MIP3 alpha stimulates the migration of Langerhans cells in models of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated (pre)neoplastic epithelium

Prognostic Value of Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3alpha (MIP3-Alpha) and Severity Scores in Elderly Patients with Sepsis

Objective

This study examines the effectiveness of MIP-3alpha and severity scores in determining the prognosis of elderly sepsis patients.

Methods

From October 2020 to April 2021, a total of 171 elderly sepsis patients were admitted to the Emergency Department of the Shijingshan Branch of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University. According to the 28-day mortality rate, they were divided into two groups: survivors (48 cases) and deaths (123 cases). At admission, severity scores which are the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were calculated. The logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the value of MIP-3alpha, SOFA, and APACHE II in the evaluation of 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients.

Results

MIP-3alpha, SOFA and APACHE II of the death group were significantly higher than those of the survival group (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality of senile sepsis (P < 0.05). Analysis of the ROC curve revealed that MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II had predictive value for the 28-day prognosis of senile sepsis (all P < 0.01). Combing with MIP-3alpha and SOFA showed better predictive ability (Z1 = 3.733, Z2 = 2.996, both P < 0.01), compared to detecting MIP-3alpha and SOFA alone.

Conclusion

In senile sepsis, MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II and SBP are independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. The combination of MIP-3alpha and SOFA can further enhance the predictive value of 28-day mortality in patients with senile sepsis and provide some reference value for the evaluation and treatment of senile sepsis.

The human papillomavirus E7 oncoprotein as a regulator of transcription

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) encode oncoproteins which manipulate gene expression patterns in the host keratinocytes to facilitate viral replication, regulate viral transcription, and promote immune evasion and persistence. In some cases, oncoprotein-induced changes in host cell behavior can cause progression to cancer, but a complete picture of the functions of the viral oncoproteins in the productive HPV life cycle remains elusive. E7 is the HPV-encoded factor most responsible for maintaining cell cycle competence in differentiating keratinocytes. Through interactions with dozens of host factors, E7 has an enormous impact on host gene expression patterns. In this review, we will examine the role of E7 specifically as a regulator of transcription. We will discuss mechanisms of regulation of cell cycle-related genes by E7 as well as genes involved in immune regulation, growth factor signaling, DNA damage responses, microRNAs, and others pathways. We will also discuss some unanswered questions about how transcriptional regulation by E7 impacts the biology of HPV in both benign and malignant conditions.

The Interaction Between Human Papillomaviruses and the Stromal Microenvironment

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small, double-stranded DNA viruses that replicate in stratified squamous epithelia and cause a variety of malignancies. Current efforts in HPV biology are focused on understanding the virus-host interactions that enable HPV to persist for years or decades in the tissue. The importance of interactions between tumor cells and the stromal microenvironment has become increasingly apparent in recent years, but how stromal interactions impact the normal, benign life cycle of HPVs, or progression of lesions to cancer is less understood. Furthermore, how productively replicating HPV impacts cells in the stromal environment is also unclear. Here we bring together some of the relevant literature on keratinocyte-stromal interactions and their impacts on HPV biology, focusing on stromal fibroblasts, immune cells, and endothelial cells. We discuss how HPV oncogenes in infected cells manipulate other cells in their environment, and, conversely, how neighboring cells may impact the efficiency or course of HPV infection.

HMGB1 secretion during cervical carcinogenesis promotes the acquisition of a tolerogenic functionality by plasmacytoid dendritic cells

