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Zhu HX, Yang SH, Gao CY, Bian ZH, Chen XM, Huang RR, Meng QL, Li X, Jin H, Tsuneyama K, Han Y, Li L, Zhao ZB, Gershwin ME, Lian ZX. Targeting pathogenic CD8 + tissue-resident T cells with chimeric antigen receptor therapy in murine autoimmune cholangitis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2936. [PMID: 38580644 PMCID: PMC10997620 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46654-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a cholestatic autoimmune liver disease characterized by autoreactive T cell response against intrahepatic small bile ducts. Here, we use Il12b-/-Il2ra-/- mice (DKO mice) as a model of autoimmune cholangitis and demonstrate that Cd8a knockout or treatment with an anti-CD8α antibody prevents/reduces biliary immunopathology. Using single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we identified CD8+ tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells in the livers of DKO mice, which highly express activation- and cytotoxicity-associated markers and induce apoptosis of bile duct epithelial cells. Liver CD8+ Trm cells also upregulate the expression of several immune checkpoint molecules, including PD-1. We describe the development of a chimeric antigen receptor to target PD-1-expressing CD8+ Trm cells. Treatment of DKO mice with PD-1-targeting CAR-T cells selectively depleted liver CD8+ Trm cells and alleviated autoimmune cholangitis. Our work highlights the pathogenic role of CD8+ Trm cells and the potential therapeutic usage of PD-1-targeting CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Xian Zhu
- Chronic Disease Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Han Yang
- Chronic Disease Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cai-Yue Gao
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Bian
- Chronic Disease Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Min Chen
- Chronic Disease Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong-Rong Huang
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian-Li Meng
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Li
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haosheng Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Ying Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Liang Li
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhi-Bin Zhao
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Lin CI, Wang YW, Liu CY, Chen HW, Liang PH, Chuang YH. Regulatory T cells in inflamed liver are dysfunctional in murine primary biliary cholangitis. Clin Exp Immunol 2024; 215:225-239. [PMID: 37916967 PMCID: PMC10876115 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by immune-mediated destruction of intrahepatic small bile ducts. CD8 T cells play a critical role in biliary destruction. However, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have also been identified in the portal tracts of PBC patients. This study tested the hypothesis that hepatic Tregs in PBC were dysfunctional in suppressing immune responses in disease by using our human PBC-like autoimmune cholangitis (AIC) mouse model induced by 2-octynoic acid-conjugated ovalbumin (2-OA-OVA). Our results showed that female and male mice immunized with 2-OA-OVA developed AIC; however, female AIC mice had more severe liver inflammation and fibrosis than male AIC mice. Levels of functional effector CD8 T cells and their chemoattractants, CXCL9 and CXCL10, in the liver were markedly elevated in female AIC mice than in male AIC mice. These results reinforce that CD8 T cells are the primary effector cells in PBC. The number of hepatic Tregs in AIC mice was also higher than in saline-treated mice, but there was no difference between male and female AIC mice. The suppressive function of AIC Tregs was evident despite a discrepancy in the changes in their co-inhibitory receptors and inhibitory cytokines. However, the expansion of hepatic Tregs by low-dose IL-2 treatment did not reduce immune responses to AIC, which may be due to the dysfunction of Tregs in inhibiting T cells. In conclusion, the function of Tregs in the inflamed liver of PBC was insufficient, and low-dose IL-2 treatment could not restore their function to suppress pathological immune responses. Transferring normal Tregs or directly targeting effector CD8 T cells may be beneficial for treating PBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-I Lin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yu Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Wen Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Hui Liang
- School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hui Chuang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Davies SP, Ronca V, Wootton GE, Krajewska NM, Bozward AG, Fiancette R, Patten DA, Yankouskaya K, Reynolds GM, Pat S, Osei-Bordom DC, Richardson N, Grover LM, Weston CJ, Oo YH. Expression of E-cadherin by CD8 + T cells promotes their invasion into biliary epithelial cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:853. [PMID: 38286990 PMCID: PMC10825166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44910-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The presence of CD8+ T cells in the cytoplasm of biliary epithelial cells (BEC) has been correlated with biliary damage associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Here, we characterise the mechanism of CD8+ T cell invasion into BEC. CD8+ T cells observed within BEC were large, eccentric, and expressed E-cadherin, CD103 and CD69. They were also not contained within secondary vesicles. Internalisation required cytoskeletal rearrangements which facilitated contact with BEC. Internalised CD8+ T cells were observed in both non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic diseased liver tissues but enriched in PBC patients, both during active disease and at the time of transplantation. E-cadherin expression by CD8+ T cells correlated with frequency of internalisation of these cells into BEC. E-cadherin+ CD8+ T cells formed β-catenin-associated interactions with BEC, were larger than E-cadherin- CD8+ T cells and invaded into BEC more frequently. Overall, we unveil a distinct cell-in-cell structure process in the liver detailing the invasion of E-cadherin+ CD103+ CD69+ CD8+ T cells into BEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott P Davies
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK.
| | - Vincenzo Ronca
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK
| | - Grace E Wootton
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Advanced Cellular Therapy Facility, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Natalia M Krajewska
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Amber G Bozward
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Advanced Cellular Therapy Facility, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rémi Fiancette
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daniel A Patten
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Katharina Yankouskaya
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Gary M Reynolds
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sofia Pat
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daniel C Osei-Bordom
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Naomi Richardson
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Advanced Cellular Therapy Facility, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Liam M Grover
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Healthcare Technologies Institute, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Christopher J Weston
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ye H Oo
- Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
- National Institute for Health Research, Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN Rare-Liver), Birmingham, UK.
- Birmingham Advanced Cellular Therapy Facility, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Wang X, Wei Y, Yang Y, Yang Y, Li H, Li Y, Zhang F, Wang L. Animal models of primary biliary cholangitis: status and challenges. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:214. [PMID: 37993960 PMCID: PMC10664283 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01170-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease. The aetiology of PBC remains unclear, and its pathogenesis is complex. Animal models are essential to clarify the pathogenesis of PBC and explore the occurrence of early events. MAIN BODY Herein, we review recent research progress in PBC animal models, including genetically modified, chemically inducible, biologically inducible, and protein-immunised models. Although these animal models exhibit several immunological and pathological features of PBC, they all have limitations that constrain further research and weaken their connection with clinical practice. CONCLUSION The review will benefit efforts to understand and optimise animal models in order to further clarify PBC pathogenesis and molecular targets for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yanlei Yang
- Clinical Biobank, Department Medical Research Central, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yunjiao Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Haolong Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongzhe Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fengchun Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, China.
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Interplay between Mast Cells and Regulatory T Cells in Immune-Mediated Cholangiopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115872. [PMID: 35682552 PMCID: PMC9180565 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune-mediated cholangiopathies are characterised by the destruction of small and large bile ducts causing bile acid stasis, which leads to subsequent inflammation, fibrosis, and eventual cirrhosis of the liver tissue. A breakdown of peripheral hepatic immune tolerance is a key feature of these diseases. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a major anti-inflammatory immune cell subset, and their quantities and functional capacity are impaired in autoimmune liver diseases. Tregs can undergo phenotypic reprogramming towards pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 profiles. The inflamed hepatic microenvironment influences and can impede normal Treg suppressive functions. Mast cell (MC) infiltration increases during liver inflammation, and active MCs have been shown to be an important source of pro-inflammatory mediators, thus driving pathogenesis. By influencing the microenvironment, MCs can indirectly manipulate Treg functions and inhibit their suppressive and proliferative activity. In addition, direct cell-to-cell interactions have been identified between MCs and Tregs. It is critical to consider the effects of MCs on the inflammatory milieu of the liver and their influence on Treg functions. This review will focus on the roles and crosstalk of Tregs and MCs during autoimmune cholangiopathy pathogenesis progression.
