny
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Center for AIDS Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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120
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Enzyme-linked immunospot assay for detection of human respiratory syncytial virus f protein-specific gamma interferon-producing T cells. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2014; 21:628-35. [PMID: 24574540 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00736-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes significant disease in elderly adults, and we have previously reported that individuals 65 years of age and older have reduced RSV F protein-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing T cells compared to healthy younger adults. To measure RSV F-specific memory T cell responses in the elderly following infection or vaccination, we optimized and qualified an IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. Since peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the elderly could be more fragile, we established optimal cryopreservation techniques and minimal viability acceptance criteria. The number of cells per well, types and concentrations of stimulation antigens, and incubation times were evaluated to maximize assay sensitivity and precision. The optimized assay uses 300,000 cells/well, 2 μg/ml of an RSV F peptide pool (RSV Fpp), and incubation for 22 ± 2 h in serum-free CTL-Test medium. The assay was qualified by 3 analysts using 3 RSV F-responding donor PBMC samples (high, medium, and low responders) tested on 5 different assay days. The assay sensitivity or limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 21 spot-forming cells (SFC) per 10(6) PBMC, and the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was estimated to be 63 SFC/10(6) PBMC. The intra- and interassay percent coefficients of variation (CV) were <10.5% and <31%, respectively. The results of the qualification study demonstrate that a robust, precise, and sensitive IFN-γ ELISPOT assay has been developed that is fit for measuring RSV F-specific IFN-γ T cell responses in subjects enrolled in a vaccine clinical trial or in epidemiology studies.
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121
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Bet A, Sterret S, Sato A, Bansal A, Goepfert PA. Characterization of T-cell responses to cryptic epitopes in recipients of a noncodon-optimized HIV-1 vaccine. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2014; 65:142-50. [PMID: 24442221 PMCID: PMC3896890 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0b013e3182a9917e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cryptic epitopes (CEs) can be encoded by any of the 5 alternative reading frames (ARFs, 2 sense and 3 antisense) of a known gene. Although CE responses are commonly detected during HIV-1 infection, it is not known whether these responses are induced after vaccination. METHODS Using a bioinformatic approach, we determined that vaccines with codon-optimized HIV inserts significantly skewed CE sequences and are not likely to induce crossreactive responses to natural HIV CE. We then evaluated the CE- and protein-specific T-cell responses using Gag, Pol, and ARF peptide pools among participants immunized with a non-codon optimized vaccine regimen of 2 pGA2/JS7 DNA primes followed by 2 MVA/HIV62 Gag-Pol-Env vector boosts or 4 saline injections. RESULTS Vaccinees had significantly more interferon gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (IFNγ ELISpot) responses toward Gag (P = 0.003) but not toward Pol protein than did placebo recipients. However, CE-specific T-cell responses were low in magnitude, and their frequencies did not differ significantly between vaccine and placebo recipients. Additionally, most positive CE responses could not be mapped to individual peptides. After expanding responses in a cultured assay, however, the frequency and the median magnitude of responses to ARF peptides were significantly greater in vaccinees (P < 0.0001), indicating that CE-specific T-cell responses are present but below an ex vivo assay's limit of detection. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that HIV-1 vaccines currently in clinical trials are poorly immunogenic with regard to CE-specific T-cell responses. Therefore, the context of HIV-1 immunogens may need to be modified as a comprehensive strategy to broaden vaccine-induced T-cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Bet
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA 35294
| | - Sarah Sterret
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA 35294
| | - Alicia Sato
- Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research & Prevention (SCHARP), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-1024
| | - Anju Bansal
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA 35294
| | - Paul A. Goepfert
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA 35294
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA 35294
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Goepfert PA, Elizaga ML, Seaton K, Tomaras GD, Montefiori DC, Sato A, Hural J, DeRosa SC, Kalams SA, McElrath MJ, Keefer MC, Baden LR, Lama JR, Sanchez J, Mulligan MJ, Buchbinder SP, Hammer SM, Koblin BA, Pensiero M, Butler C, Moss B, Robinson HL. Specificity and 6-month durability of immune responses induced by DNA and recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara vaccines expressing HIV-1 virus-like particles. J Infect Dis 2014; 210:99-110. [PMID: 24403557 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clade B DNA and recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccines producing virus-like particles displaying trimeric membrane-bound envelope glycoprotein (Env) were tested in a phase 2a trial in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected adults for safety, immunogenicity, and 6-month durability of immune responses. METHODS A total of 299 individuals received 2 doses of JS7 DNA vaccine and 2 doses of MVA/HIV62B at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively (the DDMM regimen); 3 doses of MVA/HIV62B at 0, 2, and 6 months (the MMM regimen); or placebo injections. RESULTS At peak response, 93.2% of the DDMM group and 98.4% of the MMM group had binding antibodies for Env. These binding antibodies were more frequent and of higher magnitude for the transmembrane subunit (gp41) than the receptor-binding subunit (gp120) of Env. For both regimens, response rates were higher for CD4(+) T cells (66.4% in the DDMM group and 43.1% in the MMM group) than for CD8(+) T cells (21.8% in the DDMM group and 14.9% in the MMM group). Responding CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were biased toward Gag, and >70% produced 2 or 3 of the 4 cytokines evaluated (ie, interferon γ, interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor α, and granzyme B). Six months after vaccination, the magnitudes of antibodies and T-cell responses had decreased by <3-fold. CONCLUSIONS DDMM and MMM vaccinations with virus-like particle-expressing immunogens elicited durable antibody and T-cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marnie L Elizaga
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
| | - Kelly Seaton
- Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research and Development, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Georgia D Tomaras
- Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research and Development, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - David C Montefiori
- Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research and Development, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Alicia Sato
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
| | - John Hural
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
| | - Stephen C DeRosa
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Spyros A Kalams
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - M Juliana McElrath
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael C Keefer
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Javier R Lama
- Asociacion Civil IMPACTA Salud y Educacion, Lima, Peru
| | - Jorge Sanchez
- Asociacion Civil IMPACTA Salud y Educacion, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bernard Moss
