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Mansouri P, Mansouri P, Behmard E, Najafipour S, Kouhpayeh SA, Farjadfar A. Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD): A promising target for chronic diseases treatment. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 278:134576. [PMID: 39127273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
In 1958, the presence of citrulline in the structure of the proteins was discovered for the first time. Several years later they found that Arginine converted to citrulline during a post-translational modification process by PAD enzyme. Each PAD is expressed in a certain tissue developing a series of diseases such as inflammation and cancers. Among these, PAD2 and PAD4 play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by producing citrullinated autoantigens and increasing the production of inflammatory cytokines. PAD4 is also associated with the formation of NET structures and thrombosis. In the crystallographic structure, PAD has several calcium binding sites, and the active site of the enzyme consists of different amino acids. Various PAD inhibitors have been developed divided into pan-PAD and selective PAD inhibitors. F-amidine, Cl-amidine, and BB-Cl-amidine are some of pan-PAD inhibitors. AFM-30a and JBI589 are selective for PAD2 and PAD4, respectively. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of existing inhibitors more accurately in the coming years, as well as design and production of novel inhibitors targeting highly specific isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pegah Mansouri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Pardis Mansouri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Behmard
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Sohrab Najafipour
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Seyed Amin Kouhpayeh
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
| | - Akbar Farjadfar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
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Callebaut A, Guyer P, Derua R, Buitinga M, Manganaro A, Yi X, Sodré FMC, Vig S, Suleiman M, Marchetti P, Eizirik DL, Kent SC, Mathieu C, James EA, Overbergh L. CD4+ T Cells From Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes Respond to a Novel Class of Deamidated Peptides Formed in Pancreatic Islets. Diabetes 2024; 73:728-742. [PMID: 38387030 PMCID: PMC11043062 DOI: 10.2337/db23-0588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The β-cell plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, in part through the posttranslational modification of self-proteins by biochemical processes such as deamidation. These neoantigens are potential triggers for breaking immune tolerance. We report the detection by LC-MS/MS of 16 novel Gln and 27 novel Asn deamidations in 14 disease-related proteins within inflammatory cytokine-stressed human islets of Langerhans. T-cell clones responsive against one Gln- and three Asn-deamidated peptides could be isolated from peripheral blood of individuals with type 1 diabetes. Ex vivo HLA class II tetramer staining detected higher T-cell frequencies in individuals with the disease compared with control individuals. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the frequencies of T cells specific for deamidated peptides, insulin antibody levels at diagnosis, and duration of disease. These results highlight that stressed human islets are prone to enzymatic and biochemical deamidation and suggest that both Gln- and Asn-deamidated peptides can promote the activation and expansion of autoreactive CD4+ T cells. These findings add to the growing evidence that posttranslational modifications undermine tolerance and may open the road for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic applications for individuals living with type 1 diabetes. ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Aïsha Callebaut
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - Perrin Guyer
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - Rita Derua
- Laboratory of Protein Phosphorylation and Proteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mijke Buitinga
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anthony Manganaro
- Diabetes Center of Excellence, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Xiaoyan Yi
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Saurabh Vig
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mara Suleiman
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Piero Marchetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Decio L. Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sally C. Kent
- Diabetes Center of Excellence, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Chantal Mathieu
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eddie A. James
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | - Lut Overbergh
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Carlé C, Degboe Y, Ruyssen-Witrand A, Arleevskaya MI, Clavel C, Renaudineau Y. Characteristics of the (Auto)Reactive T Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis According to the Immune Epitope Database. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054296. [PMID: 36901730 PMCID: PMC10001542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Accordingly, and to better understand T cells' contribution to RA, a comprehensive review based on an analysis of the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) was conducted. An immune CD8+ T cell senescence response is reported in RA and inflammatory diseases, which is driven by active viral antigens from latent viruses and cryptic self-apoptotic peptides. RA-associated pro-inflammatory CD4+ T cells are selected by MHC class II and immunodominant peptides, which are derived from molecular chaperones, host extra-cellular and cellular peptides that could be post-translationally modified (PTM), and bacterial cross-reactive peptides. A large panel of techniques have been used to characterize (auto)reactive T cells and RA-associated peptides with regards to their interaction with the MHC and TCR, capacity to enter the docking site of the shared epitope (DRB1-SE), capacity to induce T cell proliferation, capacity to select T cell subsets (Th1/Th17, Treg), and clinical contribution. Among docking DRB1-SE peptides, those with PTM expand autoreactive and high-affinity CD4+ memory T cells in RA patients with an active disease. Considering original therapeutic options in RA, mutated, or altered peptide ligands (APL) have been developed and are tested in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Carlé
- Referral Medical Biology Laboratory, Immunology Department, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, Toulouse University Hospital Center, 31300 Toulouse, France
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Cytology, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, Toulouse University Hospital Center, 31300 Toulouse, France
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (INFINITy), INSERM U1291, CNRS U5051, University Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Yannick Degboe
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (INFINITy), INSERM U1291, CNRS U5051, University Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Rheumatology Department, Toulouse University Hospital Center, 31300 Toulouse, France
| | | | - Marina I. Arleevskaya
- Central Research Laboratory, Kazan State Medical Academy, 420012 Kazan, Russia
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Cyril Clavel
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Cytology, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, Toulouse University Hospital Center, 31300 Toulouse, France
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (INFINITy), INSERM U1291, CNRS U5051, University Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Yves Renaudineau
- Referral Medical Biology Laboratory, Immunology Department, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, Toulouse University Hospital Center, 31300 Toulouse, France
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (INFINITy), INSERM U1291, CNRS U5051, University Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-561-776-245
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Guyer P, Arribas-Layton D, Manganaro A, Speake C, Lord S, Eizirik DL, Kent SC, Mallone R, James EA. Recognition of mRNA Splice Variant and Secretory Granule Epitopes by CD4+ T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes 2023; 72:85-96. [PMID: 36201618 PMCID: PMC9797322 DOI: 10.2337/db22-0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A recent discovery effort resulted in identification of novel splice variant and secretory granule antigens within the HLA class I peptidome of human islets and documentation of their recognition by CD8+ T cells from peripheral blood and human islets. In the current study, we applied a systematic discovery process to identify novel CD4+ T cell epitopes derived from these candidate antigens. We predicted 145 potential epitopes spanning unique splice junctions and within conventional secretory granule antigens and measured their in vitro binding to DRB1*04:01. We generated HLA class II tetramers for the 35 peptides with detectable binding and used these to assess immunogenicity and isolate T cell clones. Tetramers corresponding to peptides with verified immunogenicity were then used to label T cells specific for these putative epitopes in peripheral blood. T cells that recognize distinct epitopes derived from a cyclin I splice variant, neuroendocrine convertase 2, and urocortin-3 were detected at frequencies that were similar to those of an immunodominant proinsulin epitope. Cells specific for these novel epitopes predominantly exhibited a Th1-like surface phenotype. Among the three epitopes, responses to the cyclin I peptide exhibited a distinct memory profile. Responses to neuroendocrine convertase 2 were detected among pancreatic infiltrating T cells. These results further establish the contribution of unconventional antigens to the loss of tolerance in autoimmune diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrin Guyer
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA
| | - David Arribas-Layton
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Anthony Manganaro
- Division of Diabetes, Diabetes Center of Excellence, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Cate Speake
- Diabetes Clinical Research Program and Center for Interventional Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Sandra Lord
- Diabetes Clinical Research Program and Center for Interventional Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Decio L. Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sally C. Kent
- Division of Diabetes, Diabetes Center of Excellence, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | - Roberto Mallone
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Service de Diabétologie et Immunologie Clinique, Cochin Hospital, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Eddie A. James
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA
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Brentville VA, Symonds P, Chua J, Skinner A, Daniels I, Cook KW, Koncarevic S, Martinez-Pinna R, Shah S, Choudhury RH, Vaghela P, Weston D, Al-Omari A, Davis J, Durrant LG. Citrullinated glucose-regulated protein 78 is a candidate target for melanoma immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1066185. [PMID: 36544781 PMCID: PMC9760948 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1066185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post translational modification of proteins plays a significant role in immune recognition. In particular the modification of arginine to citrulline which is mediated by PAD enzymes is increased during cellular stress (autophagy) which permits the presentation of modified epitopes upon MHC class II molecules for recognition by CD4 T cells. Citrullination also occurs in tumour cells as a result of continuous environmental stresses and increased autophagy. We have shown in animal models the efficient stimulation of citrullinated epitope specific CD4 T cells resulting in dramatic elimination/regression of tumours. The ER chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is known to also be required for stress-induced autophagy and is directly linked to autophagosome formation. GRP78 is known to be highly expressed by many tumour types. In this study we investigate the potential of targeting citrullinated GRP78 for cancer therapy. Methods A citrullinated GRP78 specific antibody was used to assess citrullinated GRP78 expression in murine and human tumour cells by flow cytometry. Five peptides were selected and used to vaccinate HLA transgenic mice and immune responses were characterised by ex vivo cytokine ELISpot assay. T cell repertoire in humans was assessed through proliferation assays and cytokine ELISpot assay. Citrullinated peptide was identified in murine B16 melanoma by mass spectrometry and the peptide vaccine was assessed for tumour therapy in a mouse melanoma model. Results We show the identification CD4 T cell responses to one citrullinated GRP78 epitope that are restricted through HLA DP*0401 and HLA-DR*0101 alleles. This peptide is detected by mass spectrometry in B16 melanoma grown in vivo and citrulline specific CD4 responses to two peptides spanning this epitope mediate efficient therapy of established B16 melanoma tumours in HHDII/DP4 (p<0.0001) transgenic mouse model. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of a repertoire of responses to the citrullinated GRP78 peptide in healthy individuals (p=0.0023) with 13/17 (76%) individuals showing a response to this peptide. Conclusion We propose that citrullinated GRP78 is a candidate tumour antigen and vaccination against citrullinated GRP78 may provide a promising tumour therapy approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Anne Brentville
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Victoria Anne Brentville,
| | - Peter Symonds
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - JiaXin Chua
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Skinner
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Daniels
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Wendy Cook
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sasa Koncarevic
- Proteome Sciences R & D GmbH & Co.KG, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
| | | | - Sabaria Shah
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ruhul Hasan Choudhury
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Poonam Vaghela
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Daisy Weston
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Abdullah Al-Omari
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - James Davis
- Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Lindy G. Durrant
- Scancell Limited, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom,Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Hu A, Zou H, Chen B, Zhong J. Posttranslational modifications in diabetes: Mechanisms and functions. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2022; 23:1011-1033. [PMID: 35697961 DOI: 10.1007/s11154-022-09740-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
As one of the most widespread chronic diseases, diabetes and its accompanying complications affect approximately one tenth of individuals worldwide and represent a growing cause of morbidity and mortality. Accumulating evidence has proven that the process of diabetes is complex and interactive, involving various cellular responses and signaling cascades by posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Therefore, understanding the mechanisms and functions of PTMs in regulatory networks has fundamental importance for understanding the prediction, onset, diagnosis, progression, and treatment of diabetes. In this review, we offer a holistic summary and illustration of the crosstalk between PTMs and diabetes, including both types 1 and 2. Meanwhile, we discuss the potential use of PTMs in diabetes treatment and provide a prospective direction for deeply understanding the metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, 323 National Road, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China
| | - Haohong Zou
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, 323 National Road, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, 323 National Road, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Jianing Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, 323 National Road, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China.