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Han Y, Bian ZH, Yang SY, Wang CB, Li L, Yang YQ, Ansari AA, Gershwin ME, Zeng X, Lian ZX, Zhao ZB. Single-Cell Characterization of Hepatic CD8 + T Cells in a Murine Model of Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:860311. [PMID: 35514982 PMCID: PMC9065443 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.860311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an organ-specific autoimmune disease, is characterized by injury to small bile ducts, inflammatory cell infiltrates within the liver, progressive cholestasis, and in some cases, cirrhosis with unclear pathogenesis. We aimed to clarify the importance role of hepatic immunce cells in the pathogenesis of human and experimental PBC.The dominant-negative TGFβ receptor type II transgenic (dnTGFβRII) mice, a well-studied and established murine model of PBC were used to identify changes of immune cells, especially the pathogenic CD8+ T cells. The high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing technology were applied and found functional heterogeneity among the hepatic CD8+ T cells subsets in dnTGFβRII mice. CD8+ T cells were confirmed the key cells leading to the pathogenesis of PBC in dnTGFβRII mice, and identified the terminally differentiated CD8αα T cells and CD8αβ T cell subsets in the liver of dnTGFβRII mice. While terminally differentiated CD8αα T cells have higher cytokine production ability and cytotoxicity, the terminally differentiated CD8αβ T cells retain their proliferative profile. Our work suggests that there are developmental and differentiated trajectories of pathogenic CD8+ T cell subsets in the pathogenesis of PBC. A further clarification of their roles would be helpful to our understanding of the pathogenesis of PBC and may potentially lead to identifying novel therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Han
- Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Bian
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Yu Yang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Bo Wang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Li
- Medical Research Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Qing Yang
- Department of Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Aftab A. Ansari
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Xiaofeng Zeng
- Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Medical Research Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Zhao
- Medical Research Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Interleukin-30 Suppresses Not Only CD4 + T Cells but Also Regulatory T Cells in Murine Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9081031. [PMID: 34440235 PMCID: PMC8392158 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9081031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic liver autoimmune disease with augmented T helper (Th) 1 and corresponding cytokine IFN-γ immune responses. Using 2-octynoic acid (2-OA) coupled to OVA (2-OA-OVA)-induced mouse models of autoimmune cholangitis (inducible chemical xenobiotic models of PBC), our previous study demonstrated that overexpression of IFN-γ in the model mice enhanced liver inflammation upon disease initiation, but subsequently led to the suppression of chronic inflammation with an increase in interleukin-30 (IL-30) levels. In this study, we investigated whether IL-30 had an immunosuppressive function and whether it could be part of an immune therapeutic regimen for PBC, by treating model mice with murine IL-30-expressing recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV-mIL-30). We first defined the effects of AAV-mIL-30 in vivo by administering it to a well-known concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis model of mice and found that AAV-mIL-30 reduced the numbers of activated CD25+CD4+ T cells and the levels of serum IFN-γ and IL-12. In autoimmune cholangitis, decreased numbers of activated CD4+ T cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells were noted in the mice treated with AAV-mIL-30 at 3 weeks after the 2-OA-OVA immunization. Treatment with IL-30 did not change the features of autoimmune cholangitis including autoantibodies, cell infiltration, and collagen deposition in the liver at 11 weeks of examination. However, increased levels of cytokines and chemokines were observed. These results suggest that IL-30 suppresses not only CD4+ T cells but also regulatory T cells. Additionally, the administration of IL-30 did not suppress liver inflammation in the murine model of PBC.
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Itoh A, Adams D, Huang W, Wu Y, Kachapati K, Bednar KJ, Leung PSC, Zhang W, Flavell RA, Gershwin ME, Ridgway WM. Enoxacin Up-Regulates MicroRNA Biogenesis and Down-Regulates Cytotoxic CD8 T-Cell Function in Autoimmune Cholangitis. Hepatology 2021; 74:835-846. [PMID: 33462854 DOI: 10.1002/hep.31724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a prototypical organ-specific autoimmune disease that is mediated by autoreactive T-cell attack and destruction of cholangiocytes. Despite the clear role of autoimmunity in PBC, immune-directed therapies have failed to halt PBC, including biologic therapies effective in other autoimmune diseases. MicroRNA (miRNA) dysregulation is implicated in the pathogenesis (PBC). In the dominant-negative TGF-β receptor type II (dnTGFβRII) mouse model of PBC, autoreactive CD8 T cells play a major pathogenic role and demonstrate a striking pattern of miRNA down-regulation. Enoxacin is a small molecule fluoroquinolone that enhances miRNA biogenesis, partly by stabilizing the interaction of transactivation response RNA-binding protein with Argonaute (Ago) 2. APPROACH AND RESULTS We hypothesized that correcting aberrant T-cell miRNA expression with enoxacin in dnTGFβRII mice could modulate autoreactive T-cell function and prevent PBC. Here, we show that liver-infiltrating dnTGFβRII CD8 T cells have significantly decreased levels of the miRNA biogenesis molecules prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha 1 (P4HA1) and Ago2 along with significantly increased levels of granzyme B and perforin. Enoxacin treatment significantly up-regulated miRNAs in dnTGFβRII CD8 T cells and effectively treated autoimmune cholangitis in dnTGFβRII mice. Enoxacin treatment directly altered T cells both ex vivo and in vitro, resulting in altered memory subset numbers, decreased proliferation, and decreased interferon-γ production. Enoxacin significantly decreased CD8 T-cell expression of the transcription factor, Runx3, and significantly decreased perforin expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS Enoxacin increases miRNA expression in dnTGFβRII CD8 T cells, reduces CD8 T-cell pathogenicity, and effectively halted progression of autoimmune biliary disease. Targeting the miRNA pathway is a therapeutic approach to autoimmunity that corrects pathological miRNA abnormalities in autoreactive T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arata Itoh
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - David Adams
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - Wenting Huang
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - Yuehong Wu
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - Kritika Kachapati
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - Kyle J Bednar
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH
| | - Patrick S C Leung
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCA
| | - Weici Zhang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCA
| | - Richard A Flavell
- Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCA
| | - William M Ridgway
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and RheumatologyUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOH.,Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCA
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9
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Longhi MS, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D. Regulatory T cells in autoimmune hepatitis: an updated overview. J Autoimmun 2021; 119:102619. [PMID: 33652348 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are key players in the maintenance of immune homeostasis by preventing immune responses to self-antigens. Defects in Treg frequency and/or function result in overwhelming CD4 and CD8 T cell immune responses participating in the autoimmune attack. Perpetuation of autoimmune damage is also favored by Treg predisposition to acquire effector cell features upon exposure to a proinflammatory challenge. Treg impairment plays a permissive role in the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune liver diseases, namely autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. In this Review, we outline studies reporting the role of Treg impairment in the pathogenesis of these conditions and discuss methods to restore Treg number and function either by generation/expansion in the test tube or through in vivo expansion upon administration of low dose IL-2. Challenges and caveats of these potential therapeutic strategies are also reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Serena Longhi
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Giorgina Mieli-Vergani
- Institute of Liver Studies, MowatLabs, Department of Inflammation Biology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Liver Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Diego Vergani
- Institute of Liver Studies, MowatLabs, Department of Inflammation Biology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Liver Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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10
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Inflammation: Cause or consequence of chronic cholestatic liver injury. Food Chem Toxicol 2020; 137:111133. [PMID: 31972189 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2020.111133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cholestasis is a result of obstruction of the biliary tracts. It is a common cause of liver pathology after exposure to toxic xenobiotics and during numerous other liver diseases. Accumulation of bile acids in the liver is thought to be a major driver of liver injury during cholestasis and can lead to eventual liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. As such, current therapy in the field of chronic liver diseases with prominent cholestasis relies heavily on increasing choleresis to limit accumulation of bile acids. Many of these same diseases also present with autoimmunity before the onset of cholestasis though, indicating the inflammation may be an initiating component of the pathology. Moreover, cytotoxic inflammatory mediators accumulate during cholestasis and can propagate liver injury. Anti-inflammatory biologics and small molecules have largely failed clinical trials in these diseases though and as such, targeting inflammation as a means to address cholestatic liver injury remains debatable. The purpose of this review is to understand the different roles that inflammation can play during cholestatic liver injury and attempt to define how new therapeutic targets that limit or control inflammation may be beneficial for patients with chronic cholestatic liver disease.