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Abstract
The fluorochrome Luminex technique is a bead-based sandwich immunoassay that combines the enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) with flow cytometry. The Luminex technique allows multiple cytokines to be measured simultaneously in small volumes and provides a convenient and sensitive tool for the detection of a large number of, e.g., extracellular secreted cytokines to characterize cytokine profiles.The technique is based on the so-called microspheres (beads) that serve as a solid phase for molecular detection. These individually dyed micro-beads have monoclonal antibodies directed against the cytokines and chemokines of interest and allow simultaneous detection of up to nearly 100 cytokines and chemokines in a dual-laser flow analyzer. Immune markers can be detected in serum and plasma samples as well as in cell culture supernatants from in vitro-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).This chapter describes the Luminex technique for detection of multiple cytokines by magnetic bead sandwich immunoassay, with a special focus on some important pre-analytical factors, such as cell separation, cryopreservation, and PBMC thawing that may affect the detection outcome of immune markers. This method can also be easily adapted to measuring other biomarkers in biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Faresjö
- School of Health Sciences, Department of Natural Science and Biomedicine, The Biomedical Platform, Jönköping University, SE-551 11, Jönköping, Sweden,
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124
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Riedhammer C, Halbritter D, Weissert R. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Isolation, Freezing, Thawing, and Culture. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1304:53-61. [PMID: 25092056 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2014_99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The work with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which comprise lymphocytes and monocytes, is indispensable in immunological diagnostics and research. The isolation of PBMCs takes advantage of differences in cell density of the different blood components. Density gradient centrifugation of diluted whole blood layered over a density gradient medium yields PBMCs; two subsequent washing steps remove remaining platelets. To store the cells for future assays, they can be frozen and thawed when required. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) serves as a cryoprotectant for freezing PBMCs, but must be removed by washing after thawing, as it can become toxic to the cells on longer exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Riedhammer
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
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125
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Butterfield LH, Buffo MJ. Immunologic monitoring of cancer vaccine trials using the ELISPOT assay. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1102:71-82. [PMID: 24258974 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-727-3_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines are designed to activate an immune response to tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigens expressed by the tumor. Cancer vaccines take many forms, including synthetic peptides, tumor cells and lysates, cell lines, and autologous antigen presenting cells like dendritic cells. The target antigens may be known, or "defined" in the vaccine, or unknown. In melanoma, more so than in other cancers, a large number of immunogenic "shared" antigens (tumor-specific or tumor-associated) have been identified. This allows for vaccination of groups of patients with the same vaccine, and also allows for testing for melanoma tumor immunity even when the vaccine does not include defined antigens. For the cancer vaccine field, the goal of a prognostic or predictive biomarker has yet to be achieved. However, the primary immunologic goal of any cancer vaccine is the induction (or amplification) of an immune response against the tumor, therefore the primary goal of immunologic monitoring in this setting, is testing for that response. In this chapter, we present standardized methodology from a central immunologic monitoring laboratory for melanoma cancer vaccine immune response assessment by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Spot (ELISPOT) assay. This assay allows for enumeration of antigen-specific cells in a plate format. We present the Interferon (IFN)-γ-producing lymphocyte assay, but the platform is easily adjusted to several cell types and several secreted molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa H Butterfield
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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126
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Faresjö M. The challenge of measuring elusive immune markers by enzyme-linked immuno-spot (ELISPOT) technique. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1172:3-12. [PMID: 24908290 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0928-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme-linked immuno-spot (ELISPOT) technique is a sensitive method used for measurement of elusive immune markers in limited-volume samples. By virtue of the exquisite sensitivity of the ELISPOT assay, frequency analysis of rare cell populations (e.g., antigen-specific responses), which was not possible before, is now relatively easy. However, development of a method sensitive enough to pinpoint elusive immune markers at the single-cell level is a challenge since there are a number of demands that have to be fulfilled and traps to avoid, achieving a valuable outcome.To optimize the environment for in vitro culture and analysis of immune spots by ELISPOT, a number of criteria have to be fulfilled: processing of sample and perhaps also cryopreservation of cells before analysis and, for the ELISPOT assay, optimal cell culture, positive and negative controls, antigen concentration, and, finally, development and readout of spots.If these criteria are fulfilled for your ELISPOT assay, you will likely have the opportunity to pinpoint elusive immune markers at the single-cell level. This chapter describes the ELISPOT assay for detection of cytokines (e.g., IFN-γ and IL-4), with focus on the main criteria that affect the assay. However, this method could be easily adapted to measure other immune markers in small volumes of biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Faresjö
- School of Health Sciences, Department of Natural Science and Biomedicine, The Biomedical Platform, Jönköping University, SE-551 11, Jönköping, Sweden,
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127
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Measuring inhibition of HIV replication by ex vivo CD8⁺ T cells. J Immunol Methods 2013; 404:71-80. [PMID: 24374374 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
HIV replication is unrestrained in vivo in the vast majority of infected subjects, and the ability of some rare individuals to control this virus is poorly understood. Standard immunogenicity assays for detecting HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses, such as IFN-γ ELISpot and intracellular cytokine staining, generally fail to correlate with in vivo inhibition of HIV replication. Several viral inhibition assays, which measure the effectiveness of CD8(+) T-cell responses in suppressing HIV replication in vitro, have been described; but most depend on in vitro expansion of CD8(+) T cells, and some show inhibitory activity in HIV-negative individuals. We have optimized an assay to assess the suppressive capability of CD8(+) T cells directly ex vivo, eliminating the potential for altering their function through activation or expansion prior to assay setup, and thereby enhancing the assay's sensitivity by avoiding non-specific inhibition. With this method, the ability of ex vivo CD8(+) T cells to control HIV-1 replication in vitro can be quantified over several orders of magnitude. Specifically, our assay can be used to better define the antiviral function of CD8(+) T cells induced by vaccination, and can provide insight into their ability to control viral replication if HIV infection occurs post-vaccination.