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Sandalova T, Sala BM, Achour A. Structural aspects of chemical modifications in the MHC-restricted immunopeptidome; Implications for immune recognition. Front Chem 2022; 10:861609. [PMID: 36017166 PMCID: PMC9395651 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.861609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant advances in mass-spectroscopy (MS) have made it possible to investigate the cellular immunopeptidome, a large collection of MHC-associated epitopes presented on the surface of healthy, stressed and infected cells. These approaches have hitherto allowed the unambiguous identification of large cohorts of epitope sequences that are restricted to specific MHC class I and II molecules, enhancing our understanding of the quantities, qualities and origins of these peptide populations. Most importantly these analyses provide essential information about the immunopeptidome in responses to pathogens, autoimmunity and cancer, and will hopefully allow for future tailored individual therapies. Protein post-translational modifications (PTM) play a key role in cellular functions, and are essential for both maintaining cellular homeostasis and increasing the diversity of the proteome. A significant proportion of proteins is post-translationally modified, and thus a deeper understanding of the importance of PTM epitopes in immunopeptidomes is essential for a thorough and stringent understanding of these peptide populations. The aim of the present review is to provide a structural insight into the impact of PTM peptides on stability of MHC/peptide complexes, and how these may alter/modulate immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benedetta Maria Sala
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Section for Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Adnane Achour,
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8
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Maggi J, Carrascal M, Soto L, Neira O, Cuéllar MC, Aravena O, James EA, Abian J, Jaraquemada D, Catalan D, Aguillón JC. Isolation of HLA-DR-naturally presented peptides identifies T-cell epitopes for rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2022; 81:1096-1105. [PMID: 35459695 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) immunopathogenesis revolves around the presentation of poorly characterised self-peptides by human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-class II molecules on the surface of antigen-presenting cells to autoreactive CD4 +T cells. Here, we analysed the HLA-DR-associated peptidome of synovial tissue (ST) and of dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with synovial fluid (SF) or ST, to identify potential T-cell epitopes for RA. METHODS HLA-DR/peptide complexes were isolated from RA ST samples (n=3) and monocyte-derived DCs, generated from healthy donors carrying RA-associated shared epitope positive HLA-DR molecules and pulsed with RA SF (n=7) or ST (n=2). Peptide sequencing was performed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The immunostimulatory capacity of selected peptides was evaluated on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with RA (n=29) and healthy subjects (n=12) by flow cytometry. RESULTS We identified between 103 and 888 HLA-DR-naturally presented peptides per sample. We selected 37 native and six citrullinated (cit)-peptides for stimulation assays. Six of these peptides increased the expression of CD40L on CD4 +T cells patients with RA, and specifically triggered IFN-γ expression on RA CD4 +T cells compared with healthy subjects. Finally, the frequency of IFN-γ-producing CD4 +T cells specific for a myeloperoxidase-derived peptide showed a positive correlation with disease activity. CONCLUSIONS We significantly expanded the peptide repertoire presented by HLA-DR molecules in a physiologically relevant context, identifying six new epitopes recognised by CD4 +T cells from patients with RA. This information is important for a better understanding of the disease immunopathology, as well as for designing tolerising antigen-specific immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaxaira Maggi
- Immune Regulation and Tolerance Research Group, Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Universidad de Chile Facultad de Medicina, Santiago, Chile
| | - Montserrat Carrascal
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lilian Soto
- Immune Regulation and Tolerance Research Group, Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Universidad de Chile Facultad de Medicina, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Medicina, Unidad del Dolor, Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile Jose Joaquin Aguirre, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oscar Neira
- Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital del Salvador, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - María C Cuéllar
- Servicio de Reumatología, Hospital del Salvador, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Octavio Aravena
- Immune Regulation and Tolerance Research Group, Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Universidad de Chile Facultad de Medicina, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eddie A James
- Translational Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joaquin Abian
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolores Jaraquemada
- Immunology Unit, Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology Department, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Catalan
- Immune Regulation and Tolerance Research Group, Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Universidad de Chile Facultad de Medicina, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan C Aguillón
- Immune Regulation and Tolerance Research Group, Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Universidad de Chile Facultad de Medicina, Santiago, Chile
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Yasuda T, Tahara K, Sawada T. Detection of salivary citrullinated cytokeratin 13 in healthy individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis by proteomics analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265687. [PMID: 35320820 PMCID: PMC8942274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune response to citrullinated peptides in the mucosa has been suggested to play an important role in the transition from pre-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to clinically evident RA. Although there are reports indicating the presence of anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies in the saliva, few studies have reported citrullinated peptide detection in human saliva. This study aimed to identify citrullinated peptides in human saliva and discuss their clinical significance. Saliva samples were collected from 11 patients with RA and from 20 healthy individuals. Citrullinated peptides were detected using an anti-modified citrulline (AMC) antibody. Saliva from the healthy individuals was subjected to two-dimensional protein electrophoresis to isolate citrullinated peptides, which were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry by peptide mass fingerprinting. The results were corroborated by immunoprecipitation (IP)-western blotting. The signal intensities of the bands precipitated with anti-cytokeratin 13 (CK13) and AMC antibodies were quantified. The signal intensity ratio of the band produced by the AMC antibody was divided by that of the band produced by the anti-CK13 antibody to calculate the citrullinated CK13 (Cit-CK13) ratio. A citrullinated peptide band corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 50 kDa was detected in the saliva of healthy individuals, and identified as CK13 via mass spectrometry and IP-western blotting. No significant difference was observed between the salivary Cit-CK13 ratios of patients with RA and healthy participants (p = 0.605). This is the first study to show that Cit-CK13 is present in human saliva, and that there is no significant difference between the Cit-CK13 ratios of patients with RA and healthy individuals, suggesting that salivary Cit-CK13 content and RA development may not be associated. The physiological and pathological roles of Cit-CK13 in the oral cavity, and its responsiveness to mucosal immunity, remain unknown and will be the subject of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Yasuda
- Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichiro Tahara
- Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuji Sawada
- Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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Kondo N, Kuroda T, Kobayashi D. Cytokine Networks in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222010922. [PMID: 34681582 PMCID: PMC8539723 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic systemic inflammation causing progressive joint damage that can lead to lifelong disability. The pathogenesis of RA involves a complex network of various cytokines and cells that trigger synovial cell proliferation and cause damage to both cartilage and bone. Involvement of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 is central to the pathogenesis of RA, but recent research has revealed that other cytokines such as IL-7, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-1β, IL-18, IL-33, and IL-2 also play a role. Clarification of RA pathology has led to the development of therapeutic agents such as biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, and further details of the immunological background to RA are emerging. This review covers existing knowledge regarding the roles of cytokines, related immune cells and the immune system in RA, manipulation of which may offer the potential for even safer and more effective treatments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kondo
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Regenerative and Transplant Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-Dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City 951-8510, Japan;
| | - Takeshi Kuroda
- Health Administration Center, Niigata University, 2-8050 Ikarashi, Nishi-ku, Niigata City 950-2181, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-25-262-6244; Fax: +81-25-262-7517
| | - Daisuke Kobayashi
- Division of Clinical Nephrology and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-Dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City 951-8510, Japan;
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11
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Man S, Redman JE, Cross DL, Cole DK, Can I, Davies B, Hashimdeen SS, Reid R, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Miners KL, Ladell K, Lissina A, Brown PE, Wooldridge L, Price DA, Rizkallah PJ. Synthetic Peptides with Inadvertent Chemical Modifications Can Activate Potentially Autoreactive T Cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2021; 207:1009-1017. [PMID: 34321228 PMCID: PMC7615501 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The human CD8+ T cell clone 6C5 has previously been shown to recognize the tert-butyl-modified Bax161-170 peptide LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT presented by HLA-A*02:01. This nonnatural epitope was likely created as a by-product of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl protecting group peptide synthesis and bound poorly to HLA-A*02:01. In this study, we used a systematic approach to identify and characterize natural ligands for the 6C5 TCR. Functional analyses revealed that 6C5 T cells only recognized the LLSYFGTPT peptide when tBu was added to the tyrosine residue and did not recognize the LLSYFGTPT peptide modified with larger (di-tBu) or smaller chemical groups (Me). Combinatorial peptide library screening further showed that 6C5 T cells recognized a series of self-derived peptides with dissimilar amino acid sequences to LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT. Structural studies of LLSY(3-tBu)FGTPT and two other activating nonamers (IIGWMWIPV and LLGWVFAQV) in complex with HLA-A*02:01 demonstrated similar overall peptide conformations and highlighted the importance of the position (P) 4 residue for T cell recognition, particularly the capacity of the bulky amino acid tryptophan to substitute for the tBu-modified tyrosine residue in conjunction with other changes at P5 and P6. Collectively, these results indicated that chemical modifications directly altered the immunogenicity of a synthetic peptide via molecular mimicry, leading to the inadvertent activation of a T cell clone with unexpected and potentially autoreactive specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Man
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
| | - James E Redman
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah L Cross
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - David K Cole
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilona Can
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Bethan Davies
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Shaikh Shimaz Hashimdeen
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Reiss Reid
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sian Llewellyn-Lacey
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly L Miners
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kristin Ladell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anya Lissina
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Paul E Brown
- The Zeeman Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; and
| | - Linda Wooldridge
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre J Rizkallah
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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12
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Hensvold A, Klareskog L. Towards prevention of autoimmune diseases: The example of rheumatoid arthritis. Eur J Immunol 2021; 51:1921-1933. [PMID: 34110013 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prevention is the ultimate aim for clinicians and scientists concerned with severe diseases, like many immune-mediated conditions. Here, we describe recent progress in the understanding of etiology and molecular pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which make this disease a potential prototype for prevention that may include both public health measures and targeted and personalized approaches that we call "personalized prevention." Critical components of this knowledge are (i) better understanding of the dynamics of the RA-associated autoimmunity that may begin many years before onset of joint inflammation; (ii) insights into how this immunity may be triggered at mucosal surfaces after distinct environmental challenges; (iii) better understanding of which features of the pre-existing immunity may cause symptoms that precede joint inflammation and predict a high risk for imminent arthritis development; and (iv) how molecular events occurring before onset of inflammation might be targeted by existing or future therapies, ultimately by specific targeting of Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II restricted and RA-specific immunity. Our main conclusion is that studies and interventions in the phase of autoimmunity preceding RA offer new opportunities to prevent the disease and thereby also understand the molecular pathogenesis of its different variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aase Hensvold