Acquisition of an impaired functionality by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) contributing to cancer progression has been documented in different types of cancers. In the present study, we postulate that molecules secreted by (pre)neoplastic epithelial cells of the genital tract (cervix/vulva) might attract pDCs but also modify their proper functionality, allowing these cells to initiate a tolerogenic response interfering with antitumor immunity. We demonstrated that pDCs are recruited during the cervical metaplasia-dysplasia-cancer sequence, through the action of their chemoattractant, chemerin. We showed that stimulated-pDCs exposed to cervical/vulvar tumor microenvironment display an altered phenotype. We also demonstrated that cervical/vulvar neoplastic keratinocytes inhibit the proper function of pDCs by decreasing their IFNα secretion in response to CpG oligonucleotides. In parallel, we observed that (pre)neoplastic areas of the cervix are infiltrated by FoxP3(+) Treg cells which colocalize with pDCs. Accordingly, pDCs cocultured with cervical/vulvar neoplastic keratinocytes have the capacity to induce a Treg cell differentiation from naïve CD4(+) T cells, which is in agreement with the development of a tolerogenic response. We identified HMGB1 as a soluble factor produced by neoplastic keratinocytes from the genital tract involved in pDCs functional alteration. Indeed, this molecule inhibited pDC maturation, decreased IFNα secretion following TLR9 stimulation and forced these cells to become tolerogenic. In contrast, inhibition of HMGB1 restored pDC phenotype. Our findings indicate that the use of inhibitory molecules notably directed against HMGB1 in cervical/vulvar (pre)neoplastic lesions might prevent alterations of pDCs functionality and represent an attractive therapeutic strategy to overcome immune tolerance in cancers.

Langerhans cell density in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia associated with human papillomavirus infection in HIV-infected and HIV-noninfected Brazilian women

OBJECTIVE

Local immunity plays an important role in the cervical defense mechanisms that prevent the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The objective of this study was to determine the involvement of local immunity by evaluating Langerhans cell (LC) density in cervical biopsies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was developed by including HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. All patients presented human papillomavirus DNA from the uterine cervix, which was detected by polymerase chain reaction or hybrid capture II. Cervical biopsies were assessed for LC density and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Langerhans cells were identified by immunohistochemistry using anti-CD1a and anti-S100 antibodies. Associations among cervical LC density, the type of cervical lesion, CD4 lymphocyte count, and HIV viral load were analyzed using logistic regression (SPSS, version 12.0).

RESULTS

Seventy-seven women (40 seropositive and 37 seronegative) were enrolled. The mean ± SD LC density identified with the anti-CD1a antibody was 0.80 ± 0.7 cells versus 2.6 ± 1.6 cells (P < 0.0001), whereas the mean ± SD LC density identified by the anti-S100 antibody was 1.3 ± 1.0 cells versus 3.6 ± 1.7 cells (P < 0.0001) among the HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, respectively. There were no associations between LC density and HIV viral load, CD4 lymphocyte count, or human papillomavirus genotype (P > 0.05). In a logistic regression model, HIV infection was the only factor independently associated with a decrease in LC density.

CONCLUSIONS

Human immunodeficiency virus infection was found to be an independent factor that explains the decrease in local immunity in the uterine cervix, which could allow the development of cervical lesions. This effect was not associated with CD4 lymphocyte count or HIV viral load.

The Asian-American E6 variant protein of human papillomavirus 16 alone is sufficient to promote immortalization, transformation, and migration of primary human foreskin keratinocytes

We examined how well the human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 oncogene can function in the absence of the E7 oncogene during the carcinogenic process in human keratinocytes using a common HPV variant strongly associated with cervical cancer: the Asian-American E6 variant (AAE6). This E6 variant is 20 times more frequently detected in cervical cancer than the prototype European E6 variant, as evidenced by independent epidemiological data. Using cell culture and cell-based functional assays, we assessed how this variant can perform crucial carcinogenesis steps compared to the prototype E6 variant. The ability to immortalize and transform primary human foreskin keratinocytes (PHFKs) to acquire resilient phenotypes and the ability to promote cell migration were evaluated. The immortalization capability was assayed based on population doublings, number of passages, surpassing mortality stages 1 and 2, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression, and the ability to overcome G(1) arrest via p53 degradation. Transformation and migration efficiency were analyzed using a combination of functional cell-based assays. We observed that either AAE6 or prototype E6 proteins alone were sufficient to immortalize PHFKs, although AAE6 was more potent in doing so. The AAE6 variant protein alone pushed PHFKs through transformation and significantly increased their migration ability over that of the E6 prototype. Our findings are in line with epidemiological data that the AA variant of HPV16 confers an increased risk over the European prototype for cervical cancer, as evidenced by a superior immortalization, transformation, and metastatic potential.