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128
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Britten CM, Walter S, Janetzki S. Immunological Monitoring to Rationally Guide AAV Gene Therapy. Front Immunol 2013; 4:273. [PMID: 24062741 PMCID: PMC3770921 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent successes with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies fuel the hope for new treatments for hereditary diseases. Pre-existing as well as therapy-induced immune responses against both AAV and the encoded transgenes have been described and may impact on safety and efficacy of gene therapy approaches. Consequently, monitoring of vector- and transgene-specific immunity is mandated and may rationally guide clinical development. Next to the humoral immune response, the cellular response is central in our understanding of the host reaction in gene therapy. But in contrast to the monitoring of antibodies, which has matured over many decades, sensitive and robust monitoring of T cells is a relatively new development. To make cellular immune assessments fit for purpose, investigators need to know, control and report the critical assay variables that influence the results. In addition, the quality of immune assays needs to be continuously adjusted to allow for exploratory hypothesis generation in early stages and confirmatory hypothesis validation in later stages of clinical development. The concept of immune assay harmonization which includes use of field-wide benchmarks, harmonization guidelines, and external quality control can support the context-specific evolution of immune assays. Multi-center studies pose particular challenges to sample logistics and quality control of sample specimens. Cooperative groups need to define if immune assessments should be performed in one central facility, in peripheral labs or including a combination of both. Finally, engineered reference samples that contain a defined number of antigen-specific T cells may become broadly applicable tools to control assay performance over time or across institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedrik Michael Britten
- Translational Oncology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (TRON gGmbH) , Mainz , Germany ; Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT) , Mainz , Germany
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129
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Germann A, Oh YJ, Schmidt T, Schön U, Zimmermann H, von Briesen H. Temperature fluctuations during deep temperature cryopreservation reduce PBMC recovery, viability and T-cell function. Cryobiology 2013; 67:193-200. [PMID: 23850825 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability to analyze cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from biobanks for antigen-specific immunity is necessary to evaluate response to immune-based therapies. To ensure comparable assay results, collaborative research in multicenter trials needs reliable and reproducible cryopreservation that maintains cell viability and functionality. A standardized cryopreservation procedure is comprised of not only sample collection, preparation and freezing but also low temperature storage in liquid nitrogen without any temperature fluctuations, to avoid cell damage. Therefore, we have developed a storage approach to minimize suboptimal storage conditions in order to maximize cell viability, recovery and T-cell functionality. We compared the influence of repeated temperature fluctuations on cell health from sample storage, sample sorting and removal in comparison to sample storage without temperature rises. We found that cyclical temperature shifts during low temperature storage reduce cell viability, recovery and immune response against specific-antigens. We showed that samples handled under a protective hood system, to avoid or minimize such repeated temperature rises, have comparable cell viability and cell recovery rates to samples stored without any temperature fluctuations. Also T-cell functionality could be considerably increased with the use of the protective hood system compared to sample handling without such a protection system. This data suggests that the impact of temperature fluctuation on cell integrity should be carefully considered in future clinical vaccine trials and consideration should be given to optimal sample storage conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Germann
- (a)Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Ensheimerstr. 48, 66386 St. Ingbert, Germany
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130
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Value of a quality assessment program in optimizing cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a multicenter study. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2013; 20:590-5. [PMID: 23408528 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00693-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) allows assays of cellular function and phenotype to be performed in batches at a later time on PBMC at a central laboratory to minimize assay variability. The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) is an ongoing prospective study of the natural and treated history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that stores cryopreserved PBMC from participants two times a year at four study sites. In order to ensure consistent recovery of viable PBMC after cryopreservation, a quality assessment program was implemented and conducted in the MACS over a 6-year period. Every 4 months, recently cryopreserved PBMC from HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected participants at each MACS site were thawed and evaluated. The median recoveries of viable PBMC for HIV-1-infected and -uninfected participants were 80% and 83%, respectively. Thawed PBMC from both HIV-1-infected and -uninfected participants mounted a strong proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin, with median stimulation indices of 84 and 120, respectively. Expression of the lymphocyte surface markers CD3, CD4, and CD8 by thawed PBMC was virtually identical to what was observed on cells measured in real time using whole blood from the same participants. Furthermore, despite overall excellent performance of the four participating laboratories, problems were identified that intermittently compromised the quality of cryopreserved PBMC, which could be corrected and monitored for improvement over time. Ongoing quality assessment helps laboratories improve protocols and performance on a real-time basis to ensure optimal cryopreservation of PBMC for future studies.