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital (Solna), Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Rheumatology, Academic Specialist Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Klareskog
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital (Solna), Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Rheumatology, Academic Specialist Center, Stockholm, Sweden.,Rheumatology Section, Theme inflammation and Infection, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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13
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Rodriguez-Calvo T, Johnson JD, Overbergh L, Dunne JL. Neoepitopes in Type 1 Diabetes: Etiological Insights, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets. Front Immunol 2021; 12:667989. [PMID: 33953728 PMCID: PMC8089389 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.667989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis remain largely unknown. While autoantibodies to pancreatic beta-cell antigens are often the first biological response and thereby a useful biomarker for identifying individuals in early stages of T1D, their role in T1D pathogenesis is not well understood. Recognition of these antigenic targets by autoreactive T-cells plays a pathological role in T1D development. Recently, several beta-cell neoantigens have been described, indicating that both neoantigens and known T1D antigens escape central or peripheral tolerance. Several questions regarding the mechanisms by which tolerance is broken in T1D remain unanswered. Further delineating the timing and nature of antigenic responses could allow their use as biomarkers to improve staging, as targets for therapeutic intervention, and lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to loss of tolerance. Multiple factors that contribute to cellular stress may result in the generation of beta-cell derived neoepitopes and contribute to autoimmunity. Understanding the cellular mechanisms that induce beta-cells to produce neoantigens has direct implications on development of therapies to intercept T1D disease progression. In this perspective, we will discuss evidence for the role of neoantigens in the pathogenesis of T1D, including antigenic responses and cellular mechanisms. We will additionally discuss the pathways leading to neoepitope formation and the cross talk between the immune system and the beta-cells in this regard. Ultimately, delineating the timing of neoepitope generation in T1D pathogenesis will determine their role as biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rodriguez-Calvo
- Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - James D. Johnson
- Diabetes Research Group, Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lut Overbergh
- Laboratory Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessica L. Dunne
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Raritan, NJ, United States
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14
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Song J, Schwenzer A, Wong A, Turcinov S, Rims C, Martinez LR, Arribas-Layton D, Gerstner C, Muir VS, Midwood KS, Malmström V, James EA, Buckner JH. Shared recognition of citrullinated tenascin-C peptides by T and B cells in rheumatoid arthritis. JCI Insight 2021; 6:145217. [PMID: 33507879 PMCID: PMC8021118 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.145217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Tenascin-C (TNC), an extracellular matrix protein that has proinflammatory properties, is a recently described antibody target in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we utilized a systematic discovery process and identified 5 potentially novel citrullinated TNC (cit-TNC) T cell epitopes. CD4+ T cells specific for these epitopes were elevated in the peripheral blood of subjects with RA and showed signs of activation. Cit-TNC–specific T cells were also present among synovial fluid T cells and secreted IFN-γ. Two of these cit-TNC T cell epitopes were also recognized by antibodies within the serum and synovial fluid of individuals with RA. Detectable serum levels of cit-TNC–reactive antibodies were prevalent among subjects with RA and positively associated with cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) reactivity and the HLA shared epitope. Furthermore, cit-TNC–reactive antibodies were correlated with rheumatoid factor and elevated in subjects with a history of smoking. This work confirms cit-TNC as an autoantigen that is targeted by autoreactive CD4+ T cells and autoantibodies in patients with RA. Furthermore, our findings raise the possibility that coinciding epitopes recognized by both CD4+ T cells and B cells have the potential to amplify autoimmunity and promote the development and progression of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Song
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Anja Schwenzer
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alicia Wong
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Turcinov
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cliff Rims
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Lorena Rodriguez Martinez
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Arribas-Layton
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Christina Gerstner
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Virginia S Muir
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kim S Midwood
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Vivianne Malmström
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eddie A James
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jane H Buckner
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
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15
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Non-Genetically Encoded Epitopes Are Relevant Targets in Autoimmune Diabetes. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9020202. [PMID: 33671312 PMCID: PMC7922826 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9020202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Islet antigen reactive T cells play a key role in promoting beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Self-reactive T cells are typically deleted through negative selection in the thymus or deviated to a regulatory phenotype. Nevertheless, those processes are imperfect such that even healthy individuals have a reservoir of potentially autoreactive T cells. What remains less clear is how tolerance is lost to insulin and other beta cell specific antigens. Islet autoantibodies, the best predictor of disease risk, are known to recognize classical antigens such as proinsulin, GAD65, IA-2, and ZnT8. These antibodies are thought to be supported by the expansion of autoreactive CD4+ T cells that recognize these same antigenic targets. However, recent studies have identified new classes of non-genetically encoded epitopes that may reflect crucial gaps in central and peripheral tolerance. Notably, some of these specificities, including epitopes from enzymatically post-translationally modified antigens and hybrid insulin peptides, are present at relatively high frequencies in the peripheral blood of patients with T1D. We conclude that CD4+ T cells that recognize non-genetically encoded epitopes are likely to make an important contribution to the progression of islet autoimmunity in T1D. We further propose that these classes of neo-epitopes should be considered as possible targets for strategies to induce antigen specific tolerance.
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16
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Becart S, Whittington KB, Prislovsky A, Rao NL, Rosloniec EF. The role of posttranslational modifications in generating neo-epitopes that bind to rheumatoid arthritis-associated HLA-DR alleles and promote autoimmune T cell responses. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245541. [PMID: 33465118 PMCID: PMC7815092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
While antibodies to citrullinated proteins have become a diagnostic hallmark in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we still do not understand how the autoimmune T cell response is influenced by these citrullinated proteins. To investigate the role of citrullinated antigens in HLA-DR1- and DR4-restricted T cell responses, we utilized mouse models that express these MHC-II alleles to determine the relationship between citrullinated peptide affinity for these DR molecules and the ability of these peptides to induce a T cell response. Using a set of peptides from proteins thought to be targeted by the autoimmune T cell responses in RA, aggrecan, vimentin, fibrinogen, and type II collagen, we found that while citrullination can enhance the binding affinity for these DR alleles, it does not always do so, even when in the critical P4 position. Moreover, if peptide citrullination does enhance HLA-DR binding affinity, it does not necessarily predict the generation of a T cell response. Conversely, citrullinated peptides can stimulate T cells without changing the peptide binding affinity for HLA-DR1 or DR4. Furthermore, citrullination of an autoantigen, type II collagen, which enhances binding affinity to HLA-DR1 did not enhance the severity of autoimmune arthritis in HLA-DR1 transgenic mice. Additional analysis of clonal T cell populations stimulated by these peptides indicated cross recognition of citrullinated and wild type peptides can occur in some instances, while in others cases the citrullination generates a novel T cell epitope. Finally, cytokine profiles of the wild type and citrullinated peptide stimulated T cells unveiled a significant disconnect between proliferation and cytokine production. Altogether, these data demonstrate the lack of support for a simplified model with universal correlation between affinity for HLA-DR alleles, immunogenicity and arthritogenicity of citrullinated peptides. Additionally they highlight the complexity of both T cell receptor recognition of citrulline as well as its potential conformational effects on the peptide:HLA-DR complex as recognized by a self-reactive cell receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Becart
- Immunology Discovery, Janssen Research and Development LLC, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | | | - Amanda Prislovsky
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Navin L. Rao
- Immunology Discovery, Janssen Research and Development LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward F. Rosloniec
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Busch R, Kollnberger S, Mellins ED. HLA associations in inflammatory arthritis: emerging mechanisms and clinical implications. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2020; 15:364-381. [PMID: 31092910 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-019-0219-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying HLA associations with inflammatory arthritis continues to evolve. Disease associations have been refined, and interactions of HLA genotype with other genes and environmental risk factors in determining disease risk have been identified. This Review provides basic information on the genetics and molecular function of HLA molecules, as well as general features of HLA associations with disease. Evidence is discussed regarding the various peptide-dependent and peptide-independent mechanisms by which HLA alleles might contribute to the pathogenesis of three types of inflammatory arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Also discussed are HLA allelic associations that shed light on the genetic heterogeneity of inflammatory arthritides and on the relationships between adult and paediatric forms of arthritis. Clinical implications range from improved diagnosis and outcome prediction to the possibility of using HLA associations in developing personalized strategies for the treatment and prevention of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Busch
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Whitelands College, London, UK.
| | - Simon Kollnberger
- School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UHW Main Building, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
| | - Elizabeth D Mellins
- Department of Pediatrics, Program in Immunology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA.
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18
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Abstract
T cells recognize and respond to self antigens in both cancer and autoimmunity. One strategy to influence this response is to incorporate amino acid substitutions into these T cell-specific epitopes. This strategy is being reconsidered now with the goal of increasing time to regression with checkpoint blockade therapies in cancer and antigen-specific immunotherapies in autoimmunity. We discuss how these amino acid substitutions change the interactions with the MHC class I or II molecule and the responding T cell repertoire. Amino acid substitutions in epitopes that are the most effective in therapies bind more strongly to T cell receptor and/or MHC molecules and cross-react with the same repertoire of T cells as the natural antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Slansky
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12800 E. 19thAvenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Maki Nakayama
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 12800 E. 19thAvenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1775 Aurora Court, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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19
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Linkage of Periodontitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Evidence and Potential Biological Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184541. [PMID: 31540277 PMCID: PMC6769683 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal disease (PD) has been the focus of numerous investigations driven by their common pathological features. RA is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation, the production of anti-citrullinated proteins antibodies (ACPA) leading to synovial joint inflammation and destruction. PD is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with a dysbiotic microbial biofilm affecting the supporting tissues around the teeth leading to the destruction of mineralized and non-mineralized connective tissues. Chronic inflammation associated with both RA and PD is similar in the predominant adaptive immune phenotype, in the imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and in the role of smoking and genetic background as risk factors. Structural damage that occurs in consequence of chronic inflammation is the ultimate cause of loss of function and disability observed with the progression of RA and PD. Interestingly, the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in the generation of ACPA in RA patients, suggesting a direct biological intersection between PD and RA. However, more studies are warranted to confirm this link, elucidate potential mechanisms involved, and ascertain temporal associations between RA and PD. This review is mainly focused on recent clinical and translational research intends to discuss and provide an overview of the relationship between RA and PD, exploring the similarities in the immune-pathological aspects and the possible mechanisms linking the development and progression of both diseases. In addition, the current available treatments targeting both RA and PD were revised.