Maturation of human iDCs by IL-18 plus PGE2, but not by each stimulus alone, induced migration toward CCL21 and the secretion of IL-12 and IFN-γ

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that initiate the primary immune response and whose functional properties in vivo depend on the maturation stimulus. We describe the functional properties of human monocyte-derived DCs after the maturation of immature DCs (iDCs) for 2 days with LPS (100 ng/ml), PGE2 (1 μg/ml), CD40L (1 μg/ml) or IL-18 (200 ng/ml) and with CD40L+PGE2 and IL-18+PGE2 mixtures at the same concentrations as above. Neither IL-18 nor PGE2 alone stimulated IL-12 or IFN-γ secretion. When administered simultaneously to 1×10(6)iDCs/ml, IL-18+PGE2 induced the secretion of 131.4±6.7 pg IL-12/ml and 355±87 pg IFN-γ/ml but there was no detectable IL-10 secretion. However, PGE2 alone stimulated the secretion of 208±89 pg IL-10/ml whereas IL-18 alone did not stimulate the secretion of IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α or INF-γ. When the mixture of CD40L+PGE2 was used, only migration toward CCL19 and CCL21 was induced. CD40L did not stimulate the secretion of IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α or IFN-γ and did not stimulate migration toward CCL19 or CCL21. The extent of stimulation of T cell proliferation was essentially the same for all stimuli at the concentrations given above. New properties such as IL-12 and INF-γ secretion and migration toward CCL21 emerged when a mixture of IL-18+PGE2 was employed. These data show that when the pairs of stimuli reported here were used simultaneously their effect was not additive. This system can be used to prepare mDCs with properties useful for cell therapy and also as a model to investigate the mechanisms of cytokine secretion and cell migration.

Dendritic cell subsets and immunological milieu in inflammatory human papilloma virus-related skin lesions

BACKGROUND

Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related warts persist, evading host immune surveillance, but sometimes disappear with inflammation.

OBJECTIVES

To elucidate the immune evasion mechanisms of HPV, we have examined the density, dynamics, and subsets of dendritic cell (DC) types in non-inflammatory or inflammatory HPV-related skin lesions such as warts and Bowen's disease (HPV-Bowen), and compared the epidermal expression levels of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α and E-cadherin.

METHODS

The expression of various DC markers, MIP-3α, and E-cadherin in the tissue samples obtained from patients with warts, HPV-Bowen and HPV-unrelated skin diseases was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. MIP-3α gene expression levels were examined in warts and HPV-Bowen by in situ hybridization (ISH) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

The numbers of Langerhans cells (LCs) and the expression levels of MIP-3α and E-cadherin were decreased in non-inflammatory warts and HPV-Bowen, as compared with normal skin. Both epidermal LCs and MIP-3α expression reappeared in inflammatory warts, associated with dermal infiltrates composed of many cytotoxic T cells and various subsets of DCs, while cellular infiltrates in HPV-Bowen contained many B cells and plasma cells with sparse infiltration of DCs. The upregulation of MIP-3α gene expression was confirmed in the inflammatory warts and HPV-Bowen by ISH and RT-qPCR.

CONCLUSIONS

The depletion of LCs in the non-inflammatory warts and HPV-Bowen is associated with a down-regulation of expression levels of MIP-3α and E-cadherin in the lesional keratinocytes. MIP-3α expression is upregulated in lesional keratinocytes of inflammatory warts, with the subsequent recruitment of various DC subsets and cytotoxic T cells, whereas plasma cell-rich infiltration was induced in HPV-Bowen.