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131
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Vermeulen BL, Devriendt B, Olyslaegers DA, Dedeurwaerder A, Desmarets LM, Favoreel HW, Dewerchin HL, Nauwynck HJ. Suppression of NK cells and regulatory T lymphocytes in cats naturally infected with feline infectious peritonitis virus. Vet Microbiol 2013; 164:46-59. [PMID: 23434014 PMCID: PMC7117246 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A strong cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is thought to be indispensable for protection against infection with feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in cats. In this study, the role of natural killer (NK) cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), central players in the innate and adaptive CMI respectively, was examined during natural FIPV infection. When quantified, both NK cells and Tregs were drastically depleted from the peripheral blood, mesenteric lymph node (LN) and spleen in FIP cats. In contrast, mesentery and kidney from FIP cats did not show any difference when compared to healthy non-infected control animals. In addition, other regulatory lymphocytes (CD4+CD25−Foxp3+ and CD3+CD8+Foxp3+) were found to be depleted from blood and LN as well. Phenotypic analysis of blood-derived NK cells in FIP cats revealed an upregulation of activation markers (CD16 and CD25) and migration markers (CD11b and CD62L) while LN-derived NK cells showed upregulation of only CD16 and CD62L. LN-derived NK cells from FIPV-infected cats were also significantly less cytotoxic when compared with healthy cats. This study reveals for the first time that FIPV infection is associated with severe suppression of NK cells and Tregs, which is reflected by cell depletion and lowered cell functionality (only NK cells). This will un-doubtfully lead to a reduced capacity of the innate immune system (NK cells) to battle FIPV infection and a decreased capacity (Tregs) to suppress the immunopathology typical for FIP. However, these results will also open possibilities for new therapies targeting specifically NK cells and Tregs to enhance their numbers and/or functionality during FIPV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben L Vermeulen
- Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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132
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Weinberg A, Muresan P, Fenton T, Richardson K, Dominguez T, Bloom A, Petzold E, Anthony P, Cunningham CK, Spector SA, Nachman S, Siberry GK, Handelsman E, Flynn PM. High proportions of regulatory B and T cells are associated with decreased cellular responses to pH1N1 influenza vaccine in HIV-infected children and youth (IMPAACT P1088). Hum Vaccin Immunother 2013; 9:957-68. [PMID: 23370281 DOI: 10.4161/hv.23774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-infected individuals have poor responses to inactivated influenza vaccines. To evaluate the potential role of regulatory T (Treg) and B cells (Breg), we analyzed their correlation with humoral and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to pandemic influenza (pH1N1) monovalent vaccine in HIV-infected children and youth. Seventy-four HIV-infected, 4- to 25-y old participants in a 2-dose pH1N1 vaccine study had circulating and pH1N1-stimulated Treg and Breg measured by flow cytometry at baseline, post-dose 1 and post-dose 2. Concomitantly, CMI was measured by ELISPOT and flow cytometry; and antibodies by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI). At baseline, most of the participants had pH1N1-specific IFNγ ELISPOT responses, whose magnitude positively correlated with the baseline pH1N1, but not with seasonal H1N1 HAI titers. pH1N1-specific IFNγ ELISPOT responses did not change post-dose 1 and significantly decreased post-dose 2. In contrast, circulating CD4+CD25+% and CD4+FOXP3+% Treg increased after vaccination. The decrease in IFNγ ELISPOT results was marginally associated with higher pH1N1-specific CD19+FOXP3+ and CD4+TGFβ+% Breg and Treg, respectively. In contrast, increases in HAI titers post-dose 1 were associated with significantly higher circulating CD19+CD25+% post-dose 1, whereas increases in IFNγ ELISPOT results post-dose 1 were associated with higher circulating CD4+/C8+CD25+FOXP3+%. In conclusion, in HIV-infected children and youth, influenza-specific Treg and Breg may contribute to poor responses to vaccination. However, robust humoral and CMI responses to vaccination may result in increased circulating Treg and/or Breg, establishing a feed-back mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Weinberg
- Department of Pediatrics; Division of Infectious Diseases; University of Colorado Denver; Aurora, CO USA
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133
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Merck Ad5/HIV induces broad innate immune activation that predicts CD8⁺ T-cell responses but is attenuated by preexisting Ad5 immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:E3503-12. [PMID: 23151505 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1208972109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand how innate immune responses to vaccination can lead to lasting protective immunity, we used a systems approach to define immune signatures in humans over 1 wk following MRKAd5/HIV vaccination that predicted subsequent HIV-specific T-cell responses. Within 24 h, striking increases in peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression associated with inflammation, IFN response, and myeloid cell trafficking occurred, and lymphocyte-specific transcripts decreased. These alterations were corroborated by marked serum inflammatory cytokine elevations and egress of circulating lymphocytes. Responses of vaccinees with preexisting adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) neutralizing antibodies were strongly attenuated, suggesting that enhanced HIV acquisition in Ad5-seropositive subgroups in the Step Study may relate to the lack of appropriate innate activation rather than to increased systemic immune activation. Importantly, patterns of chemoattractant cytokine responses at 24 h and alterations in 209 peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcripts at 72 h were predictive of subsequent induction and magnitude of HIV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses. This systems approach provides a framework to compare innate responses induced by vectors, as shown here by contrasting the more rapid, robust response to MRKAd5/HIV with that to yellow fever vaccine. When applied iteratively, the findings may permit selection of HIV vaccine candidates eliciting innate immune response profiles more likely to drive HIV protective immunity.
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134
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Serum-free freezing media support high cell quality and excellent ELISPOT assay performance across a wide variety of different assay protocols. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2012; 62:615-27. [PMID: 23138872 PMCID: PMC3624011 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-012-1359-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Robust and sensitive ELISPOT protocols are commonly applied concomitant with the development of new immunotherapeutics. Despite the knowledge that individual serum batches differ in their composition and may change properties over time, serum is still commonly used in immunologic assays. Commercially available serum batches are expensive, limited in quantity and need to be pretested for suitability in immunologic assays, which is a laborious process. The aim of this study was to test whether serum-free freezing media can lead to high cell viability and favorable performance across multiple ELISPOT assay protocols. Thirty-one laboratories from ten countries participated in a proficiency panel organized by the Cancer Immunotherapy Immunoguiding Program to test the influence of different freezing media on cell quality and immunologic function. Each center received peripheral blood mononuclear cells which were frozen in three different media. The participants were asked to quantify antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses against model antigens using their locally established IFN-gamma ELISPOT protocols. Self-made and commercially available serum-free freezing media led to higher cell viability and similar cell recovery after thawing and resting compared to freezing media supplemented with human serum. Furthermore, the test performance as determined by (1) background spot production, (2) replicate variation, (3) frequency of detected antigen-specific spots and (4) response detection rate was similar for serum and serum-free conditions. We conclude that defined and accessible serum-free freezing media should be recommended for freezing cells stored for subsequent ELISPOT analysis.