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20
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Rims C, Uchtenhagen H, Kaplan MJ, Carmona-Rivera C, Carlucci P, Mikecz K, Markovics A, Carlin J, Buckner JH, James EA. Citrullinated Aggrecan Epitopes as Targets of Autoreactive CD4+ T Cells in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2019; 71:518-528. [PMID: 30390384 DOI: 10.1002/art.40768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recognition of citrullinated antigens such as vimentin, fibrinogen, and α-enolase is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Emerging data suggest that the matrix protein aggrecan is also recognized as a citrullinated antigen. This study was undertaken to directly visualize Cit-aggrecan-specific T cells and characterize them in patients with RA. METHODS Citrullinated aggrecan peptides with likely DRB1*04:01 binding motifs were predicted using a previously published scanning algorithm. Peptides with detectable binding were assessed for immunogenicity by HLA tetramer staining, followed by single cell cloning. Selectivity for citrullinated peptide was assessed by tetramer staining and proliferation assays. Ex vivo tetramer staining was then performed to assess frequencies of aggrecan-specific T cells in peripheral blood. Finally, disease association was assessed by comparing T cell frequencies in RA patients and controls and correlating aggrecan-specific T cells with levels of aggrecan-specific antibodies. RESULTS We identified 6 immunogenic peptides, 2 of which were the predominant T cell targets in peripheral blood. These 2 epitopes were citrullinated at HLA binding residues and shared homologous sequences. RA patients had significantly higher frequencies of Cit-aggrecan-specific T cells than healthy subjects. Furthermore, T cell frequencies were significantly correlated with antibodies against citrullinated aggrecan. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that T cells that recognize citrullinated aggrecan are present in patients with RA and correlate with antibodies that target this same antigen. Consequently, aggrecan-specific T cells and antibodies are potentially relevant markers that could be used to monitor patients with RA or at-risk subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cliff Rims
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
| | - Hannes Uchtenhagen
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington.,Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, and Karolinksa Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mariana J Kaplan
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Carmelo Carmona-Rivera
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Philip Carlucci
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | | | | | - Jane H Buckner
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
| | - Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
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21
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Demmers LC, Heck AJR, Wu W. Pre-fractionation Extends but also Creates a Bias in the Detectable HLA Class Ι Ligandome. J Proteome Res 2019; 18:1634-1643. [PMID: 30784271 PMCID: PMC6456874 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
![]()
HLA
class Ι molecules can communicate a range of cellular
alterations (mutations, changes in protein copy number, aberrant post-translational
modifications, or pathogen proteins) to CD8+ T lymphocytes in the
form of HLA peptide ligands. At any given moment, tens of thousands
of different self and foreign HLA class Ι peptides may be presented
on the cell surface by HLA class Ι complexes. Due to the enormous
biochemical diversity and low abundance of each of these peptides,
HLA ligandome analysis presents unique challenges. Even with advances
in enrichment strategies and MS instrumentation and fragmentation,
sufficient ligandome depth for identification of viral pathogens and
immuno therapeutically important tumor neo-antigens is still not routinely
achievable. In this study, we evaluated two pre-fractionation techniques,
high-pH reversed-phase and strong cation exchange, for the complementary
analyses of HLA class Ι peptide ligands. We observe that pre-fractionation
substantially extends the detectable HLA class Ι ligandome but
also creates an identification bias. We thus advocate a rational choice
between high-pH reversed-phase or strong cation exchange pre-fractionation
for deeper HLA class Ι ligandome analysis, depending on the
HLA locus, allele, or peptide ligand modification in question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Demmers
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences , Utrecht University , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Centre , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences , Utrecht University , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Centre , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | - Wei Wu
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences , Utrecht University , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Centre , Padualaan 8 , 3584 CH Utrecht , The Netherlands
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22
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Brentville VA, Symonds P, Cook KW, Daniels I, Pitt T, Gijon M, Vaghela P, Xue W, Shah S, Metheringham RL, Durrant LG. T cell repertoire to citrullinated self-peptides in healthy humans is not confined to the HLA-DR SE alleles; Targeting of citrullinated self-peptides presented by HLA-DP4 for tumour therapy. Oncoimmunology 2019; 8:e1576490. [PMID: 31069134 PMCID: PMC6492960 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2019.1576490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications are induced in stressed cells which cause them to be recognised by the system. One such modification is citrullination where the positive charged arginine is modified to a neutral citrulline. We demonstrate most healthy donors show an oligoclonal CD4 response in vitro to at least one citrullinated vimentin or enolase peptide. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis patients, these T cell responses were not restricted by HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) alleles, suggesting they could be presented by other MHC class II alleles. As HLA-DP is less polymorphic than HLA-DR, we investigated whether the common allele, HLA-DP4 could present citrullinated epitopes. The modification of arginine to citrulline enhanced binding of the peptides to HLA-DP4 and induced high-frequency CD4 responses in HLA-DP4 transgenic mouse models. Our previous studies have shown that tumours present citrullinated peptides restricted through HLA-DR4 which are good targets for anti-tumour immunity. In this study, we show that citrullinated vimentin and enolase peptides also induced strong anti-tumour immunity (100% survival, p < 0.0001) against established B16 tumours and against the LLC/2 lung cancer model (p = 0.034) both expressing HLA-DP4. Since most tumours do not constitutively express MHC class II molecules, models were engineered that expressed MHC class II under the control of an IFNγ inducible promoter. Immunisation with citrullinated peptides resulted in 90% survival (p < 0.001) against established B16 HHD tumour expressing IFNγ inducible DP4. These studies show that citrullinated peptides can be presented by a range of MHC class II molecules, including for the first time HLA-DP4, and are strong targets for anti-tumour immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Brentville
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Peter Symonds
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Katherine W Cook
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ian Daniels
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Tracy Pitt
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mohamed Gijon
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Poonam Vaghela
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Wei Xue
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Sabaria Shah
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Rachael L Metheringham
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lindy G Durrant
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK.,Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottingham, UK
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23
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Regueiro C, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L, Triguero-Martinez A, Nuño L, Castaño-Nuñez AL, Villalva A, Perez-Pampin E, Lopez-Golan Y, Abasolo L, Ortiz AM, Herranz E, Pascual-Salcedo D, Martínez-Feito A, Boveda MD, Gomez-Reino JJ, Martín J, Gonzalez-Escribano MF, Fernandez-Gutierrez B, Balsa A, Gonzalez-Alvaro I, Gonzalez A. Specific Association of HLA-DRB1*03 With Anti-Carbamylated Protein Antibodies in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2019; 71:331-339. [PMID: 30277011 DOI: 10.1002/art.40738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recognition of a new type of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific autoantibody, the anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (anti-CarP), has provided an opportunity to improve the management and understanding of RA. The current study was undertaken to assess the relationship between anti-CarP antibodies and HLA-DRB1 alleles in RA. METHODS Serum samples were obtained from 3 different collections, comprising a total of 1,126 RA patients. Serum reactivity against in vitro carbamylated fetal calf serum proteins was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HLA-DRB1 alleles were determined using either hybridization techniques or imputation from HLA-dense genotypes. Results of these analyses were combined in a meta-analysis with data from 3 previously reported cohorts. The carrier frequencies of the common HLA-DRB1 alleles were compared between the antibody-positive RA subgroups and the double-negative subgroup of RA patients stratified by anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)/anti-CarP antibody status, and also between the 4 RA patient strata and healthy controls. RESULTS Meta-analysis was conducted with 3,709 RA patients and 2,305 healthy control subjects. Results revealed a significant increase in frequency of HLA-DRB1*03 carriers in the ACPA-/anti-CarP+ subgroup as compared to ACPA-/anti-CarP- RA patients and healthy controls; this was consistently found across the 6 sample collections. This association of HLA-DRB1*03 with ACPA-/anti-CarP+ RA was independent of the presence of the shared allele (SE) and any other confounders analyzed. No other allele was specifically associated with the ACPA-/anti-CarP+ RA patient subgroup. In contrast, frequency of the SE was significantly increased in the ACPA+/anti-CarP- and ACPA+/anti-CarP+ RA patient subgroups, without a significant distinction between them. Furthermore, some alleles (including HLA-DRB1*03) were associated with protection from ACPA+ RA. CONCLUSION These findings indicate a specific association of HLA-DRB1*03 with ACPA-/anti-CarP+ RA, suggesting that preferential presentation of carbamylated peptides could be a new mechanism underlying the contribution of HLA alleles to RA susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Regueiro
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Luis Rodriguez-Rodriguez
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos-Instituto Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), Madríd, Spain
| | - Ana Triguero-Martinez
- Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria la Princesa (IIS-lP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Nuño
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IDIPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - Angel L Castaño-Nuñez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, IBiS, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain
| | - Alejandro Villalva
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IDIPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Perez-Pampin
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Yolanda Lopez-Golan
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lydia Abasolo
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos-Instituto Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), Madríd, Spain
| | - Ana M Ortiz
- Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria la Princesa (IIS-lP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Herranz
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos-Instituto Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), Madríd, Spain
| | - Dora Pascual-Salcedo
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IDIPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Martínez-Feito
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IDIPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Dolores Boveda
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Juan J Gomez-Reino
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Javier Martín
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | | | | | - Alejandro Balsa
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital Universitario La Paz (IDIPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidoro Gonzalez-Alvaro
- Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria la Princesa (IIS-lP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria-Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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24
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Yu HC, Lu MC. The roles of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Tzu Chi Med J 2019; 31:5-10. [PMID: 30692825 PMCID: PMC6334572 DOI: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_116_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disease. Its major manifestation is persistent joint inflammation, which can lead to bone destruction and severe disability. The immunopathogenesis of RA is very complex, involving both innate and adaptive immune systems. Recently, the discovery of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) has revolutionized the diagnosis and our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of RA. The presence of ACPAs is also closely linked to the disease activity of RA. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that ACPAs and protein citrullination are key issues for the development of RA. We have summarized the recent study results in this review. The first theory concerning the pathogenesis of RA proposed that ACPAs link the well-known genetic and environmental risk factors for developing RA. However, due to the close association between joint inflammation and ACPAs, a more direct role of ACPAs in the immunopathogenesis of RA is anticipated. Within the past 10 years, many studies, including some of our own, have shown that ACPAs can promote an inflammatory response through complement activation, formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, and direct binding to key players, including monocytes, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts, in the mediation of bone destruction in the joints of RA patients. We also present some new perspectives and issues that need to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chun Yu
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chi Lu
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
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25