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11
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Li Y, Li B, You Z, Zhang J, Wei Y, Li Y, Chen Y, Huang B, Wang Q, Miao Q, Peng Y, Fang J, Gershwin ME, Tang R, Greenberg SA, Ma X. Cytotoxic KLRG1 expressing lymphocytes invade portal tracts in primary biliary cholangitis. J Autoimmun 2019; 103:102293. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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12
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Bowlus CL, Yang GX, Liu CH, Johnson CR, Dhaliwal SS, Frank D, Levy C, Peters MG, Vierling JM, Gershwin ME. Therapeutic trials of biologics in primary biliary cholangitis: An open label study of abatacept and review of the literature. J Autoimmun 2019; 101:26-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Sun C, Xiao X, Yan L, Sheng L, Wang Q, Jiang P, Lian M, Li Y, Wei Y, Zhang J, Chen Y, Li B, Li Y, Huang B, Li Y, Peng Y, Chen X, Fang J, Qiu D, Hua J, Tang R, Leung P, Gershwin ME, Miao Q, Ma X. Histologically proven AMA positive primary biliary cholangitis but normal serum alkaline phosphatase: Is alkaline phosphatase truly a surrogate marker? J Autoimmun 2019; 99:33-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Zhang H, Jiang Z, Zhang L. Dual effect of T helper cell 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg) in liver pathological process: From occurrence to end stage of disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 69:50-59. [PMID: 30669025 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Liver disease is a complicated pathological status with acute or chronic progressions, causing a series of damages to liver and massive burden to public health and society. Th17 and Treg, two subsets of CD4+ T helper cells, seem to keep a subtle balance in the maintenance of organic immune homeostasis including liver. The dysfunction of Th17/Treg balance in liver has been proved associated with hepatic injury and disease. Herein, we summarized the research advance of Th17 and Treg cells in different phenotypes of liver diseases in the past decade. It is known to all that hepatic diseases start from stimulations or infections like virus, autoimmune, alcohol and so on in the early stage, which would cause inflammation. With the disease consistently existed, severe outcomes like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma appear finally. In conclusion, it is found that Th17 and Treg cells serve as an important role in the immune response imbalance of liver diseases from the beginning to the end stage. However, the effect of these two subsets of CD4+ T helper cells is not a stereotype. Pathological role which exacerbates the disease and protective character which inhibits damage to liver are co-existed in the effect of Th17 and Treg cells. Still, more studies should be carried out to enrich the understandings of liver disease and Th17/Treg immune balance in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhenzhou Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Luyong Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Center for Drug Screening and Pharmacodynamics Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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15
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Deviations in Peripheral Blood Cell Populations are Associated with the Stage of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Presence of Itching. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2018; 66:443-452. [PMID: 29951695 PMCID: PMC6245241 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-018-0515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To evaluate the role of Th17, Treg cells, activated T CD3+ and B CD19+ lymphocytes in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. 40 female patients with PBC and 20 healthy donors were enrolled in this study. The percentages and absolute counts of Th17, Treg, activated T CD3+, B CD19+, NK, NKT-like lymphocytes were measured by flow cytometry. Our research revealed significantly lower frequencies and absolute counts of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells (p < 0.0001), higher percentages and absolute counts of Th17 cells (IL-17A+CD3+CD4+; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.009, respectively), CD3−/CD16+CD56+ NK cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.039, respectively), CD3+/CD16+CD56+ NKT-like cells (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.048, respectively). There were also higher percentages and numbers of B CD19+ lymphocytes (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively) and higher percentages and absolute counts of activated B CD19+CD25+ cells (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, we observed a statistically significant correlation between the presence of itching and particular peripheral blood subpopulations in PBC patients. Absolute counts of both CD4+CD3+ cells (p = 0.0119) and CD3+CD25+ cells (p = 0.0329) were lower in patients with pruritus. A similar dependency was noted in reference to percentages of NKT-like cells (CD3+/CD16+CD56+; p = 0.0359) and (CD3+) T lymphocytes (p = 0.0302). Th17 and Treg cells are involved in the course of PBC. There is also the association between the pruritus and peripheral blood subpopulations.
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16
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Liu QZ, Ma WT, Yang JB, Zhao ZB, Yan K, Yao Y, Li L, Miao Q, Gershwin ME, Lian ZX. The CXC Chemokine Receptor 3 Inhibits Autoimmune Cholangitis via CD8 + T Cells but Promotes Colitis via CD4 + T Cells. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1090. [PMID: 29868034 PMCID: PMC5966573 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3), a receptor for the C-X-C motif chemokines (CXCL) CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, which not only plays a role in chemotaxis but also regulates differentiation and development of memory and effector T cell populations. Herein, we explored the function of CXCR3 in the modulation of different organ-specific autoimmune diseases in interleukin (IL)-2 receptor deficiency (CD25-/-) mice, a murine model for both cholangitis and colitis. We observed higher levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in the liver and colon and higher expression of CXCR3 on T cells of the CD25-/- mice compared with control animals. Deletion of CXCR3 resulted in enhanced liver inflammation but alleviated colitis. These changes in liver and colon pathology after CXCR3 deletion were associated with increased numbers of hepatic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in particular effector memory CD8+ T cells, as well as decreased T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes and colon lamina propria. In addition, increased interferon-γ response and decreased IL-17A response was observed in both liver and colon after CXCR3 deletion. CXCR3 modulated the functions of T cells involved in different autoimmune diseases, whereas the consequence of such modulation was organ-specific regarding to their effects on disease severity. Our findings emphasize the importance of extra caution in immunotherapy for organ-specific autoimmune diseases, as therapeutic interventions aiming at a target such as CXCR3 for certain disease could result in adverse effects in an unrelated organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Zhi Liu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Tao Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, China
| | - Jing-Bo Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Zhao
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Yan
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Li
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Miao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Chronic Disease Laboratory, School of Medicine, Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Proteomic analysis reveals distinctive protein profiles involved in CD8 + T cell-mediated murine autoimmune cholangitis. Cell Mol Immunol 2018; 15:756-767. [PMID: 29375127 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2017.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune cholangitis arises from abnormal innate and adaptive immune responses in the liver, and T cells are critical drivers in this process. However, little is known about the regulation of their functional behavior during disease development. We previously reported that mice with T cell-restricted expression of a dominant negative form of transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (dnTGFβRII) spontaneously develop an autoimmune cholangitis that resembles human primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Adoptive transfer of CD8+ but not CD4+ T cells into Rag1-/- mice reproduced the disease, demonstrating a critical role for CD8+ T cells in PBC pathogenesis. Herein, we used SOMAscan technology to perform proteomic analysis of serum samples from dnTGFβRII and B6 control mice at different ages. In addition, we analyzed CD8 protein profiles after adoptive transfer of splenic CD8+ cells into Rag1-/- recipients. The use of the unique SOMAscan aptamer technology revealed critical and distinct profiles of CD8 cells, which are key to biliary mediation. In total, 254 proteins were significantly increased while 216 proteins were significantly decreased in recipient hepatic CD8+ cells compared to donor splenic CD8+ cells. In contrast to donor splenic CD8+ cells, recipient hepatic CD8+ cells expressed distinct profiles for proteins involved in chemokine signaling, focal adhesion, T cell receptor and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathways.
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18
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Ray JL, Kopec AK, Joshi N, Cline-Fedewa H, Lash LH, Williams KJ, Leung PS, Gershwin ME, Luyendyk JP. Trichloroethylene Exposure Reduces Liver Injury in a Mouse Model of Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Toxicol Sci 2018; 156:428-437. [PMID: 28115651 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfw264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a persistent environmental contaminant proposed to contribute to autoimmune disease. Experimental studies in lupus-prone MRL+/+ mice have suggested that TCE exposure can trigger autoimmune hepatitis. The vast majority of studies examining the connection between TCE and autoimmunity utilize this model, and the impact of TCE exposure in other established models of autoimmune liver disease is not known. We tested the hypothesis that TCE exposure exacerbates experimental hepatic autoimmunity in dominant negative transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (dnTGFBRII) mice, which develop serological and histological features resembling human primary biliary cholangitis. Female 8-week-old wild-type and dnTGFBRII mice were exposed to TCE (0.5 mg/ml) or vehicle (1% ethoxylated castor oil) in the drinking water for 12 or 22 weeks. Liver histopathology in 20- and 30-week-old wild-type mice was unremarkable irrespective of treatment. Mild portal inflammation was observed in vehicle-exposed 20-week-old dnTGFBRII mice and was not exacerbated by TCE exposure. Vehicle-exposed 30-week-old dnTGFBRII mice developed anti-mitochondrial antibodies, marked hepatic inflammation with necrosis, and hepatic accumulation of both B and T lymphocytes. To our surprise, TCE exposure dramatically reduced hepatic parenchymal inflammation and injury in 30-week-old dnTGFBRII mice, reflected by changes in hepatic proinflammatory gene expression, serum chemistry, and histopathology. Interestingly, TCE did not affect hepatic B cell accumulation or induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10. These data indicate that TCE exposure reduces autoimmune liver injury in female dnTGFBRII mice and suggests that the precise effect of environmental chemicals in autoimmunity depends on the experimental model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Ray
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation
| | - Anna K Kopec
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation.,Institute for Integrative Toxicology
| | - Nikita Joshi
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation.,Institute for Integrative Toxicology.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | | | - Lawrence H Lash
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | | | - Patrick S Leung
- Department of Internal Medicine Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Department of Internal Medicine Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - James P Luyendyk
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation.,Institute for Integrative Toxicology.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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19
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Dysregulation of peritoneal cavity B1a cells and murine primary biliary cholangitis. Oncotarget 2017; 7:26992-7006. [PMID: 27105495 PMCID: PMC5053627 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease with progressive cholestasis and liver fibrosis. Similar to human patients with PBC, p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice spontaneously develop severe autoimmune cholangitis. Although there has been considerable work on immune regulation and autoimmunity, there is a relative paucity of work directed at the functional implications of the key peritoneal cavity (PC) B cell subset, coined B1a cells in PBC. We used flow cytometry and high-resolution microarrays to study the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of B cells, particularly B1a cells, in the PC of p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice compared to controls. Importantly, B1a cell proliferation was markedly lower as the expression of Ki67 decreased. Meanwhile, the apoptosis level was much higher. These lead to a reduction of B1a cells in the PC of p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice compared to controls. In contrast, there was a dramatic increase of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells accompanied by elevated production of IFN-γ. In addition, we found a negative correlation between the frequency of B1a cells and the presence of autoreactive CD8+ T cells in both liver and PC of p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice. From a functional perspective, B cells from p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice downregulated IL-10 production and CTLA-4 expression, leading to loss of B cell regulatory function. We suggest that the dysfunction of B1a cells in the PC in this murine model of autoimmune cholangitis results in defective regulatory function. This highlights a new potential therapeutic target in PBC.