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135
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Scheible K, Secor-Socha S, Wightman T, Wang H, Mariani TJ, Topham DJ, Pryhuber G, Quataert S. Stability of T cell phenotype and functional assays following heparinized umbilical cord blood collection. Cytometry A 2012; 81:937-49. [PMID: 23027690 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Umbilical cord blood has been used for a wide variety of immunologic investigations including assessments of developmental perturbations by antenatal exposures. Recent advances in multiparameter flow cytometry have allowed finer characterization of lymphocyte phenotype and function, revealing important differences between the fetal and adult immune systems. The degree of variability between human subjects confounds the ability to draw firm conclusions. Artifacts resulting from processing techniques exacerbate this variability. The unpredictable nature of deliveries, especially of premature infants, makes it difficult to control variables such as timing of umbilical cord mononuclear cell (UCMC) isolation and method of collection. Additionally, in multicenter studies dependent on central processing, delays are inevitable. However, little available literature describes systematic testing of the degree to which processing variations affect UCMC phenotype and function. Using multiparameter flow cytometry, we tested the effect of collection technique and length of time prior to UCMC isolation on T cell phenotype and function, with the goal of creating a standardized operating procedure for a multicenter investigation. The study also provides a benchmark data set including extensive surface and functional phenotyping of umbilical cord T cells. UCMC isolation delay of up to 24 h produced similar T cell phenotype and function as tested by in vitro SEB stimulation. There were few statistically significant differences between time points based on data medians. We conclude that, for the purpose of immunologic investigations, a 24-h time delay from sample collection to mononuclear cell isolation does not introduce a significant degree of variation in T cell phenotype and function when adhering to strict standard operating procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Scheible
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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136
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Hensley TR, Easter AB, Gerdts SE, De Rosa SC, Heit A, McElrath MJ, Andersen-Nissen E. Enumeration of major peripheral blood leukocyte populations for multicenter clinical trials using a whole blood phenotyping assay. J Vis Exp 2012:e4302. [PMID: 23007739 DOI: 10.3791/4302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryopreservation of peripheral blood leukocytes is widely used to preserve cells for immune response evaluations in clinical trials and offers many advantages for ease and standardization of immunological assessments, but detrimental effects of this process have been observed on some cell subsets, such as granulocytes, B cells, and dendritic cells. Assaying fresh leukocytes gives a more accurate picture of the in vivo state of the cells, but is often difficult to perform in the context of large clinical trials. Fresh cell assays are dependent upon volunteer commitments and timeframes and, if time-consuming, their application can be impractical due to the working hours required of laboratory personnel. In addition, when trials are conducted at multiple centers, laboratories with the resources and training necessary to perform the assays may not be located in sufficient proximity to clinical sites. To address these issues, we have developed an 11-color antibody staining panel that can be used with Trucount tubes (Becton Dickinson; San Jose, CA) to phenotype and enumerate the major leukocyte populations within the peripheral blood, yielding more robust cell-type specific information than assays such as a complete blood count (CBC) or assays with commercially-available panels designed for Trucount tubes that stain for only a few cell types. The staining procedure is simple, requires only 100 μl of fresh whole blood, and takes approximately 45 minutes, making it feasible for standard blood-processing labs to perform. It is adapted from the BD Trucount tube technical data sheet (version 8/2010). The staining antibody cocktail can be prepared in advance in bulk at a central assay laboratory and shipped to the site processing labs. Stained tubes can be fixed and frozen for shipment to the central assay laboratory for multicolor flow cytometry analysis. The data generated from this staining panel can be used to track changes in leukocyte concentrations over time in relation to intervention and could easily be further developed to assess activation states of specific cell types of interest. In this report, we demonstrate the procedure used by blood-processing lab technicians to perform staining on fresh whole blood and the steps to analyze these stained samples at a central assay laboratory supporting a multicenter clinical trial. The video details the procedure as it is performed in the context of a clinical trial blood draw in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany R Hensley
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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137
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HIV-1-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay responses in HIV-1-exposed uninfected partners in discordant relationships compared to those in low-risk controls. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2012; 19:1798-805. [PMID: 22971780 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00179-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A number of studies of highly exposed HIV-1-seronegative individuals (HESN) have found HIV-1-specific cellular responses. However, there is limited evidence that responses prevent infection or are linked to HIV-1 exposure. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from HESN in HIV-1-discordant relationships and low-risk controls in Nairobi, Kenya. HIV-1-specific responses were detected using gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assays stimulated by peptide pools spanning the subtype A HIV-1 genome. The HIV-1 incidence in this HESN cohort was 1.5 per 100 person years. Positive ELISpot responses were found in 34 (10%) of 331 HESN and 14 (13%) of 107 low-risk controls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76; P = 0.476). The median immunodominant response was 18.9 spot-forming units (SFU)/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Among HESN, increasing age (OR = 1.24 per 5 years; P = 0.026) and longer cohabitation with the HIV-1-infected partner (OR = 5.88 per 5 years; P = 0.003) were associated with responses. These factors were not associated with responses in controls. Other exposure indicators, including the partner's HIV-1 load (OR = 0.99 per log(10) copy/ml; P = 0.974) and CD4 count (OR = 1.09 per 100 cells/μl; P = 0.238), were not associated with responses in HESN. HIV-1-specific cellular responses may be less relevant to resistance to infection among HESN who are using risk reduction strategies that decrease their direct viral exposure.