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James EA, Gillette L, Durinovic-Bello I, Speake C, Bondinas GP, Moustakas AK, Greenbaum CJ, Papadopoulos GK, Kwok WW. DRB4*01:01 Has a Distinct Motif and Presents a Proinsulin Epitope That Is Recognized in Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 201:3524-3533. [PMID: 30455401 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
DRB4*01:01 (DRB4) is a secondary HLA-DR product that is part of the high-risk DR4/DQ8 haplotype that is associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D). DRB4 shares considerable homology with HLA-DR4 alleles that predispose to autoimmunity, including DRB1*04:01 and DRB1*04:04. However, the DRB4 protein sequence includes distinct residues that would be expected to alter the characteristics of its binding pockets. To identify high-affinity peptides that are recognized in the context of DRB4, we used an HLA class II tetramer-based approach to identify epitopes within multiple viral Ags. We applied a similar approach to identify antigenic sequences within glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 and pre-proinsulin that are recognized in the context of DRB4. Seven sequences were immunogenic, eliciting high-affinity T cell responses in DRB4+ subjects. DRB1*04:01-restricted responses toward many of these peptides have been previously described, but responses to a novel pre-proinsulin 9-28 peptide were commonly observed in subjects with T1D. Furthermore, T cells that recognized this peptide in the context of DRB4 were present at significantly higher frequencies in patients with T1D than in healthy controls, implicating this as a disease-relevant specificity that may contribute to the breakdown of β cell tolerance in genetically susceptible individuals. We then deduced a DRB4 motif and confirmed its key features through structural modeling. This modeling suggested that the core epitope within the pre-proinsulin 9-28 peptide has a somewhat unusual binding motif, with tryptophan in the fourth binding pocket of DRB4, perhaps influencing the availability of this complex for T cell selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101
| | - Laurel Gillette
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101
| | | | - Cate Speake
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101
| | - George P Bondinas
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Biochemistry, Bioprocessing and Bioproducts, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Epirus, GR47100 Arta, Greece
| | - Antonis K Moustakas
- Department of Food Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, GR27100 Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece; and
| | - Carla J Greenbaum
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - George K Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Biochemistry, Bioprocessing and Bioproducts, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Epirus, GR47100 Arta, Greece
| | - William W Kwok
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101; .,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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26
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Buitinga M, Callebaut A, Marques Câmara Sodré F, Crèvecoeur I, Blahnik-Fagan G, Yang ML, Bugliani M, Arribas-Layton D, Marré M, Cook DP, Waelkens E, Mallone R, Piganelli JD, Marchetti P, Mamula MJ, Derua R, James EA, Mathieu C, Overbergh L. Inflammation-Induced Citrullinated Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 Elicits Immune Responses in Human Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes 2018; 67:2337-2348. [PMID: 30348823 PMCID: PMC6973547 DOI: 10.2337/db18-0295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The β-cell has become recognized as a central player in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes with the generation of neoantigens as potential triggers for breaking immune tolerance. We report that posttranslationally modified glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is a novel autoantigen in human type 1 diabetes. When human islets were exposed to inflammatory stress induced by interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ, arginine residue R510 within GRP78 was converted into citrulline, as evidenced by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This conversion, known as citrullination, led to the generation of neoepitopes, which effectively could be presented by HLA-DRB1*04:01 molecules. With the use of HLA-DRB1*04:01 tetramers and ELISA techniques, we demonstrate enhanced antigenicity of citrullinated GRP78 with significantly increased CD4+ T-cell responses and autoantibody titers in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with healthy control subjects. Of note, patients with type 1 diabetes had a predominantly higher percentage of central memory cells and a lower percentage of effector memory cells directed against citrullinated GRP78 compared with the native epitope. These results strongly suggest that citrullination of β-cell proteins, exemplified here by the citrullination of GRP78, contributes to loss of self-tolerance toward β-cells in human type 1 diabetes, indicating that β-cells actively participate in their own demise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijke Buitinga
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Aïsha Callebaut
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Inne Crèvecoeur
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | - Meghan Marré
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Dana P Cook
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Etienne Waelkens
- Laboratory of Protein Phosphorylation and Proteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- SyBioMa, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roberto Mallone
- INSERM, U1016, CNRS, UMR8104, Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Cochin Institute, Paris, France
| | - Jon D Piganelli
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | | | - Rita Derua
- Laboratory of Protein Phosphorylation and Proteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- SyBioMa, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Chantal Mathieu
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lut Overbergh
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Ettinger RA, Liberman JA, Gunasekera D, Puranik K, James EA, Thompson AR, Pratt KP. FVIII proteins with a modified immunodominant T-cell epitope exhibit reduced immunogenicity and normal FVIII activity. Blood Adv 2018; 2:309-322. [PMID: 29444872 PMCID: PMC5858479 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2017013482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Factor VIII (FVIII)-neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors) are a serious complication in hemophilia A (HA). The peptide FVIII2194-2213 contains an immunodominant HLA-DRA*01-DRB1*01:01 (DRB1*01:01)-restricted epitope recognized by CD4+ T-effector cells from HA subjects. The aim of this study was to identify amino acid substitutions to deimmunize this epitope while retaining procoagulant function and expression levels comparable to those of wild-type (WT) FVIII proteins. The shortest DRB1*01:01-binding peptide was FVIII2194-2205, and residues important for affinity were identified as F2196, M2199, A2201, and S2204. T-cell proliferation experiments with Ala-substituted FVIII2194-2205 peptides identified F2196A as a substitution that abrogated proliferation of clones specific for the WT sequence. T-cell clones that were stimulated by recombinant WT-FVIII-C2 (rWT-FVIII-C2) protein did not proliferate when cultured with rFVIII-C2-F2196A, indicating the immunogenic peptide includes a naturally processed T-cell epitope. Additional amino acid substitutions at F2196 and M2199 were evaluated by peptide-MHC class II (MHCII)-binding assays, T-cell proliferation assays, epitope prediction algorithms, and sequence homologies. Six B-domain-deleted (BDD)-FVIII proteins with substitutions F2196A, F2196L, F2196K, M2199A, M2199W, or M2199R were produced. Proliferation of T-cell clones and polyclonal lines in response to rBDD-FVIII-F2196K and rBDD-FVIII-M2199A was reduced compared with responses to WT-BDD-FVIII. The BDD-FVIII-F2196K sequence modification appears to be the most promising sequence variant tested here, due to its effectiveness at eliminating DRB1*01:01-restricted immunogenicity, low potential immunogenicity in the context of other MHCII alleles, expression level comparable to WT-BDD-FVIII, and retained procoagulant activity. These results provide proof of principle for the design of less immunogenic FVIII proteins targeted to specific subsets of HA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Ettinger
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
- Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Devi Gunasekera
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and
| | - Komal Puranik
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
| | | | - Arthur R Thompson
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
- Division of Hematology, Department Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Kathleen P Pratt
- Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; and
- Division of Hematology, Department Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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28
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The role of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Cent Eur J Immunol 2017; 42:390-398. [PMID: 29472818 PMCID: PMC5820977 DOI: 10.5114/ceji.2017.72807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The most specific autoimmunity known for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is reflected by generation of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA). Presence of ACPA in established RA is associated with disease severity, while generation of ACPA at early developmental phases of RA can have a strong predictive value for progressing to the full-blown disease. Hence, development of ACPA may be of crucial importance to the pathogenesis of RA. Therefore, a lot of effort has been put recently to investigate the feature of ACPA at early developmental stages of RA (before disease onset) and functional activities of these autoantibodies. Results of these studies enlarged the knowledge about the nature of ACPA, which is essential for planning the therapeutic or preventive strategies interfering with their development and pathogenic functions. In this review we describe recent evidence for a role of ACPA in the etiopathogenesis of RA and indicate key unresolved issues regarding ACPA biology that need to be clarified in the future.
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29
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Cook K, Daniels I, Symonds P, Pitt T, Gijon M, Xue W, Metheringham R, Durrant L, Brentville V. Citrullinated α-enolase is an effective target for anti-cancer immunity. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1390642. [PMID: 29308319 PMCID: PMC5749660 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1390642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting post-translationally modified epitopes may provide a new strategy for generating tumor specific immune responses. Citrullination is the post-translational modification of arginine to citrulline catalyzed by peptidylarginine deaminase (PAD) enzymes. Presentation of citrullinated peptides on MHC-II has been associated with autophagy. Tumors upregulate autophagy and present citrullinated peptides in response to stresses including nutrient deprivation, oxygen deprivation, redox stress and DNA damage, making them good targets for immune attack. The ubiquitous glycolytic enzyme α-enolase (ENO1) is often citrullinated and degraded during autophagy. Immunization of mice with two citrullinated ENO1 peptides (ENO1 241–260cit253 or 11–25cit15) induced strong Th1 responses that recognize the post-translationally modified, but not the wild type unmodified epitope. ENO1 11–25cit15 induced tumor therapy of melanoma cells in C57Bl/6 (B16F1 50% survival p = 0.0026) and ENO1 241–260cit253 in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice (B16-DR4 50% survival p = 0.0048). In addition, ENO1 241–260cit253 induced therapy of pancreatic (Pan02-DR4 50% survival p = 0.0076) and lung (LLC/2-DR4 40% survival p = 0.0142) tumors in HLA-DR4 transgenic mice. The unmodified epitope induced no anti-tumor response. Minimal regression of class II negative B16 or LLC/2 tumor was seen, confirming direct recognition of MHC-II was required. Most tumors only express MHC-II in the presence of IFNγ; an IFNγ inducible model showed strong responses, with rejection of tumors in up to 90% of animals (p = 0.0001). In humans, a repertoire to ENO1 241–260cit253 was observed in healthy donors. This response was CD4 mediated and seen in people with a variety of HLA types suggesting a broad application for this vaccine in human cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Cook
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Ian Daniels
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Peter Symonds
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Tracy Pitt
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Mohamed Gijon
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Wei Xue
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Rachael Metheringham
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Lindy Durrant
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK.,Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Victoria Brentville
- Scancell Limited, Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital Campus, Nottinghamshire, UK
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30
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Scally SW, Law SC, Ting YT, van Heemst J, Sokolove J, Deutsch AJ, Clemens EB, Moustakas AK, Papadopoulos GK, van der Woude D, Smolik I, Hitchon CA, Robinson DB, Ferucci ED, Bernstein CN, Meng X, Anaparti V, Huizinga T, Kedzierska K, Reid HH, Raychaudhuri S, Toes RE, Rossjohn J, El-Gabalawy H, Thomas R. Molecular basis for increased susceptibility of Indigenous North Americans to seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2017; 76:1915-1923. [PMID: 28801345 PMCID: PMC6724216 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-211300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The pathogenetic mechanisms by which HLA-DRB1 alleles are associated with anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)-positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are incompletely understood. RA high-risk HLA-DRB1 alleles are known to share a common motif, the 'shared susceptibility epitope (SE)'. Here, the electropositive P4 pocket of HLA-DRB1 accommodates self-peptide residues containing citrulline but not arginine. HLA-DRB1 His/Phe13β stratifies with ACPA-positive RA, while His13βSer polymorphisms stratify with ACPA-negative RA and RA protection. Indigenous North American (INA) populations have high risk of early-onset ACPA-positive RA, whereby HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*14:02 are implicated as risk factors for RA in INA. However, HLA-DRB1*14:02 has a His13βSer polymorphism. Therefore, we aimed to verify this association and determine its molecular mechanism. METHODS HLA genotype was compared in 344 INA patients with RA and 352 controls. Structures of HLA-DRB1*1402-class II loaded with vimentin-64Arg59-71, vimentin-64Cit59-71 and fibrinogen β-74Cit69-81 were solved using X-ray crystallography. Vimentin-64Cit59-71-specific and vimentin59-71-specific CD4+ T cells were characterised by flow cytometry using peptide-histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (pHLA) tetramers. After sorting of antigen-specific T cells, TCRα and β-chains were analysed using multiplex, nested PCR and sequencing. RESULTS ACPA+ RA in INA was independently associated with HLA-DRB1*14:02. Consequent to the His13βSer polymorphism and altered P4 pocket of HLA-DRB1*14:02, both citrulline and arginine were accommodated in opposite orientations. Oligoclonal autoreactive CD4+ effector T cells reactive with both citrulline and arginine forms of vimentin59-71 were observed in patients with HLA-DRB1*14:02+ RA and at-risk ACPA- first-degree relatives. HLA-DRB1*14:02-vimentin59-71-specific and HLA-DRB1*14:02-vimentin-64Cit59-71-specific CD4+ memory T cells were phenotypically distinct populations. CONCLUSION HLA-DRB1*14:02 broadens the capacity for citrullinated and native self-peptide presentation and T cell expansion, increasing risk of ACPA+ RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen W Scally