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20
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Ronca V, Carbone M, Bernuzzi F, Malinverno F, Mousa HS, Gershwin ME, Invernizzi P. From pathogenesis to novel therapies in the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2017; 13:1121-1131. [DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2017.1391093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Ronca
- Department of Medicine, S. Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Program for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Carbone
- Program for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Bernuzzi
- Program for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Malinverno
- Program for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Hani S. Mousa
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, CB2 0AH, United Kingdom
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Program for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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21
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Hall C, Ehrlich L, Venter J, O'Brien A, White T, Zhou T, Dang T, Meng F, Invernizzi P, Bernuzzi F, Alpini G, Lairmore TC, Glaser S. Inhibition of the apelin/apelin receptor axis decreases cholangiocarcinoma growth. Cancer Lett 2017; 386:179-188. [PMID: 27894959 PMCID: PMC5510601 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of the biliary epithelium that is associated with low five-year survival. The apelin receptor (APLNR), which is activated by the apelin peptide, has not been studied in CCA. The purpose of this study is to determine if inhibition of the apelin/APLNR axis can inhibit CCA growth. METHODS Immunohistochemistry, rtPCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and ELISA was used to measure APLNR expression in human CCA cells and tissues. Mz-ChA-1 cells were treated with increasing concentrations of apelin and ML221, an APLNR antagonist. Expression of proliferative and angiogenic genes were measured via rtPCR. In vivo, Mz-ChA-1 cells were injected into the flanks of nu/nu mice, which were treated with ML221 (150 μg/kg) via tail vein injection. RESULTS Expression of the apelin/APLNR axis was increased in CCA. In vitro, CCA proliferation and angiogenesis was inhibited by ML221 treatment. ML221 treatment significantly decreased tumor growth in nu/nu mice. CONCLUSION The apelin/APLNR axis regulates CCA proliferation and angiogenesis. Inhibition of the apelin/APLNR axis decreases tumor growth in our xenograft model. Targeting APLNR signaling has the potential to serve as a novel, tumor directed therapy for CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad Hall
- Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Temple, TX 76508, USA
| | - Laurent Ehrlich
- Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA; Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Temple, TX 76508, USA
| | - Julie Venter
- Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA
| | - April O'Brien
- Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Tori White
- Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Tianhao Zhou
- Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA; Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Tien Dang
- Baylor Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Fanyin Meng
- Baylor Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, TX 76504, USA
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Francesca Bernuzzi
- Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Alpini
- Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA; Baylor Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, TX 76504, USA; Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA; Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Temple, TX 76508, USA
| | - Terry C Lairmore
- Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Temple, TX 76508, USA
| | - Shannon Glaser
- Research, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX 76504, USA; Baylor Scott & White Digestive Disease Research Center, Scott & White, Temple, TX 76504, USA; Scott & White Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
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22
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Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli B, Guillod C, Marsteller I, Blum R, Mazzucchelli L, Mondino C, Invernizzi P, Gershwin ME, Mainetti C. Primary Biliary Cholangitis Associated with Skin Disorders: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2017; 65:299-309. [DOI: 10.1007/s00005-016-0448-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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23
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Ma HD, Ma WT, Liu QZ, Zhao ZB, Liu MZY, Tsuneyama K, Gao JM, Ridgway WM, Ansari AA, Gershwin ME, Fei YY, Lian ZX. Chemokine receptor CXCR3 deficiency exacerbates murine autoimmune cholangitis by promoting pathogenic CD8 + T cell activation. J Autoimmun 2017; 78:19-28. [PMID: 28129932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
CXC Chemokine Receptor 3 (CXCR3) is functionally pleiotropic and not only plays an important role in chemotaxis, but also participates in T cell differentiation and may play a critical role in inducing and maintaining immune tolerance. These observations are particularly critical for autoimmune cholangitis in which CXCR3 positive T cells are found around the portal areas of both humans and mouse models of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Herein, we investigated the role of CXCR3 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune cholangitis. We have taken advantage of a unique CXCR3 knockout dnTGFβRII mouse to focus on the role of CXCR3, both by direct observation of its influence on the natural course of disease, as well as through adoptive transfer studies into Rag-/- mice. We report herein that not only do CXCR3 deficient mice develop an exacerbation of autoimmune cholangitis associated with an expanded effector memory T cell number, but also selective adoptive transfer of CXCR3 deficient CD8+ T cells induces autoimmune cholangitis. In addition, gene microarray analysis of CXCR3 deficient CD8+ T cells reveal an intense pro-inflammatory profile. Our data suggests that the altered gene profiles induced by CXCR3 deficiency promotes autoimmune cholangitis through pathogenic CD8+ T cells. These data have significance for human PBC and other autoimmune liver diseases in which therapeutic intervention might be directed to chemokines and/or their receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Di Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wen-Tao Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qing-Zhi Liu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhi-Bin Zhao
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Mu-Zi-Ying Liu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Pathology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Jin-Ming Gao
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - William M Ridgway
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Aftab A Ansari
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yun-Yun Fei
- Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China; Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Ali AH, Tabibian JH, Carey EJ, Lindor KD. Emerging drugs for the treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2016; 21:39-56. [PMID: 26901615 DOI: 10.1517/14728214.2016.1150999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune chronic disease of the liver that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It affects approximately 1 in 4,000 with a 10:1 female to male ratio. The diagnosis of PBC can be made based on serum antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) in a patient with abnormally high serum alkaline phosphatase after ruling out other causes of cholestasis and biliary obstruction. Genome-wide association studies have revealed several human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and non-HLA risk loci in PBC, and complex environmental-host immunogenetic interactions are believed to underlie the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Fatigue and pruritus are the most common and often problematic symptoms; although often mild, these can be severe and life-alternating in a subset of patients. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PBC. Clinical trials have shown that UDCA significantly improves transplant-free survival. However, nearly 40% of PBC patients do not respond adequately to PBC and are at higher risk for serious complications when compared to PBC patients with complete response to UDCA. AREAS COVERED Here we provide a detailed discussion regarding novel therapeutic agents and potential areas for further investigation in PBC-related research. EXPERT OPINION Results of ongoing clinical trials and emerging treatment paradigms for PBC will likely further improve medical management of this disorder in the near future.
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Dual Roles of IFN-γ and IL-4 in the Natural History of Murine Autoimmune Cholangitis: IL-30 and Implications for Precision Medicine. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34884. [PMID: 27721424 PMCID: PMC5056512 DOI: 10.1038/srep34884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a progressive autoimmune liver disease with a long natural history. The pathogenesis of PBC is thought to be orchestrated by Th1 and/or Th17. In this study, we investigated the role of CD4+ helper T subsets and their cytokines on PBC using our previous established murine model of 2-OA-OVA immunization. We prepared adeno-associated virus (AAV)-IFN-γ and AAV-IL-4 and studied their individual influences on the natural history of autoimmune cholangitis in this model. Administration of IFN-γ significantly promotes recruitment and lymphocyte activation in the earliest phases of autoimmune cholangitis but subsequently leads to downregulation of chronic inflammation through induction of the immunosuppressive molecule IL-30. In contrast, the administration of IL-4 does not alter the initiation of autoimmune cholangitis, but does contribute to the exacerbation of chronic liver inflammation and fibrosis. Thus Th1 cells and IFN-γ are the dominant contributors in the initiation phase of this model but clearly may have different effects as the disease progress. In conclusion, better understanding of the mechanisms by which helper T cells function in the natural history of cholangitis is essential and illustrates that precision medicine may be needed for patients with PBC at various stages of their disease process.