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138
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Orlov M, Vaida F, Finney OC, Smith DM, Talley AK, Wang R, Kappe SH, Deng Q, Schooley RT, Duffy PE. P. falciparum enhances HIV replication in an experimental malaria challenge system. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39000. [PMID: 22745697 PMCID: PMC3383717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Co-infection with HIV and P. falciparum worsens the prognosis of both infections; however, the mechanisms driving this adverse interaction are not fully delineated. To evaluate this, we studied HIV-1 and P. falciparum interactions in vitro using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from human malaria naïve volunteers experimentally infected with P. falciparum in a malaria challenge trial.PBMCs collected before the malaria challenge and at several time points post-infection were infected with HIV-1 and co-cultured with either P. falciparum infected (iRBCs) or uninfected (uRBCs) red blood cells. HIV p24Ag and TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and MIP-1α were quantified in the co-culture supernatants. In general, iRBCs stimulated more HIV p24Ag production by PBMCs than did uRBCs. HIV p24Ag production by PBMCs in the presence of iRBCs (but not uRBCs) further increased during convalescence (days 35, 56, and 90 post-challenge). In parallel, iRBCs induced higher secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and MIP-1α) than uRBCs, and production increased further during convalescence. Because the increase in p24Ag production occurred after parasitemia and generalized immune activation had resolved, our results suggest that enhanced HIV production is related to the development of anti-malaria immunity and may be mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Orlov
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Florin Vaida
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Olivia C. Finney
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David M. Smith
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Angela K. Talley
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ruobing Wang
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Stefan H. Kappe
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Qianqian Deng
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Robert T. Schooley
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Patrick E. Duffy
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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139
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Defawe OD, Fong Y, Vasilyeva E, Pickett M, Carter DK, Gabriel E, Rerks-Ngarm S, Nitayaphan S, Frahm N, McElrath MJ, De Rosa SC. Optimization and qualification of a multiplex bead array to assess cytokine and chemokine production by vaccine-specific cells. J Immunol Methods 2012; 382:117-28. [PMID: 22626638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2012.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The magnitude and functional phenotype (e.g. proliferation, immune stimulation) of vaccine-induced T-cell responses are likely to be critical in defining responses that can control pathogenic challenge. Current multi-parameter flow cytometric techniques may not be sufficient to measure all of these different functions, since characterizing T-cell responses by flow cytometry is presently limited to concurrent measurement of at most 10 cytokines/chemokines. Here, we describe extensive studies conducted using standardized GCLP procedures to optimize and qualitatively/quantitatively qualify a multiplex bead array (MBA) performed on supernatant collected from stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to assess 12 cytokines and chemokines of interest. Our optimized MBA shows good precision (intra-assay, inter-day, inter-technician; coefficients of variation <30%) and linearity for most of the analytes studied. We also developed positivity criteria that allow us to define a response as positive or negative with a high degree of confidence. In conclusion, we provide a detailed description of the qualification of an MBA, which permits quantitative and qualitative evaluation of vaccine-induced immunogenicity and analysis of immune correlates of protection. This assay provides an excellent complement to the existing repertoire of assays for assessing immunogenicity in HIV vaccine clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier D Defawe
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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140
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Schulz JC, Germann A, Kemp-Kamke B, Mazzotta A, von Briesen H, Zimmermann H. Towards a xeno-free and fully chemically defined cryopreservation medium for maintaining viability, recovery, and antigen-specific functionality of PBMC during long-term storage. J Immunol Methods 2012; 382:24-31. [PMID: 22580762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2012.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of cryopreserved peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) is important for evaluating new vaccines in immune based therapies and in pathogenesis studies. To ensure comparable assay results from different laboratories and points of time, collaborative research in multicenter trials needs reliable and reproducible cryopreservation protocols that maintain cell viability and functionality. Current cryomedia consist largely of fetal bovine serum (FBS), a natural mix of growth factors, cytokines, and undefined compounds. Standardized procedures are not possible, as FBS can affect the antigen-specific T-cell response, the most important parameter in functionality assays. Also, worldwide sample exchange is complicated by the strict import restrictions on FBS, because of transfection risk. After establishing a serum-free cryopreservation protocol that maintains cell viability, recovery and antigen-specific T-cell response of PBMC comparably to FBS-based cryomedia (Germann et al., 2011), the aim of this study was the complete avoidance of animal proteins and products in combination with efficient cryopreservation. As long-term stability of the cryopreservation process is crucial for retrospective evaluation of samples at different points of time, PBMC were analyzed after storage for maximal four weeks and again after approximately six months. The cryopreservation efficiency of the protein-free and fully chemically defined cryomedium was comparable to FBS-medium after storage for few weeks and several months. Directly after thawing, this medium yielded viabilities over 97% and recovery values over 84%. Also, the specific T-cell functionality was preserved. Additionally, short-term and six month cryopreservation gave comparable results. The fully chemically defined medium presented here will increase standardization and reproducibility of analysis in multicenter-studies or in retrospective evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Schulz
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, 66386 St. Ingbert, Germany
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141
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Andersen-Nissen E, Heit A, McElrath MJ. Profiling immunity to HIV vaccines with systems biology. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2012; 7:32-7. [PMID: 22134340 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0b013e32834ddcd9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The recent modest success of the RV144 HIV vaccine trial in Thailand has shown that development of an HIV vaccine is possible. Designing a vaccine that achieves better protection, however, will require a more complete understanding of vaccine mechanisms of action and correlates of protection. Systems biology approaches enable integration of large datasets from a variety of assays and offer new approaches to understanding how vaccine-induced immune responses are coordinately regulated. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in clinical trial design, specimen collection, and assay standardization that will generate datasets for systems analyses of immune responses to HIV vaccines. RECENT FINDINGS Several recently published HIV vaccine trials have shown that different HIV vaccine prime/boost combinations can greatly affect the immune response generated, but mechanistic insights into their modes of action are lacking. Novel systems biology studies of efficacious, licensed vaccines provide a new template for analysis of HIV vaccines. To generate datasets appropriate for systems analysis, current HIV vaccine clinical trials are undergoing design modifications and increased standardization of specimen collection and immune response assays. SUMMARY Systems biology approaches to HIV vaccine evaluation are driving new methods of HIV vaccine immune response profiling in clinical trials and will hopefully lead to new improved HIV vaccines in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Andersen-Nissen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
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142
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DNA and modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccines encoding multiple cytotoxic and helper T-lymphocyte epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are safe but weakly immunogenic in HIV-1-uninfected, vaccinia virus-naive adults. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2012; 19:649-58. [PMID: 22398243 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00038-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated a DNA plasmid-vectored vaccine and a recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccine (MVA-mBN32), each encoding cytotoxic and helper T-lymphocyte epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 36 HIV-1-uninfected adults using a heterologous prime-boost schedule. HIV-1-specific cellular immune responses, measured as interleukin-2 and/or gamma interferon production, were induced in 1 (4%) of 28 subjects after the first MVA-mBN32 immunization and in 3 (12%) of 25 subjects after the second MVA-mBN32 immunization. Among these responders, polyfunctional T-cell responses, including the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and perforin, were detected. Vaccinia virus-specific antibodies were induced to the MVA vector in 27 (93%) of 29 and 26 (93%) of 28 subjects after the first and second immunizations with MVA-mBN32. These peptide-based vaccines were safe but were ineffective at inducing HIV-1-specific immune responses and induced much weaker responses than MVA vaccines expressing the entire open reading frames of HIV-1 proteins.