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Soi-Cheng Law
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yi Tian Ting
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jurgen van Heemst
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeremy Sokolove
- Department of Medicine/Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | - Aaron J Deutsch
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - E Bridie Clemens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Antonis K Moustakas
- Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, Argostoli Kefalonia, Greece
| | - George K Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Epirus Institute of Technology, Arta, Greece
| | - Diane van der Woude
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Smolik
- Arthritis Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Carol A Hitchon
- Arthritis Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - David B Robinson
- Arthritis Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Elizabeth D Ferucci
- Division of Community Health Services, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | - Xiaobo Meng
- Arthritis Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Tom Huizinga
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Katherine Kedzierska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hugh H Reid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - René E Toes
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jamie Rossjohn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Hani El-Gabalawy
- Arthritis Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Ranjeny Thomas
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
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Jüptner M, Flachsbart F, Caliebe A, Lieb W, Schreiber S, Zeuner R, Franke A, Schröder JO. Low copy numbers of complement C4 and homozygous deficiency of C4A may predispose to severe disease and earlier disease onset in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 2017; 27:600-609. [PMID: 29050534 PMCID: PMC5871021 DOI: 10.1177/0961203317735187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Low copy numbers and deletion of complement C4 genes are potent risk factors for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it is not known whether this genetic association affects the clinical outcome. We investigated C4 copy number variation and its relationship to clinical and serological features in a Northern European lupus cohort. Methods We genotyped the C4 gene locus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based TaqMan assays in 169 patients with SLE classified according to the 1997 revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and in 520 matched controls. In the patient group the mean C4 serum protein concentrations nephelometrically measured during a 12-month period prior to genetic analysis were compared to C4 gene copy numbers. Severity of disease was classified according to the intensity of the immunosuppressive regimens applied and compared to C4 gene copy numbers, too. In addition, we performed a TaqMan based analysis of three lupus-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located inside the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) to investigate the independence of complement C4 in association with SLE. Results Homozygous deficiency of the C4A isotype was identified as the strongest risk factor for SLE (odds ratio (OR) = 5.329; p = 7.7 × 10-3) in the case-control comparison. Moreover, two copies of total C4 were associated with SLE (OR = 3.699; p = 6.8 × 10-3). C4 serum levels were strongly related to C4 gene copy numbers in patients, the mean concentration ranging from 0.110 g/l (two copies) to 0.256 g/l (five to six copies; p = 4.9 × 10-6). Two copies of total C4 and homozygous deletion of C4A were associated with a disease course requiring cyclophosphamide therapy (OR = 4.044; p = 0.040 and OR = 5.798; p = 0.034, respectively). Homozygous deletion of C4A was associated with earlier onset of SLE (median 24 vs. 34 years; p = 0.019) but not significant after correction for multiple testing. SNP analysis revealed a significant association of HLA-DRB1*0301 with SLE (OR = 2.231; p = 1.33 × 10-5). Conclusions Our findings confirm the important role of complement C4 genes in the development of SLE. Beyond the impact on the susceptibility for lupus, C4 copy numbers may be related to earlier onset and a more severe course of the disease. The association of homozygous deletion of C4A and SLE is accompanied by the presence of HLA-DRB1*0301 without a proven pathophysiological mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jüptner
- 1 First Clinic of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - F Flachsbart
- 2 Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - A Caliebe
- 3 Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - W Lieb
- 4 Institute of Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - S Schreiber
- 1 First Clinic of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - R Zeuner
- 1 First Clinic of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - A Franke
- 2 Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - J O Schröder
- 1 First Clinic of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Sarg B, Faserl K, Lindner HH. Identification of Novel Site-Specific Alterations in the Modification Level of Myelin Basic Protein Isolated from Mouse Brain at Different Ages Using Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry. Proteomics 2017; 17. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Sarg
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter; Medical University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
| | - Klaus Faserl
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter; Medical University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
| | - Herbert H. Lindner
- Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter; Medical University of Innsbruck; Innsbruck Austria
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Sidney J, Becart S, Zhou M, Duffy K, Lindvall M, Moore EC, Moore EL, Rao T, Rao N, Nielsen M, Peters B, Sette A. Citrullination only infrequently impacts peptide binding to HLA class II MHC. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177140. [PMID: 28481943 PMCID: PMC5421785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that HLA class II alleles associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) preferentially present self-antigens altered by post-translational modification, such as citrullination. To understand the role of citrullination we tested four RA-associated citrullinated epitopes and their corresponding wild-type version for binding to 28 common HLA class II. Binding patterns were variable, and no consistent impact of citrullination was identified. Indeed, in one case citrullination significantly increased binding compared to the WT peptide, in another citrullination was associated with a reduction in promiscuity by 40%. For a more comprehensive analysis, we tested over 200 citrullinated peptides derived from vimentin and collagen II for their capacity to bind the RA-associated shared epitope alleles DRB1*01:01 and DRB1*04:01. The overall effect of citrullination on binding was found to be relatively minor, and only rarely associated with 3-fold increases or decreases in affinity. Previous studies have suggested that citrullination of MHC anchor residues, in particular P4, is associated with generation of novel RA-associated epitopes. However, analysis of the predicted MHC-binding cores of all peptides tested found that in modified peptides with increased binding affinity the citrullinated residue was predicted to occupy an anchor position in only a minority of cases. Finally, we also show that identification of citrullinated peptide binders could be facilitated by using the NetMHCIIpan 3.1 algorithm, representing citrullination as a wildcard. Our studies identify a total of 117 citrullinated peptides that bound RA-associated alleles with an affinity of 1000 nM or better.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Sidney
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Stephane Becart
- Janssen Research & Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Mimi Zhou
- Janssen Research & Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Karen Duffy
- Janssen Research & Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Mikaela Lindvall
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Erin C. Moore
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Eugene L. Moore
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Tadimeti Rao
- Janssen Research & Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Navin Rao
- Janssen Research & Development, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, The Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bjoern Peters
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Alessandro Sette
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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34
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Meng W, Zhu Z, Jiang X, Too CL, Uebe S, Jagodic M, Kockum I, Murad S, Ferrucci L, Alfredsson L, Zou H, Klareskog L, Feinberg AP, Ekström TJ, Padyukov L, Liu Y. DNA methylation mediates genotype and smoking interaction in the development of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2017; 19:71. [PMID: 28356135 PMCID: PMC5372280 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-017-1276-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple factors, including interactions between genetic and environmental risks, are important in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether DNA methylation can mediate the interaction between genotype and smoking in the development of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)-positive RA. METHODS We investigated the gene-smoking interactions in DNA methylation using 393 individuals from the Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA). The interaction between rs6933349 and smoking in the risk of developing ACPA-positive RA was further evaluated in a larger portion of the EIRA (1119 controls and 944 ACPA-positive patients with RA), and in the Malaysian Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (MyEIRA) (1556 controls and 792 ACPA-positive patients with RA). Finally, mediation analysis was performed to investigate whether DNA methylation of cg21325723 mediates this gene-environment interaction on the risk of developing of ACPA-positive RA. RESULTS We identified and replicated one significant gene-environment interaction between rs6933349 and smoking in DNA methylation of cg21325723. This gene-smoking interaction is a novel interaction in the risk of developing ACPA-positive in both Caucasian (multiplicative P value = 0.056; additive P value = 0.016) and Asian populations (multiplicative P value = 0.035; additive P value = 0.00027), and it is mediated through DNA methylation of cg21325723. CONCLUSIONS We showed that DNA methylation of cg21325723 can mediate the gene-environment interaction between rs6933349 and smoking, impacting the risk of developing ACPA-positive RA, thus being a potential regulator that integrates both internal genetic and external environmental risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weida Meng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, West Building 13, 130 Dong An Road, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zaihua Zhu
- Division of Rheumatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Jiang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chun Lai Too
- Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Steffen Uebe
- Institute of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maja Jagodic
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Kockum
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shahnaz Murad
- Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Instramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lars Alfredsson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hejian Zou
- Division of Rheumatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lars Klareskog
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrew P Feinberg
- Center for Epigenetics and Departments of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tomas J Ekström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leonid Padyukov
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Yun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, West Building 13, 130 Dong An Road, Shanghai, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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35
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Epitope Specificity of Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies. Antibodies (Basel) 2017; 6:antib6010005. [PMID: 31548521 PMCID: PMC6698845 DOI: 10.3390/antib6010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies are primarily associated with a progressive course in the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis, a disease with a chronic and inflammatory nature. These antibodies do not appear to have any strict dependency for reactivity except from the presence of the non-genetically encoded amino acid citrulline, which is the result of a posttranslational modification, catalyzed by calcium-dependent peptidylarginine deiminase enzymes. Nevertheless, several amino acids surrounding the citrulline residue notably influence antibody reactivity, especially with a central-Cit-Gly-motif being essential for antibody reactivity. Most importantly, these antibodies have been proposed to be divided into two groups, based on their ability to recognize multiple citrullinated peptides. Thus, an "overlapping" antibody group, which appears to recognize several citrullinated peptides, and a "non-overlapping" antibody group, which only recognizes a limited number of citrullinated peptides, have been proposed. Based on these findings, we suggest that antibodies recognizing several citrullinated targets, also referred to as cross-reactive antibodies, primarily are backbone-dependent, whereas less cross-reactive antibodies primarily depend on the side chains of the amino acids comprising the epitopes for stable antibody-antigen interactions, which reduces the degree of cross-reactivity significantly. Clarifying the reactivity pattern of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies may contribute to determining their true nature of origin.