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Bae HR, Leung PS, Tsuneyama K, Valencia JC, Hodge DL, Kim S, Back T, Karwan M, Merchant AS, Baba N, Feng D, Park O, Gao B, Yang GX, Gershwin ME, Young HA. Chronic expression of interferon-gamma leads to murine autoimmune cholangitis with a female predominance. Hepatology 2016; 64:1189-201. [PMID: 27178326 PMCID: PMC5033675 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED In most autoimmune diseases the serologic hallmarks of disease precede clinical pathology by years. Therefore, the use of animal models in defining early disease events becomes critical. We took advantage of a "designer" mouse with dysregulation of interferon gamma (IFNγ) characterized by prolonged and chronic expression of IFNγ through deletion of the IFNγ 3'-untranslated region adenylate uridylate-rich element (ARE). The ARE-Del(-/-) mice develop primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with a female predominance that mimics human PBC that is characterized by up-regulation of total bile acids, spontaneous production of anti-mitochondrial antibodies, and portal duct inflammation. Transfer of CD4 T cells from ARE-Del(-/-) to B6/Rag1(-/-) mice induced moderate portal inflammation and parenchymal inflammation, and RNA sequencing of liver gene expression revealed that up-regulated genes potentially define early stages of cholangitis. Interestingly, up-regulated genes specifically overlap with the gene expression signature of biliary epithelial cells in PBC, implying that IFNγ may play a pathogenic role in biliary epithelial cells in the initiation stage of PBC. Moreover, differentially expressed genes in female mice have stronger type 1 and type 2 IFN signaling and lymphocyte-mediated immune responses and thus may drive the female bias of the disease. CONCLUSION Changes in IFNγ expression are critical for the pathogenesis of PBC. (Hepatology 2016;64:1189-1201).
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Affiliation(s)
- Heekyong R. Bae
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Patrick S.C. Leung
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Japan
| | - Julio C. Valencia
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Deborah L. Hodge
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Seohyun Kim
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Tim Back
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
| | - Megan Karwan
- Laboratory of Animal Science, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Anand S. Merchant
- CCR Collaborative Bioinformatics Core, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nobuyuki Baba
- Central Laboratory Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Takamatsu, Japan
| | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Ogyi Park
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Guo-Xiang Yang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - Howard A. Young
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, and SAIC Frederick, Frederick, MD
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Lleo A, Bian Z, Zhang H, Miao Q, Yang F, Peng Y, Chen X, Tang R, Wang Q, Qiu D, Fang J, Sobacchi C, Villa A, Di Tommaso L, Roncalli M, Gershwin ME, Ma X, Invernizzi P. Quantitation of the Rank-Rankl Axis in Primary Biliary Cholangitis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159612. [PMID: 27631617 PMCID: PMC5025177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is substantial data that suggests an abnormality of innate immunity in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) which includes the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and well as downstream inflammatory signaling pathways. In addition, ImmunoChip analysis has identified a novel PBC-associated locus near the receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) gene. Based on these observations, we investigated the role of the RANKL axis in the liver of patients with PBC compared to controls. We used immunohistochemistry to quantitate liver expression of RANKL, its receptor (RANK), and importantly the decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), including a total of 122 liver samples (PBC = 37, primary sclerosing cholangitis = 20, autoimmune hepatitis = 26, chronic hepatitis B = 32 and unaffected controls = 7). In addition, we studied RANKL-RANK-OPG co-localization in CD4 and CD8 T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, NK, NKT cells, hepatocytes, and cholangiocytes. We report herein that RANK is constitutively expressed by cholangiocytes in both unaffected and diseased liver. However, cholangiocytes from PBC express significantly higher levers of RANK than either the unaffected controls or liver diseased controls. CD4, CD8 and CD19 cells with in the portal areas around bile ducts in PBC express significantly higher levels of RANKL compared to controls. Importantly, the overall hepatic RANKL level and the ratio of hepatic RANKL/OPG correlated with disease severity in PBC. In conclusion, our data indicate a role of RANK-RANKL axis in the innate immune activation in PBC and we hypothesize that the damaged cholangiocytes, which express high levels of RANK, lead to the recruitment of RANKL positive cells and ultimately the classic portal tract infiltrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lleo
- Liver Unit and Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Zhaolian Bian
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Miao
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanshen Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruqi Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Qixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Dekai Qiu
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingyuan Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Cristina Sobacchi
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milano Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milano Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Di Tommaso
- Pathology Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Roncalli
- Pathology Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MEG); (PI); (XM)
| | - Xiong Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (MEG); (PI); (XM)
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Liver Unit and Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States of America
- International Center for Digestive Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail: (MEG); (PI); (XM)
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Choi J, Leung PSC, Bowlus C, Gershwin ME. IL-35 and Autoimmunity: a Comprehensive Perspective. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 49:327-32. [PMID: 25619872 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8468-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin 35 (IL-35) is the most recently identified member of the IL-12 family of cytokines and offers the potential to be a target for new therapies for autoimmune, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. Similar to other members of the IL-12 family including IL-12, IL-23, and IL-27, IL-35 is composed of a heterodimer of α and β chains, which in the case of IL-35 are the p35 and Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) proteins. However, unlike its proinflammatory relatives, IL-35 has immunosuppressive effects that are mediated through regulatory T and B cells. Although there are limited data available regarding the role of IL-35 in human autoimmunity, several murine models of autoimmunity suggest that IL-35 may have potent effects in regulating immunoreactivity via IL-10-dependent mechanisms. We suggest that similar effects are operational in human disease and IL-35-directed therapies hold significant promise. In particular, we emphasize that IL-35 has immunosuppressive ability that are mediated via regulatory T and B cells that are IL-10 dependent. Further, although deletion of IL-35 does not result in spontaneous breach of tolerance, recombinant IL-35 can improve autoimmune responses in several experimental models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjung Choi
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, CHA University Medical Center, Bundang, 463-712, Korea
| | - Patrick S C Leung
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Christopher Bowlus
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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29
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Yang GX, Sun Y, Tsuneyama K, Zhang W, Leung PSC, He XS, Ansari AA, Bowlus C, Ridgway WM, Gershwin ME. Endogenous interleukin-22 protects against inflammatory bowel disease but not autoimmune cholangitis in dominant negative form of transforming growth factor beta receptor type II mice. Clin Exp Immunol 2016; 185:154-64. [PMID: 27148790 PMCID: PMC4955007 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During chronic inflammation, interleukin (IL)-22 expression is up-regulated in both CD4 and CD8 T cells, exerting a protective role in infections. However, in autoimmunity, IL-22 appears to have either a protective or a pathogenic role in a variety of murine models of autoimmunity and, by extrapolation, in humans. It is not clear whether IL-22 itself mediates inflammation or is a by-product of inflammation. We have taken advantage of the dominant negative form of transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (dnTGF-βRII) mice that develop both inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune cholangitis and studied the role and the biological function of IL-22 by generating IL-22(-/-) dnTGF-βRII mice. Our data suggest that the influence of IL-22 on autoimmunity is determined in part by the local microenvironment. In particular, IL-22 deficiency exacerbates tissue injury in inflammatory bowel disease, but has no influence on either the hepatocytes or cholangiocytes in the same model. These data take on particular significance in the previously defined effects of IL-17A, IL-12p40 and IL-23p19 deficiency and emphasize that, in colitis, there is a dominant role of IL-23/T helper type 17 (Th17) signalling. Furthermore, the levels of IL-22 are IL-23-dependent. The use of cytokine therapy in patients with autoimmune disease has significant potential, but must take into account the overlapping and often promiscuous effects that can theoretically exacerbate inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G-X Yang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Y Sun
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Diagnostic and Treatment Center for Non-Infectious Liver Diseases, 302nd Military Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - K Tsuneyama
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science for Research, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - W Zhang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - P S C Leung
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - X-S He
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A A Ansari
- Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - C Bowlus
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - W M Ridgway
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - M E Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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30
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Concepcion AR, Salas JT, Sáez E, Sarvide S, Ferrer A, Portu A, Uriarte I, Hervás-Stubbs S, Oude Elferink RPJ, Prieto J, Medina JF. CD8+ T cells undergo activation and programmed death-1 repression in the liver of aged Ae2a,b-/- mice favoring autoimmune cholangitis. Oncotarget 2016; 6:28588-606. [PMID: 26396175 PMCID: PMC4745679 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic disease of unknown etiopathogenesis showing progressive autoimmune-mediated cholangitis. In PBC patients, the liver and lymphocytes exhibit diminished expression of AE2/SLC4A2, a Cl-/HCO3- anion exchanger involved in biliary bicarbonate secretion and intracellular pH regulation. Decreased AE2 expression may be pathogenic as Ae2a,b(-/-) mice reproduce hepatobiliary and immunological features resembling PBC. To understand the role of AE2 deficiency for autoimmunity predisposition we focused on the phenotypic changes of T cells that occur over the life-span of Ae2a,b(-/-) mice. At early ages (1-9 months), knockout mice had reduced numbers of intrahepatic T cells, which exhibited increased activation, programmed-cell-death (PD)-1 expression, and apoptosis. Moreover, young knockouts had upregulated PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) on bile-duct cells, and administration of neutralizing anti-PD-L1 antibodies prevented their intrahepatic T-cell deletion. Older (≥ 10 months) knockouts, however, showed intrahepatic accumulation of cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells with downregulated PD-1 and diminished apoptosis. In-vitro DNA demethylation with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine partially reverted PD-1 downregulation of intrahepatic CD8(+) T cells from aged knockouts. CONCLUSION Early in life, AE2 deficiency results in intrahepatic T-cell activation and PD-1/PD-L1 mediated deletion. With aging, intrahepatic CD8+ T cells epigenetically suppress PD-1, and their consequential expansion and further activation favor autoimmune cholangitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel R Concepcion