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143
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HIV Vaccine Trials Network: activities and achievements of the first decade and beyond. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 2:245-254. [PMID: 23243491 DOI: 10.4155/cli.12.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) is an international collaboration of scientists and educators facilitating the development of HIV/AIDS preventive vaccines. The HVTN conducts all phases of clinical trials, from evaluating experimental vaccines for safety and immunogenicity, to testing vaccine efficacy. Over the past decade, the HVTN has aimed to improve the process of designing, implementing and analyzing vaccine trials. Several major achievements include streamlining protocol development while maintaining input from diverse stakeholders, establishing a laboratory program with standardized assays and systems allowing for reliable immunogenicity assessments across trials, setting statistical standards for the field and actively engaging with site communities. These achievements have allowed the HVTN to conduct over 50 clinical trials and make numerous scientific contributions to the field.
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144
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Abstract
Clinical development of vaccines requires a specific set of specialized assays to demonstrate the immunogenicity of the vaccine. Ideally, these assays should measure immune responses that correlate with protection against disease. Antibody responses usually correlates to protection for existing vaccines, but for vaccines currently in development it is not always clear which immune responses confer protection. Developing assays for new-generation vaccines usually requires working with cells, pathogens, antigens or assay controls that are not readily available, or are hazardous materials. Validation of these assays involves many challenges, and validation requirements are not yet fully specified in regulatory guidelines or White Papers. The different requirements for clinical vaccine assays and the related challenges in developing and validating these assays are described in this article. We provide our opinion on how to approach these challenges and how to apply the existing guidelines.
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145
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Chen T, Song D, Min Z, Wang X, Gu Y, Wei B, Yao J, Chen K, Jiang Z, Xie H, Zhou L, Zheng S. Perioperative dynamic alterations in peripheral regulatory T and B cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2012; 10:14. [PMID: 22272696 PMCID: PMC3292477 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-10-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Intratumoral and circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to be critical in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However there is limited knowledge on the alterations of regulatory B cells (Bregs). We here investigated perioperative dynamic alterations of peripheral circulating Tregs and Bregs in HCC patients to reveal the relationship between regulatory lymphocytes and its clinical implications. Methods 36 patients with HCC, 6 with chronic hepatitis B infection and 10 healthy donors were enrolled for this study. Frequencies of peripheral Tregs and Bregs were measured by flow cytometry with antibodies against CD4, CD25, CD127, CD19 and IL-10 before, and after radical surgery. Then, clinical informatics of HCC patients was achieved through Digital Evaluation Score System (DESS) for the assessment of disease severity. Finally, we analysed correlations between digitalized clinical features and kinetics of circulating regulatory lymphocytes. Results Level of circulating CD4+CD25+CD127- Tregs in HCC patients was significantly lower than that in healthy donors and patients with chronic hepatitis B infection before surgery, but was increased after surgery. Preoperative level of CD19+ IL-10+ Bregs in HCC patients was also significantly lower than the other groups. However it dramatically was elevated right after surgery and remained elevated compared to controls (about 7 days after surgery, P = 0.04). Frequency of circulating Tregs was correlated with circulating leukocytes, ferritin, and clinical features suggesting tumor aggressiveness including portal vein thrombosis, hepatic vein involvement and advanced clinical stages. Frequency of circulating Bregs was associated with Hepatitis B e Antigen (HBeAg) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA copy number. In addition, DESS was significantly and positively correlated with other staging systems. Conclusion Frequencies of peripheral Tregs and Bregs in HCC patients increased after surgery. These results suggest that a postoperative combination of therapies against Tregs and Bregs may be beneficial for better outcome of HCC patients after resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxiang Chen
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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146
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Njai HF, Gombe B, Khamis T, Birungi J, Ruzagira E, Admassu D, Tarragona-Fiol T, Porter K, Stevens G, Mugisha J, Gilmour J, Kamali A, Kaleebu P. Setting Up a Standardized Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Processing Laboratory to Support Multi-center HIV/AIDS Vaccine and Intervention Trials. Lab Med 2011. [DOI: 10.1309/lm84wweuskt4abxo] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
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147
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Augmented HIV-specific interferon-gamma responses, but impaired lymphoproliferation during interruption of antiretroviral treatment initiated in primary HIV infection. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2011; 58:1-8. [PMID: 21637110 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0b013e318224d0c7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antiretroviral therapy (ART) introduced during primary HIV infection followed by treatment interruption (TI) is postulated to enhance virologic control through induction of HIV-specific CD4 T cells, which foster virus-specific CD8+ T cells that suppress virus replication. This hypothesis was evaluated in 21 subjects enrolled in AIDS Clinical Trials Group 709, a substudy of AIDS Clinical Trials Group 371, which prospectively evaluated subjects who received ≥1 year of ART initiated in acute or recent HIV infection followed by TI. METHODS Lymphoproliferation was assessed by [methyl-H] thymidine incorporation and HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell interferon-gamma responses by enzyme-linked immunospot-forming assays. Virologic success was defined as sustained viral load <5000 copies per milliliter for 24 weeks after TI. RESULTS HIV-specific lymphoproliferative responses were detected at least once in 5 (24%) of 21 subjects, were generally transient, and were unrelated to HIV-specific interferon-gamma responses (P > 0.4). HIV-specific CD8+ interferon-gamma responses increased after 48 weeks of ART (P = 0.03), but failed to predict virologic success (P = 0.18). Compared with seronegative subjects, lymphoproliferation to Candida, cytomegalovirus, and alloantigens was similar in HIV-infected subjects during ART, but lower during TI (P ≤ 0.04). CONCLUSIONS HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell interferon-gamma responses expand during ART following primary HIV infection, but are not related to HIV-specific lymphoproliferative responses nor virologic success. Impaired non-HIV antigen-specific lymphoproliferation associated with TI suggests this strategy could be deleterious.