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Gerstner C, Dubnovitsky A, Sandin C, Kozhukh G, Uchtenhagen H, James EA, Rönnelid J, Ytterberg AJ, Pieper J, Reed E, Tandre K, Rieck M, Zubarev RA, Rönnblom L, Sandalova T, Buckner JH, Achour A, Malmström V. Functional and Structural Characterization of a Novel HLA-DRB1*04:01-Restricted α-Enolase T Cell Epitope in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Front Immunol 2016; 7:494. [PMID: 27895642 PMCID: PMC5108039 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies to citrullinated proteins, common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, are strongly associated to a specific set of HLA-DR alleles including HLA-DRB1*04:01, *04:04, and *01:01. Here, we first demonstrate that autoantibody levels toward the dominant citrullinated B cell epitope from α-enolase are significantly elevated in HLA-DRB1*04:01-positive RA patients. Furthermore, we identified α-enolase-derived T cell epitopes and demonstrated that native and citrullinated versions of several peptides bind with different affinities to HLA-DRB1*04:01, *04:04, and *01:01. The citrulline residues in the eight identified peptides are distributed throughout the entire length of the presented epitopes and more specifically, localized at peptide positions p-2, p2, p4, p6, p7, p10, and p11. Importantly, in contrast to its native version peptide 26 (TSKGLFRAAVPSGAS), the HLA-DRB1*04:01-restricted citrullinated peptide Cit26 (TSKGLFCitAAVPSGAS) elicited significant functional T cell responses in primary cells from RA patients. Comparative analysis of the crystal structures of HLA-DRB1*04:01 in complex with peptide 26 or Cit26 demonstrated that the posttranslational modification did not alter the conformation of the peptide. And since citrullination is the only structural difference between the two complexes, this indicates that the neo-antigen Cit26 is recognized by T cells with high specificity to the citrulline residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Gerstner
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Anatoly Dubnovitsky
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Sandin
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Genadiy Kozhukh
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Uchtenhagen
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Translational Research program, BRI at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eddie A James
- Tetramer Core, BRI at Virginia Mason , Seattle, WA , USA
| | - Johan Rönnelid
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Anders Jimmy Ytterberg
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Pieper
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Evan Reed
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Karolina Tandre
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences, Rheumatology, Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Mary Rieck
- Translational Research program, BRI at Virginia Mason , Seattle, WA , USA
| | - Roman A Zubarev
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Lars Rönnblom
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences, Rheumatology, Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jane H Buckner
- Translational Research program, BRI at Virginia Mason , Seattle, WA , USA
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vivianne Malmström
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden
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Scholz E, Mestre-Ferrer A, Daura X, García-Medel N, Carrascal M, James EA, Kwok WW, Canals F, Álvarez I. A Comparative Analysis of the Peptide Repertoires of HLA-DR Molecules Differentially Associated With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2016; 68:2412-21. [PMID: 27158783 DOI: 10.1002/art.39736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate similarity of the peptide repertoires bound to HLA-DR molecules that are differentially associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to define structural features of the shared peptides. METHODS Peptide pools bound to HLA-DRB1*01:01, HLA-DRB1*04:01, and HLA-DRB1*10:01 (RA associated) and those bound to HLA-DRB1*15:01 (non-RA-associated) were purified and analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) and LC-ion-trap MS. Peptide pools from each allotype were compared in terms of size, protein origin, composition, and affinity (both theoretical and experimental with some peptides). Finally, 1 peptide sequenced from DR1, DR4, and DR10, but not from DR15, was modeled in complex with all 4 HLA-DRB1 molecules and HLA-DRB5*01:01. RESULTS A total of 6,309 masses and 962 unique peptide sequences were compared. DR10 shared 29 peptides with DR1, 9 with DR4, and 1 with DR15; DR1 shared 6 peptides with DR4 and 9 with DR15; and DR4 and DR15 shared 4 peptides. The direct identification of peptide ligands indicated that DR1 and DR10 were the most similar molecules regarding the peptides that they could share. The peptides common to these molecules contained a high proportion of Leu at P4 and basic residues at P8 binding core positions. CONCLUSION The degree of overlap between peptide repertoires associated with different HLA-DR molecules is low. The repertoires associated with DR1 and DR10 have the highest similarity among the molecules analyzed (∼10% overlap). Among the peptides shared between DR1 and DR10, a high proportion contained Leu(4) and basic residues at the P8 position of the binding core.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Scholz
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Anna Mestre-Ferrer
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xavier Daura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain, and Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Montserrat Carrascal
- CSIC/UAB Proteomics Laboratory, IIBB-CSIC/Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
| | - William W Kwok
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
| | - Francesc Canals
- Vall d'Hebron University Hospital Research Institute Proteomics Laboratory, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iñaki Álvarez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
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Nguyen H, James EA. Immune recognition of citrullinated epitopes. Immunology 2016; 149:131-8. [PMID: 27531825 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversion of arginine into citrulline is a post-translational modification that is observed in normal physiological processes. However, abnormal citrullination can provoke autoimmunity by generating altered self-epitopes that are specifically targeted by autoantibodies and T cells. In this review we discuss the recognition of citrullinated antigens in human autoimmune diseases and the role that this modification plays in increasing antigenic diversity and circumventing tolerance mechanisms. Early published work demonstrated that citrullinated proteins are specifically targeted by autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis and that citrullinated peptides are more readily presented to T cells by arthritis-susceptible HLA class II 'shared epitope' proteins. Emerging data support the relevance of citrullinated epitopes in other autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, whose susceptible HLA haplotypes also preferentially present citrullinated peptides. In these settings, autoimmune patients have been shown to have elevated responses to citrullinated epitopes derived from tissue-specific antigens. Contrasting evidence implicates autophagy or perforin and complement-mediated membrane attack as inducers of ectopic citrullination. In either case, the peptidyl deiminases responsible for citrullination are activated in response to inflammation or insult, providing a mechanistic link between this post-translational modification and interactions with the environment and infection. As such, it is likely that immune recognition of citrullinated epitopes also plays a role in pathogen clearance. Indeed, our recent data suggest that responses to citrullinated peptides facilitate recognition of novel influenza strains. Therefore, increased understanding of responses to citrullinated epitopes may provide important insights about the initiation of autoimmunity and recognition of heterologous viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Nguyen
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA, USA
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T cells from hemophilia A subjects recognize the same HLA-restricted FVIII epitope with a narrow TCR repertoire. Blood 2016; 128:2043-2054. [PMID: 27471234 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2015-11-682468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Factor VIII (FVIII)-neutralizing antibodies ("inhibitors") are a serious problem in hemophilia A (HA). The aim of this study was to characterize HLA-restricted T-cell responses from a severe HA subject with a persistent inhibitor and from 2 previously studied mild HA inhibitor subjects. Major histocompatibility complex II tetramers corresponding to both of the severe HA subject's HLA-DRA-DRB1 alleles were loaded with peptides spanning FVIII-A2, C1, and C2 domains. Interestingly, only 1 epitope was identified, in peptide FVIII2194-2213, and it was identical to the HLA-DRA*01-DRB1*01:01-restricted epitope recognized by the mild HA subjects. Multiple T-cell clones and polyclonal lines having different avidities for the peptide-loaded tetramer were isolated from all subjects. Only high- and medium-avidity T cells proliferated and secreted cytokines when stimulated with FVIII2194-2213 T-cell receptor β (TCRB) gene sequencing of 15 T-cell clones from the severe HA subject revealed that all high-avidity clones expressed the same TCRB gene. High-throughput immunosequencing of high-, medium-, and low-avidity cells sorted from a severe HA polyclonal line revealed that 94% of the high-avidity cells expressed the same TCRB gene as the high-avidity clones. TCRB sequencing of clones and lines from the mild HA subjects also identified a limited TCRB gene repertoire. These results suggest a limited number of epitopes in FVIII drive inhibitor responses and that the T-cell repertoires of FVIII-responsive T cells can be quite narrow. The limited diversity of both epitopes and TCRB gene usage suggests that targeting of specific epitopes and/or T-cell clones may be a promising approach to achieve tolerance to FVIII.
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Conigliaro P, Chimenti M, Triggianese P, Sunzini F, Novelli L, Perricone C, Perricone R. Autoantibodies in inflammatory arthritis. Autoimmun Rev 2016; 15:673-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2016.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Myelin Basic Protein Citrullination in Multiple Sclerosis: A Potential Therapeutic Target for the Pathology. Neurochem Res 2016; 41:1845-56. [PMID: 27097548 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-016-1920-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial demyelinating disease characterized by neurodegenerative events and autoimmune response against myelin component. Citrullination or deimination, a post-translational modification of protein-bound arginine into citrulline, catalyzed by Ca(2+) dependent peptidylarginine deiminase enzyme (PAD), plays an essential role in physiological processes include gene expression regulation, apoptosis and the plasticity of the central nervous system, while aberrant citrullination can generate new epitopes, thus involving in the initiation and/or progression of autoimmune disorder like MS. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is the major myelin protein and is generally considered to maintain the stability of the myelin sheath. This review describes the MBP citrullination and its consequence, as well as offering further support for the "inside-out" hypothesis that MS is primarily a neurodegenerative disease with secondary inflammatory demyelination. In addition, it discusses the role of MBP citrullination in the immune inflammation and explores the potential of inhibition of PAD enzymes as a therapeutic strategy for the disease.