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - January T Salas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elena Sáez
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sarai Sarvide
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Alex Ferrer
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ainhoa Portu
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Iker Uriarte
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sandra Hervás-Stubbs
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ronald P J Oude Elferink
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jesús Prieto
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Juan F Medina
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), School of Medicine and Clinic University of Navarra, and CIBERehd, Pamplona, Spain
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31
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Leung PSC, Choi J, Yang G, Woo E, Kenny TP, Gershwin ME. A contemporary perspective on the molecular characteristics of mitochondrial autoantigens and diagnosis in primary biliary cholangitis. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2016; 16:697-705. [PMID: 26953925 DOI: 10.1586/14737159.2016.1164038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune hepatobiliary disease characterized by immune mediated destruction of the intrahepatic small bile ducts and the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs). The mitochondrial autoantigens have been identified as the E2 subunits of the 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex, including the E2 subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase, branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex, oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, E3 binding protein and PDC E1 alpha subunit. The AMA epitope is mapped within the E2 lipoic acid binding domain, which is particularly important for oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, lipoic acid, which serves as a swinging arm to capture electrons, is particularly susceptible to an electrophilic attack and may provide clues to the etiology of PBC. This review emphasizes the molecular characteristics of AMAs, including detection, immunochemistry and the putative role in disease. These data have significance not only specifically for PBC, but generically for autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S C Leung
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Jinjung Choi
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Guoxiang Yang
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Elena Woo
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Thomas P Kenny
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- a Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology , University of California at Davis School of Medicine , Davis , CA , USA
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32
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Autotaxin, Pruritus and Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC). Autoimmun Rev 2016; 15:795-800. [PMID: 27019050 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Autotaxin (ATX) is a 125-kD type II ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP2 or NPP2) originally discovered as an unknown "autocrine motility factor" in human melanoma cells. In addition to its pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase activities ATX has lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD) activity, catalyzing the conversion of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). ATX is the only ENPP family member with lysoPLD activity and it produces most of the LPA in circulation. In support of this, ATX heterozygous mice have 50% of normal LPA plasma levels. The ATX-LPA signaling axis plays an important role in both normal physiology and disease pathogenesis and recently has been linked to pruritus in chronic cholestatic liver diseases, including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Several lines of evidence have suggested that a circulating puritogen is responsible, but the identification of the molecule has yet to be definitively identified. In contrast, plasma ATX activity is strongly associated with pruritus in PBC, suggesting a targetable molecule for treatment. We review herein the biochemistry of ATX and the rationale for its role in pruritus.
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Adaptive immunity in the liver. Cell Mol Immunol 2016; 13:354-68. [PMID: 26996069 PMCID: PMC4856810 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2016.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The anatomical architecture of the human liver and the diversity of its immune components endow the liver with its physiological function of immune competence. Adaptive immunity is a major arm of the immune system that is organized in a highly specialized and systematic manner, thus providing long-lasting protection with immunological memory. Adaptive immunity consists of humoral immunity and cellular immunity. Cellular immunity is known to have a crucial role in controlling infection, cancer and autoimmune disorders in the liver. In this article, we will focus on hepatic virus infections, hepatocellular carcinoma and autoimmune disorders as examples to illustrate the current understanding of the contribution of T cells to cellular immunity in these maladies. Cellular immune suppression is primarily responsible for chronic viral infections and cancer. However, an uncontrolled auto-reactive immune response accounts for autoimmunity. Consequently, these immune abnormalities are ascribed to the quantitative and functional changes in adaptive immune cells and their subsets, innate immunocytes, chemokines, cytokines and various surface receptors on immune cells. A greater understanding of the complex orchestration of the hepatic adaptive immune regulators during homeostasis and immune competence are much needed to identify relevant targets for clinical intervention to treat immunological disorders in the liver.
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Wang J, Yang G, Dubrovsky AM, Choi J, Leung PSC. Xenobiotics and loss of tolerance in primary biliary cholangitis. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:338-348. [PMID: 26755880 PMCID: PMC4698496 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i1.338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Data from genome wide association studies and geoepidemiological studies established that a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental stimulation is required for the loss of tolerance in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The serologic hallmark of PBC are the presence of high titer anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies (AMA) that recognize the lipoyl domain of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 (PDC-E2) subunit. Extensive efforts have been directed to investigate the molecular basis of AMA. Recently, experimental data has pointed to the thesis that the breaking of tolerance to PDC-E2 is a pivotal event in the initial etiology of PBC, including environmental xenobiotics including those commonly found in cosmetics and food additives, suggesting that chemical modification of the PDC-E2 epitope may render its vulnerable to become a neo-antigen and trigger an immune response in genetically susceptible hosts. Here, we will discuss the natural history, genetics and immunobiology of PBC and structural constraints of PDC-E2 in AMA recognition which makes it vulnerable to chemical modification.
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Beuers U, Gershwin ME. Unmet challenges in immune-mediated hepatobiliary diseases. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 48:127-31. [PMID: 25820618 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8484-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It is ironic that the liver, which serves a critical function in immune tolerance, itself becomes the victim of an autoimmune attack. Indeed, liver autoimmunity and the autoimmune diseases associated with both innate and adaptive responses to hepatocytes and/or cholangiocytes are models of human autoimmunity. For example, in primary biliary cirrhosis, there exists a well-defined and characteristic autoantibody and considerable homogeneity between patients. In autoimmune hepatitis, there are clinical characteristics that allow a rigorous subset definition and well-defined inflammatory infiltrates. In both cases, there are defects in a variety of immune pathways and including regulatory cells. In primary sclerosing cholangitis, with its characteristic overlap with inflammatory bowel disease, there are unique defects in innate immunity and particular important contribution of lymphoid homing to disease pathogenesis. In these diseases, as with other human autoimmune processes, there is the critical understanding that pathogenesis requires a genetic background, but is determined by environmental features, and indeed the concordance of these diseases in identical twins highlights the stochastic nature of immunopathology. Unfortunately, despite major advances in basic immunology and in immunopathology in these diseases, there remains a major void in therapy. The newer biologics that are so widely used in rheumatology, neurology, and gastroenterology have not yet seen success in autoimmune liver disease. Future efforts will depend on more rigorous molecular biology and systems analysis in order for successful application to be made to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Beuers
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22600, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Incidence and risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in primary biliary cirrhosis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 48:132-41. [PMID: 25762349 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8483-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incidence, risk factors, and clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have been a long-standing subject of interest. We took advantage of a large cohort of 1865 well-defined Chinese patients with PBC for whom follow-up was conducted for up to 20 years to study the incidence of HCC. Our goal was to address the incidence and prevalence of HCC in PBC and the risk factors, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and finally to compare the tumor characteristics of PBC-related HCC, including size, location, mortality, and long-term outcomes, to that of HBV-related HCC. In this cohort, HCC occurred in 70 of 1865 PBC patients with a prevalence of 3.75 % and an incidence of 0.66 cases per 100 patient-years. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences were 2.6 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.8-3.4) and 8.9 % (95 % CI 5.5-12.3), respectively. Age >54 years (odds ratio [OR] = 5.5, 95 % CI 3.0-10.1, p = 0.001), male sex (OR = 2.2, 95 % CI 1.2-4.0, p = 0.001), co-existence of diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 3.1, 95 % CI 1.6-6.2, p = 0.002), and previous HBV infection (OR = 6.6, 95 % CI 3.7-11.9, p = 0.001) were independently associated with the development of HCC. The tumor size, number, location, and 5-year survival were not significantly different in PBC-related HCC compared to HBV-related HCC. Alpha-fetoprotein was elevated in only 20 % of the cases with PBC-related HCC. Although HCC was uncommon, occurring in fewer than 5 % of patients, the risk is significantly increased by age, sex, DM, and past HBV infection.