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148
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van der Aa LB, Lutter R, Heymans HSA, Smids BS, Dekker T, van Aalderen WMC, Sillevis Smitt JH, Knippels LMJ, Garssen J, Nauta AJ, Sprikkelman AB. No detectable beneficial systemic immunomodulatory effects of a specific synbiotic mixture in infants with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Allergy 2011; 42:531-9. [PMID: 22092915 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03890.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a murine model of allergic inflammation, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V has been shown to reduce IL-4 and IgE by inducing IL-10 and IFN-γ. However, it remains unknown whether this strain has the same effect in humans with allergic disease. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of Bifidobacterium breve M-16V combined with a prebiotic oligosaccharide mixture (synbiotic) on atopic markers, ex vivo cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and circulating regulatory T cell percentage in infants with atopic dermatitis. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-centre trial, 90 infants with atopic dermatitis, age <7 months, were randomized to receive an infant formula with Bifidobacterium breve M-16V and a mixture of short chain galactooligosaccharides and long chain fructooligosaccharides (Immunofortis(®) ), or the same formula without synbiotics during 12 weeks. At week 0 and 12, plasma levels of IL-5, IgG1, IgG4, CTACK and TARC, ex vivo cytokine responses by PBMCs and percentage of regulatory T cells, were determined. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the synbiotic and the placebo group in IL-5, IgG1, IgG4, CTACK and TARC levels and ex vivo cytokine production by anti-CD3/anti-CD28-stimulated PBMCs. With allergen-specific stimuli, we found a decreased IL-12p40/70 and IL-12p70 production in response to egg allergen (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01, respectively) and decreased IL-12p70 production in response to peanut allergen (P = 0.003) in the synbiotic compared with the placebo group. Circulating regulatory T cell percentage did not significantly differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE This synbiotic mixture has no detectable effect on plasma levels of the analysed atopic disease markers, ex vivo cytokine production and circulating regulatory T cell percentage in infants with atopic dermatitis, besides down-regulation of IL-12 production in egg- and peanut-stimulated PBMCs. These results do not support the use of this synbiotic in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B van der Aa
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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149
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Butterfield LH, Potter DM, Kirkwood JM. Multiplex serum biomarker assessments: technical and biostatistical issues. J Transl Med 2011; 9:173. [PMID: 21989127 PMCID: PMC3200183 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-9-173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers for patients with disease and undergoing different therapeutic options is a very active area of investigation. Many of these studies seek biomarkers among circulating proteins accessed in blood. Many levels of standardization in materials and procedures have been identified which can impact the resulting data. METHODS Here, we have observed unexpected variability in levels of commonly tested analytes in serum which were processed and stored under standardized conditions. We have identified apparent changes in cytokine, chemokine and growth factor levels detected by multiplex Luminex assay in melanoma patient and healthy donor serum samples, over storage time at -80°C. Controls included Luminex kit standards, multiplexed cytokine standards and WHO cytokine controls. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon rank-sum testing and Spearman's test for correlations. RESULTS The interpretation of these changes is confounded by lot-to-lot kit standard curve reagent changes made by a single manufacturer of Luminex kits. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies previously unknown sources of variation in a commonly used biomarker assay, and suggests additional levels of controls needed for identification of true changes in circulating protein levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa H Butterfield
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Douglas M Potter
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Depament of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - John M Kirkwood
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 5117 Centre Avenue, suite 1.27, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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150
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Cell-to-cell contact with hepatitis C virus-infected cells reduces functional capacity of natural killer cells. J Virol 2011; 85:12557-69. [PMID: 21937646 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00838-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The distinct feature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a high incidence of chronicity. The reason for chronic HCV infection has been actively investigated, and impairment of innate and adaptive immune responses against HCV is proposed as a plausible cause. Whereas functional impairment of HCV-specific T cells is well characterized, the role and functional status of natural killer (NK) cells in each phase of HCV infection are still elusive. We therefore investigated whether direct interaction between NK cells and HCV-infected cells modulates NK cell function. HCV-permissive human hepatoma cell lines were infected with cell culture-generated HCV virions and cocultured with primary human NK cells. Cell-to-cell contact between NK cells and HCV-infected cells reduced NK cells' capacity to degranulate and lyse target cells, especially in the CD56(dim) NK cell subset, which is characterized by low-density surface expression of CD56. The decrease in degranulation capacity was correlated with downregulated expression of NK cell-activating receptors, such as NKG2D and NKp30, on NK cells. The ability of NK cells to produce and secrete gamma interferon (IFN-γ) also diminished after exposure to HCV-infected cells. The decline of IFN-γ production was consistent with the reduction of NK cell degranulation. In conclusion, cell-to-cell contact with HCV-infected cells negatively modulated functional capacity of NK cells, and the inhibition of NK cell function was associated with downregulation of NK-activating receptors on NK cell surfaces. These observations suggest that direct cell-to-cell interaction between NK cells and HCV-infected hepatocytes may impair NK cell function in vivo and thereby contribute to the establishment of chronic infection.
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