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Clement CC, Moncrieffe H, Lele A, Janow G, Becerra A, Bauli F, Saad FA, Perino G, Montagna C, Cobelli N, Hardin J, Stern LJ, Ilowite N, Porcelli SA, Santambrogio L. Autoimmune response to transthyretin in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JCI Insight 2016; 1:85633. [PMID: 26973882 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.85633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common pediatric rheumatological condition. Although it has been proposed that JIA has an autoimmune component, the autoantigens are still unknown. Using biochemical and proteomic approaches, we identified the molecular chaperone transthyretin (TTR) as an antigenic target for B and T cell immune responses. TTR was eluted from IgG complexes and affinity purified from 3 JIA patients, and a statistically significant increase in TTR autoantibodies was observed in a group of 43 JIA patients. Three cryptic, HLA-DR1-restricted TTR peptides, which induced CD4+ T cell expansion and IFN-γ and TNF-α production in 3 out of 17 analyzed patients, were also identified. Misfolding, aggregation and oxidation of TTR, as observed in the synovial fluid of all JIA patients, enhanced its immunogenicity in HLA-DR1 transgenic mice. Our data point to TTR as an autoantigen potentially involved in the pathogenesis of JIA and to oxidation and aggregation as a mechanism facilitating TTR autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina C Clement
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Halima Moncrieffe
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Aditi Lele
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ginger Janow
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Aniuska Becerra
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Francesco Bauli
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Fawzy A Saad
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Giorgio Perino
- Department of Pathology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
| | - Cristina Montagna
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Neil Cobelli
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - John Hardin
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lawrence J Stern
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Norman Ilowite
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Steven A Porcelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Laura Santambrogio
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Kim K, Jiang X, Cui J, Lu B, Costenbader KH, Sparks JA, Bang SY, Lee HS, Okada Y, Raychaudhuri S, Alfredsson L, Bae SC, Klareskog L, Karlson EW. Interactions between amino acid-defined major histocompatibility complex class II variants and smoking in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2016; 67:2611-23. [PMID: 26098791 DOI: 10.1002/art.39228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To define the interaction between cigarette smoking and HLA polymorphisms in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in the context of a recently identified amino acid-based HLA model for RA susceptibility. METHODS We imputed Immunochip data on HLA amino acids and classical alleles from 3 case-control studies (the Swedish Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis [EIRA] study [1,654 cases and 1,934 controls], the Nurses' Health Study [NHS] [229 cases and 360 controls], and the Korean RA Cohort Study [1,390 cases and 735 controls]). We examined the interaction effects of heavy smoking (>10 pack-years) and the genetic risk score (GRS) of multiple RA-associated amino acid positions (positions 11, 13, 71, and 74 in HLA-DRβ1, position 9 in HLA-B, and position 9 in HLA-DPβ1), as well as the interaction effects of heavy smoking and the GRS of HLA-DRβ1 4-amino acid haplotypes (assessed via attributable proportion due to interaction [AP] using the additive interaction model). RESULTS Heavy smoking and all investigated HLA amino acid positions and haplotypes were associated with RA susceptibility in the 3 populations. In the interaction analysis, we found a significant deviation from the expected additive joint effect between heavy smoking and the HLA-DRβ1 4-amino acid haplotype (AP 0.416, 0.467, and 0.796, in the EIRA, NHS, and Korean studies, respectively). We further identified the key interacting variants as being located at HLA-DRβ1 amino acid positions 11 and 13 but not at any of the other RA risk-associated amino acid positions. For residues in positions 11 and 13, there were similar patterns between RA risk effects and interaction effects. CONCLUSION Our findings of significant gene-environment interaction effects indicate that a physical interaction between citrullinated autoantigens produced by smoking and HLA-DR molecules is characterized by the HLA-DRβ1 4-amino acid haplotype, primarily by positions 11 and 13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangwoo Kim
- Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xia Jiang
- Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jing Cui
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Bing Lu
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karen H Costenbader
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffrey A Sparks
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - So-Young Bang
- Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Soon Lee
- Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yukinori Okada
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan, and RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Sang-Cheol Bae
- Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Lars Klareskog
- Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth W Karlson
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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McGinty JW, Marré ML, Bajzik V, Piganelli JD, James EA. T cell epitopes and post-translationally modified epitopes in type 1 diabetes. Curr Diab Rep 2015; 15:90. [PMID: 26370701 PMCID: PMC4902156 DOI: 10.1007/s11892-015-0657-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which progressive loss of self-tolerance, evidenced by accumulation of auto-antibodies and auto-reactive T cells that recognize diverse self-proteins, leads to immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells and loss of insulin secretion. In this review, we discuss antigens and epitopes in T1D and the role that post-translational modifications play in circumventing tolerance mechanisms and increasing antigenic diversity. Emerging data suggest that, analogous to other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease, enzymatically modified epitopes are preferentially recognized in T1D. Modifying enzymes such as peptidyl deiminases and tissue transglutaminase are activated in response to beta cell stress, providing a mechanistic link between post-translational modification and interactions with the environment. Although studies of such responses in the at-risk population have been limited, current data suggests that breakdown in tolerance through post-translational modification represents an important checkpoint in the development of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W McGinty
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Meghan L Marré
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Veronique Bajzik
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Jon D Piganelli
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Montgomery AB, Kopec J, Shrestha L, Thezenas ML, Burgess-Brown NA, Fischer R, Yue WW, Venables PJ. Crystal structure of Porphyromonas gingivalis peptidylarginine deiminase: implications for autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2015. [PMID: 26209657 PMCID: PMC4893104 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Periodontitis (PD) is a known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and there is increasing evidence that the link between the two diseases is due to citrullination by the unique bacterial peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) enzyme expressed by periodontal pathogen Pophyromonas gingivalis (PPAD). However, the precise mechanism by which PPAD could generate potentially immunogenic peptides has remained controversial due to lack of information about the structural and catalytic mechanisms of the enzyme. OBJECTIVES By solving the 3D structure of PPAD we aim to characterise activity and elucidate potential mechanisms involved in breach of tolerance to citrullinated proteins in RA. METHODS PPAD and a catalytically inactive mutant PPAD(C351A) were crystallised and their 3D structures solved. Key residues identified from 3D structures were examined by mutations. Fibrinogen and α-enolase were incubated with PPAD and P. gingivalis arginine gingipain (RgpB) and citrullinated peptides formed were sequenced and quantified by mass spectrometry. RESULTS Here, we solve the crystal structure of a truncated, highly active form of PPAD. We confirm catalysis is mediated by the following residues: Asp130, His236, Asp238, Asn297 and Cys351 and show Arg152 and Arg154 may determine the substrate specificity of PPAD for C-terminal arginines. We demonstrate the formation of 37 C-terminally citrullinated peptides from fibrinogen and 11 from α-enolase following incubation with tPPAD and RgpB. CONCLUSIONS PPAD displays an unequivocal specificity for C-terminal arginine residues and readily citrullinates peptides from key RA autoantigens. The formation of these novel citrullinated peptides may be involved in breach of tolerance to citrullinated proteins in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Montgomery
- Kennedy institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jolanta Kopec
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Leela Shrestha
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marie-Laetitia Thezenas
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicola A Burgess-Brown
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wyatt W Yue
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Patrick J Venables
- Kennedy institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Shoda H, Fujio K, Sakurai K, Ishigaki K, Nagafuchi Y, Shibuya M, Sumitomo S, Okamura T, Yamamoto K. Autoantigen BiP-Derived HLA-DR4 Epitopes Differentially Recognized by Effector and Regulatory T Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2015; 67:1171-81. [PMID: 25778936 DOI: 10.1002/art.39054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The balance between effector and regulatory CD4+ T cells plays a key role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to examine whether the RA autoantigen BiP has epitopes for both effector and regulatory immunities. METHODS The proliferation and cytokine secretion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HLA-DR4-positive RA patients in response to BiP-derived peptides were examined by (3)H-thymidine uptake and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. As a mouse therapeutic model, a BiP-derived peptide was administered orally to mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). RESULTS Among the peptides examined, BiP(336-355) induced the strongest proliferation of PBMCs from RA patients, but not from healthy donors. The proliferation of PBMCs in response to BiP(336-355) showed a correlation with clinical RA activity and serum anti-BiP/citrullinated BiP antibodies. In contrast, BiP(456-475) induced interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion from CD25-positive PBMCs obtained from RA patients and healthy donors without inducing cell proliferation, and it actively suppressed the BiP(336-355)-induced proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion by PBMCs. Oral administration of BiP(456-475) to mice with CIA reduced the severity of arthritis and T cell proliferation and increased the secretion of IL-10 from T cells as well as the number of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. CONCLUSION Effector and regulatory T cells recognized different BiP epitopes. The deviated balance toward BiP-specific effector T cells in RA may be associated with disease activity; therefore, BiP-specific effector or regulatory T cells could be a target of new RA therapies.
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Crèvecoeur I, Rondas D, Mathieu C, Overbergh L. The beta-cell in type 1 diabetes: What have we learned from proteomic studies? Proteomics Clin Appl 2015; 9:755-66. [PMID: 25641783 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201400135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic beta-cells have a crucial role in the regulation of blood glucose homeostasis by the production and secretion of insulin. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune reaction against the beta-cells together with the presence of inflammatory cytokines and ROS in the islets leads to beta-cell dysfunction and death. This review gives an overview of proteomic studies that lead to better understanding of beta-cell functioning in T1D. Protein profiling of isolated islets and beta-cell lines in health and T1D contributed to the unraveling of pathways involved in cytokine-induced cell death. In addition, by studying the serological proteome of T1D patients, new biomarkers and beta-cell autoantigens were discovered, which may improve screening tests and follow-up of T1D development. Interestingly, an important role for PTMs was demonstrated in the generation of beta-cell autoantigens. To conclude, proteomic techniques are of indispensable value to improve the knowledge on beta-cell function in T1D and the search toward therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inne Crèvecoeur
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dieter Rondas
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chantal Mathieu
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lut Overbergh
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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van der Woude D, Toes REM, Scherer HU. How undifferentiated arthritis evolves into chronic arthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2014; 28:551-64. [PMID: 25481549 DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2014.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) is a frequently occurring clinical presentation with a variable outcome. While some forms of UA will spontaneously remit, other forms will progress to chronic arthritis; an outcome that would preferably be prevented. Which immunological factors are normally at the basis of resolution of inflammation, and what, on the other hand, causes inflammation to persist? This review provides an overview of the immunological mechanisms involved in these two scenarios, including specific examples of how these mechanisms apply, or can be influenced in rheumatic diseases. Furthermore, what do we know about risk factors for chronic arthritis, such as the development of autoantibodies? The recent years have provided many insights concerning risk factors for autoantibody-positive versus autoantibody-negative rheumatoid arthritis, which are discussed along with a possible pathophysiological model incorporating autoantibodies into the larger process of disease development. Finally, the evolution of the autoantibody response over time is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- D van der Woude
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
| | - R E M Toes
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
| | - H U Scherer
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
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50
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James EA, Rieck M, Pieper J, Gebe JA, Yue BB, Tatum M, Peda M, Sandin C, Klareskog L, Malmström V, Buckner JH. Citrulline-specific Th1 cells are increased in rheumatoid arthritis and their frequency is influenced by disease duration and therapy. Arthritis Rheumatol 2014; 66:1712-22. [PMID: 24665079 DOI: 10.1002/art.38637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is thought to be a T cell-mediated disease, based on its strong association with HLA class II alleles, clinical responsiveness to T cell-directed therapies, and the presence of CD4+ T cells in rheumatoid joints. The presence of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) in RA serum and the association of these antibodies with HLA-DR4 alleles implicate citrulline-specific autoreactive T cells in the development and progression of RA. The goal of this study was to determine the characteristics and specificity of autoreactive T cell responses in RA. METHODS We developed a panel of HLA-DRB1*04:01 tetramers, selecting citrullinated peptides from synovial antigens and verifying their immunogenicity in DRB1*04:01-transgenic mice. Seven tetramers were used to examine the ex vivo frequency and surface phenotype of citrulline-specific (Cit-specific) T cells in patients with RA and healthy subjects with DRB1*04:01 haplotypes, using a magnetic enrichment procedure. RESULTS Cit-specific T cells were detectable in peripheral blood samples from both healthy subjects and RA patients. In comparison to healthy subjects, RA patients had significantly higher frequencies of Cit-specific T cells, and a greater proportion of these cells displayed a Th1 memory phenotype. Among RA patients, the frequency of Cit-specific T cells was highest within the first 5 years after diagnosis of RA and was decreased in patients taking biologic agents, irrespective of disease duration. CONCLUSION These findings link the presence of ACPAs in RA with Th1 cells specific for citrullinated epitopes and provide tools for disease-specific immunomonitoring of autoreactive T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddie A James
- Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
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