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Dong M, Li J, Tang R, Zhu P, Qiu F, Wang C, Qiu J, Wang L, Dai Y, Xu P, Gao Y, Han C, Wang Y, Wu J, Wu X, Zhang K, Dai N, Sun W, Zhou J, Hu Z, Liu L, Jiang Y, Nie J, Zhao Y, Gong Y, Tian Y, Ji H, Jiao Z, Jiang P, Shi X, Jawed R, Zhang Y, Huang Q, Li E, Wei Y, Xie W, Zhao W, Liu X, Zhu X, Qiu H, He G, Chen W, Seldin MF, Gershwin ME, Liu X, Ma X. Multiple genetic variants associated with primary biliary cirrhosis in a Han Chinese population. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 48:316-21. [PMID: 25690649 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8472-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Multiple genome-wide association studies of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in both European and Japanese ancestries have shown significant associations of many genetic loci contributing to the susceptibility to PBC. Major differences in susceptibility loci between these two population groups were observed. In this study, we examined whether the most significant loci observed in either European and/or Japanese cohorts are associated with PBC in a Han Chinese population. In 1070 PBC patients and 1198 controls, we observed highly significant associations at CD80 (rs2293370, P = 2.67 × 10(-8)) and TNFSF15 (rs4979462, P = 3.86 × 10(-8)) and significant associations at 17q12-21 (rs9303277), PDGFB (rs715505), NF-κB1 (rs7665090), IL12RB2 (rs11209050), and STAT4 (rs7574865; all corrected P values <0.01). However, no association was observed for POU2AF1 (rs4938534), IL12A (rs485499 and rs2366408), IL7R (rs6897932), CXCR5 (rs715412), SOCS1 (rs725613), and TNFRSF1A (rs1800693). STAT4 (rs7574865) was strongly associated after additional control samples were analyzed. Our study is the first large-scale genetic analysis in a Han Chinese PBC cohort. These results do not only reflect that Han Chinese PBC patients share common genetic susceptibility genes with both their Japanese and European counterparts but also suggest a distinctly different genetic susceptibility profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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The coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome and primary biliary cirrhosis: a comprehensive review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 48:301-15. [PMID: 25682089 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8471-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases share numerous features and often coexist in the same patient. Autoimmune cholangitis/primary biliary cirrhosis and Sjogren syndrome represent paradigmatic examples of the common grounds of different autoimmunity phenotypes based on similarities in clinical manifestations and immunopathogenesis. In fact, primary biliary cirrhosis and Sjogren's syndrome have both been coined as an autoimmune epithelitis in which apoptosis may be in both cases the key element to explain the organ-specific immune-mediated injury against the biliary and exocrine gland epithelia, respectively. Further, growing evidence supports in both diseases the view that B cells, T cytotoxic cells, and T helper cells are involved in chronic inflammation, likely via the altered expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The presence of estrogen receptors on the biliary and exocrine gland epithelia has been advocated as a key to the female predominance encountered in primary biliary cirrhosis and Sjogren's syndrome. Sadly, despite available data, therapeutic approaches remain largely unsatisfactory and recent studies with mechanistic approaches (as in the case of B cell depletion with rituximab) have been of partial benefit only. Future studies should focus on new molecular tools (single-cell transcriptomics, microRNA, epigenetics) to provide unique insights into common mechanisms.
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Floreani A, Franceschet I, Perini L, Cazzagon N, Gershwin ME, Bowlus CL. New therapies for primary biliary cirrhosis. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2016; 48:263-72. [PMID: 25331740 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-014-8456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a rare inflammatory liver disease for which ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Patients with a biochemical response to UDCA therapy have a similar survival rate compared to the general population. However, up to 40% of PBC patients do not achieve a complete response to UDCA, have an increased risk of liver-related death and liver transplantation, and represent a persistent medical need for new therapies. Several novel drugs have recently been studied and show potential efficacy in PBC. Obeticholic acid, a farnesoid X receptor agonist, has been tested in phase II trials and initial results after 1 year in a phase III international trial suggest that it may be effective in achieving a biochemical response in approximately 40% of patients who do not completely respond to UDCA. Several small studies on fibrates have suggested that they may have efficacy, but larger studies are needed. Surprisingly, results of immunomodulators and biologics have not yet been able to demonstrate efficacy, but new approaches have shown promise in animal models and their translation to human clinical trials are awaited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annarosa Floreani
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy,
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40
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Abstract
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is characterized histologically by the presence of chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis of the small interlobular bile duct, leading to chronic progressive cholestasis. Most PBC patients are asymptomatic and have a reasonable prognosis, but a few develop esophageal varices or jaundice, rapidly leading to liver failure within a short period. As multiple factors appear to be involved in the onset of PBC, its clinical course may be complicated. Therefore, the use of an animal model would be valuable for clarifying the pathogenesis of PBC. Here, we review recent data of selected PBC models, particularly spontaneous models, xenobiotic immunized models, and infection-triggered models. There are a number of spontaneous models: the NOD.c3c4, dominant-negative TGF-β receptor II, IL-2Rα-/-, Scurfy, and Ae2a,b-/- mice. These animal models manifest distinct clinical and immunological features similar, but also often different, from those of human PBC. It is clear that a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and immunological dysfunction contribute to the pathogenesis of PBC. The diverse clinical course and complexity of the immunological mechanisms of PBC cannot be fully recapitulated solely any single animal model. The challenge remains to develop a progressive PBC disease model that exhibits fibrosis, and ultimately hepatic failure.
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41
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Wang Q, Yang F, Miao Q, Krawitt EL, Gershwin ME, Ma X. The clinical phenotypes of autoimmune hepatitis: A comprehensive review. J Autoimmun 2015; 66:98-107. [PMID: 26614611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) fulfills the generally accepted contemporary criteria of an autoimmune liver disease: the presence of autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells, a female gender bias, association with other autoimmune diseases, response to immunosuppressive therapy and strong associations with the major histocompatibility complex HLA loci. It occurs worldwide in both children and adults and is marked by both etiopathogenic and clinical heterogeneity, differing from the other putative autoimmune liver diseases, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), albeit occasionally presenting with overlapping features of PBC or PSC. Although diagnostic criteria have been established and validated, there are still major issues to be clarified due to its variability, such as autoantibody-negative AIH, drug-induced AIH, AIH sharing features with PBC or PSC, and post-transplant de novo AIH. In view of the diverse presentations and courses, including classical chronic onset, acute and acute severe onset, cirrhosis and decompensated cirrhosis, individualized management of patients is indicated. Each patient should receive a personalized analysis of the benefits and side effect risks of drugs. Herein we describe a comprehensive review of the clinical phenotypes of AIH underscoring its clinical heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, 145 Shandong Road, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, 145 Shandong Road, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Qi Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, 145 Shandong Road, Shanghai 200001, China
| | | | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Xiong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, 145 Shandong Road, Shanghai 200001, China.
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Trivedi PJ, Hirschfield GM, Gershwin ME. Obeticholic acid for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2015; 9:13-26. [PMID: 26549695 DOI: 10.1586/17512433.2015.1092381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is characterized by progressive nonsuppurative destruction of small bile ducts, resulting in intrahepatic cholestasis, fibrosis and ultimately end-stage liver disease. Timely intervention with ursodeoxycholic acid is associated with excellent survival, although approximately one-third of all patients fail to achieve biochemical response, signifying a critical need for additional therapeutic strategies. Obeticholic acid (OCA) is a potent ligand of the nuclear hormone receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Activation of FXR inhibits bile acid synthesis and protects against toxic accumulation in models of cholestasis and facilitates hepatic regeneration in preclinical studies. Data from recent Phase II and III controlled trials suggest a therapeutic impact of OCA in PBC biochemical nonresponders, as evidenced by change in proven laboratory surrogates of long-term outcome. Dose-dependent pruritus is a common adverse effect, but may be overcome through dose-titration. Longer term studies are needed with focus on safety and long-term clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak J Trivedi
- a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, 5th Floor IBR Building , Wolfson Drive, University of Birmingham , UK
| | - Gideon M Hirschfield
- a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, 5th Floor IBR Building , Wolfson Drive, University of Birmingham , UK
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- b Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis , California , Birmingham , USA
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Yang JB, Wang YH, Yang W, Lu FT, Ma HD, Zhao ZB, Jia YJ, Tang W, Tsuneyama K, Ridgway WM, Gershwin ME, Lian ZX. Successful treatment of murine autoimmune cholangitis by parabiosis: Implications for hematopoietic therapy. J Autoimmun 2015; 66:108-17. [PMID: 26432598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
There is a significant unmet need in the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) despite significant data on the effector pathways that lead to biliary duct damage. We focused attention on a murine model of PBC, the dominant negative transforming growth factor β receptor II (Tg) mice. To further define the pathways that lead to biliary pathology in these mice, we developed Tg mice deleted of CD4 cells (CD4(-/-)Tg). Interestingly, these mice developed more severe cholangitis than control Tg mice. These mice, which lack CD4 cells, manifested increased levels of IFN-γ produced by effector CD8 cells. It appears that increased cholangitis is due to the absence of CD4 Treg cells. Based on these data, we parabiosed CD4(-/-)Tg mice with established disease at 8-9 weeks of age with C57BL/6 control mice. Such parabiotic "twins" had a significant reduction in autoimmune cholangitis, even though they had established pathology at the time of surgery. We prepared mixed bone marrow chimera mice constructed from CD4(-/-)Tg and CD8(-/-) mice and not only was cholangitis improved, but a decrease in terminally differentiated CD8(+) T effector cells in the presence of wild type CD4 cells was noted. In conclusion, "correcting" the CD4 T cell subset, even in the presence of pathogenic CD8 T cells, is effective in treating autoimmune cholangitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Bo Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Yin-Hu Wang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Fang-Ting Lu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Hong-Di Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Zhi-Bin Zhao