High expression of PGE2 enzymatic pathways in cervical (pre)neoplastic lesions and functional consequences for antigen-presenting cells

Although human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is detected in the majority of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix, the persistence or progression of cervical lesions suggest that viral antigens are not adequately presented to the immune system. This hypothesis is reinforced by the observation that most SIL show quantitative and functional alterations of Langerhans cells (LC). The aim of this study was to determine whether prostaglandins (PG) may affect LC density in the cervical (pre)neoplastic epithelium. We first demonstrated that the epithelial expression of PGE(2) enzymatic pathways, including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase 1 (mPGES-1), is higher in SIL and SCC compared to the normal exocervical epithelium and inversely correlated to the density of CD1a-positive LC. By using cell migration assays, we next showed that the motility of immature dendritic cells (DC) and DC partially differentiated in vitro in the presence of PGE(2) are differentially affected by PGE(2). Immature DC had a lower ability to migrate in the presence of PGE(2) compared to DC generated in vitro in the presence of PGE(2). Finally, we showed that PGE(2) induced a cytokine production profile and phenotypical features of tolerogenic DC, suggesting that the altered expression of PGE(2) enzymatic pathways may promote the cervical carcinogenesis by favouring (pre)cancer immunotolerance.

Increased migration of Langerhans cells in response to HPV16 E6 and E7 oncogene silencing: role of CCL20

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly type 16, is causally associated with cancer of the uterine cervix. The persistence or progression of cervical lesions suggests that viral antigens are not adequately presented to the immune system. This hypothesis is reinforced by the observation that most squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) show quantitative and functional alterations of Langerhans cells (LC). The infiltration of immature LC in the squamous epithelium is mainly controlled by Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 3alpha/CCL20. After having shown that CCL20 production is altered in HPV-transformed keratinocytes (KC), the possible role of HPV16 E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins in the reduced CCL20 levels observed in SILs was investigated by silencing HPV16 E6 and E7 oncogenes by RNA interference (siRNA). This treatment not only increased CCL20 secretion but also resulted in the modulation of NF-kappaB p50, p52 and p65 precursor localization. Moreover, silencing of E6 and E7 oncogenes in HPV16-transformed KC induced a significantly higher migratory capacity of LC in a Boyden chamber assay and in an in vitro formed (pre)neoplastic epithelium reminiscent of high-grade SILs. Anti-CCL20 neutralizing antibody experiments showed that the increased migration of LC is due to the re-expression of CCL20 in E6 and E7 siRNA transfected KC. These data suggest that HPV16 E6/E7-induced down-regulation of CCL20 observed during the cervical carcinogenesis may contribute to a diminished capacity of the immune system to control HPV infection.

Silencing of E7 oncogene restores functional E-cadherin expression in human papillomavirus 16-transformed keratinocytes

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly type 16, is causally associated with cancer of the uterine cervix. The persistence or progression of cervical lesions suggests that viral antigens are not adequately presented to the immune system. This hypothesis is reinforced by the observation that most squamous intra-epithelial lesions show quantitative and functional alterations of Langerhans cells (LCs). Moreover, E-cadherin-dependent adhesion of LC to keratinocytes (KCs) is defective in cervical HPV16-associated (pre)neoplastic lesions. The possible role of viral oncoprotein E7 in the reduced levels of cell surface E-cadherin was investigated by silencing HPV16 E7 by RNA interference (siRNA). This treatment induced an increased cell surface E-cadherin expression in HPV16-positive KC and a significant adhesion of LC to these squamous cells. The E-cadherin re-expression following HPV16 E7 silencing was associated with increased detection levels of retinoblastoma protein and the activating protein (AP)-2alpha transcription factor. These data suggest that HPV16 E7-induced alterations of LC/KC adhesion may play a role in the defective immune response during cervical carcinogenesis.