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Yan-Jie Jia
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Tang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Koichi Tsuneyama
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science for Research, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
| | - William M Ridgway
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
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44
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Epigenetics and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: a Comprehensive Review and Implications for Autoimmunity. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2015; 50:390-403. [DOI: 10.1007/s12016-015-8502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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45
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Tanaka H, Yang GX, Tomiyama T, Tsuneyama K, Zhang W, Leung PSC, Coppel RL, Joh T, Nadler SG, Ansari AA, Bowlus C, Gershwin ME. Immunological potential of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 immunoglobulin in murine autoimmune cholangitis. Clin Exp Immunol 2015; 180:371-82. [PMID: 25581259 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) immunoglobulin (Ig) is an important regulator of T cell activation and a fusion protein directed at CD80 and CD86; it blocks co-stimulatory signalling and T cell activation. We have taken advantage of a murine model of human primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), mice expressing a transforming growth factor (TGF)-β receptor II dominant negative (dnTGF-βRII) transgene to address the potential therapeutic efficacy of CTLA-4 Ig. To mimic patients with PBC at different stages or duration of disease, we treated mice with either CTLA-4 Ig or control IgG three times weekly from 3 to 12 or 24 weeks of age, or from 12 to 24 weeks of age. CTLA-4 Ig treatment from 3 weeks of age significantly reduced liver inflammation to 12 weeks of age. Treatment initiated at 12 weeks of age also ameliorated the autoimmune cholangitis at 24 weeks of age. However, in mice treated at 3 weeks of age, suppression of liver inflammation was not sustained and colitis was aggravated when treatment was extended to 24 weeks of age. Our data indicate that, in dnTGF-βRII mice, CTLA-4 Ig treatment has short-term beneficial effects on autoimmune cholangitis, but the effect varies according to duration of treatment and the time in which therapy was initiated. Further dissection of the events that lead to the reduction in therapeutic effectiveness of CTLA-4 Ig will be critical to determining whether such efforts can be applied to human PBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Tanaka
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - G-X Yang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - T Tomiyama
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Third Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan
| | - K Tsuneyama
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science for Research, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - W Zhang
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - P S C Leung
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - R L Coppel
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - T Joh
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - S G Nadler
- Department of Immunology, Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - A A Ansari
- Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - C Bowlus
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - M E Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Islam AD, Selmi C, Datta-Mitra A, Sonu R, Chen M, Gershwin ME, Raychaudhuri SP. The changing faces of IgG4-related disease: Clinical manifestations and pathogenesis. Autoimmun Rev 2015; 14:914-22. [PMID: 26112170 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Since the earliest reports in 2001, immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease has been defined as an autoimmune systemic disease characterized by the lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of affected tissues leading to fibrosis and obliterative phlebitis along with elevated serum IgG4 levels. Prior to this unifying hypothesis, a plethora of clinical manifestations were considered as separate entities despite the similar laboratory profile. The pathology can be observed in virtually all organs and may thus be a challenging diagnosis, especially when the adequate clinical suspicion is not present or when obtaining a tissue biopsy is not feasible. Nonetheless, the most frequently involved organs are the pancreas and exocrine glands but these may be spared. Immunosuppressants lead to a prompt clinical response in virtually all cases and prevent histological sequelae and, as a consequence, an early differential diagnosis from other conditions, particularly infections and cancer, as well as an early treatment should be pursued. We describe herein two cases in which atypical disease manifestations were observed, i.e., one with recurrent neck lymph node enlargement and proptosis, and one with jaundice. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of IgG4-related disease is largely incomplete but data support a significant role for Th2 cytokines with the contribution of innate immunity factors such as Toll-like receptors, macrophages and basophils. Further, macrophages activated by IL4 overexpress B cell activating factors and contribute to chronic inflammation and the development of fibrosis. We cannot rule out the possibility that the largely variable disease phenotypes reflect different pathogenetic mechanisms and the tissue microenvironment may then contribute to the organ involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshia Duza Islam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA; VA Medical Center Sacramento, Mather, CA, USA
| | - Carlo Selmi
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy; BIOMETRA Department, University of Milan, Italy
| | | | - Rebecca Sonu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mingyi Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - M Eric Gershwin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Siba P Raychaudhuri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA; VA Medical Center Sacramento, Mather, CA, USA.
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47
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Lu FT, Yang W, Wang YH, Ma HD, Tang W, Yang JB, Li L, Ansari AA, Lian ZX. Thymic B cells promote thymus-derived regulatory T cell development and proliferation. J Autoimmun 2015; 61:62-72. [PMID: 26071985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Thymic CD4(+) FoxP3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for the development of immunological tolerance and immune homeostasis and requires contributions of both thymic dendritic and epithelial cells. Although B cells have been reported to be present within the thymus, there has not hitherto been a definition of their role in immune cell development and, in particular, whether or how they contribute to the Treg cellular thymic compartment. Herein, using both phenotypic and functional approaches, we demonstrate that thymic B cells contribute to the maintenance of thymic Treg cells and, using an in vitro culture system, demonstrate that thymic B cells contribute to the size of the thymic Treg compartment via cell-cell MHC II contact and the involvement of two independent co-stimulatory pathways that include interactions between the CD40/CD80/CD86 co-stimulatory molecules. Our data also suggest that thymic B cells promote the generation of thymic Treg cell precursors (pre-Treg cells), but not the conversion of FoxP3(+) Treg cells from pre-Treg cells. In addition, thymic B cells directly promote the proliferation of thymic Treg cells that is MHC II contact dependent with a minimal if any role for co-stimulatory molecules including CD40/CD80/CD86. Both pathways are independent of TGFβ. In conclusion, we rigorously define the critical role of thymic B cells in the development of thymic Treg cells from non-Treg to precursor stage and in the proliferation of mature thymic Treg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Ting Lu
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Yin-Hu Wang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Hong-Di Ma
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Wei Tang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Jing-Bo Yang
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China.
| | - Aftab A Ansari
- Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Zhe-Xiong Lian
- Liver Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Immunology and The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China; Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
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48
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Cooperativity of HIV-Specific Cytolytic CD4 T Cells and CD8 T Cells in Control of HIV Viremia. J Virol 2015; 89:7494-505. [PMID: 25972560 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00438-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED CD4+ T cells play a pivotal role in the control of chronic viral infections. Recently, nontraditional CD4+ T cell functions beyond helper effects have been described, and a role for cytolytic CD4+ T cells in the control of HIV infection has been suggested. We define here the transcriptional, phenotypic, and functional profiles of HIV-specific cytolytic CD4+ T cells. Fluidigm BioMark and multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of HIV-specific cytolytic CD4+ T cells revealed a distinct transcriptional signature compared to Th1 CD4+ cells but shared similar features with HIV-specific cytolytic CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, HIV-specific cytolytic CD4+ T cells showed comparable killing activity relative to HIV-specific CD8+ T cells and worked cooperatively in the elimination of virally infected cells. Interestingly, we found that cytolytic CD4+ T cells emerge early during acute HIV infection and tightly follow acute viral load trajectory. This emergence was associated to the early viral set point, suggesting an involvement in early control, in spite of CD4 T cell susceptibility to HIV infection. Our data suggest cytolytic CD4+ T cells as an independent subset distinct from Th1 cells that show combined activity with CD8+ T cells in the long-term control of HIV infection. IMPORTANCE The ability of the immune system to control chronic HIV infection is of critical interest to both vaccine design and therapeutic approaches. Much research has focused on the effect of the ability of CD8+ T cells to control the virus, while CD4+ T cells have been overlooked as effectors in HIV control due to the fact that they are preferentially infected. We show here that a subset of HIV-specific CD4+ T cells cooperate in the cytolytic control of HIV replication. Moreover, these cells represent a distinct subset of CD4+ T cells showing significant transcriptional and phenotypic differences compared to HIV-specific Th1 cells but with similarities to CD8+ T cells. These findings are important for our understanding of HIV immunopathology.
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Tang R, Chen H, Miao Q, Bian Z, Ma W, Feng X, Seldin MF, Invernizzi P, Gershwin ME, Liao W, Ma X. The cumulative effects of known susceptibility variants to predict primary biliary cirrhosis risk. Genes Immun 2015; 16:193-8. [PMID: 25569263 PMCID: PMC5553973 DOI: 10.1038/gene.2014.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Multiple genetic variants influence the risk for development of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). To explore the cumulative effects of known susceptibility loci on risk, we utilized a weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) to evaluate whether genetic information can predict susceptibility. The wGRS was created using 26 known susceptibility loci and investigated in 1840 UK PBC and 5164 controls. Our data indicate that the wGRS was significantly different between PBC and controls (P=1.61E-142). Moreover, we assessed predictive performance of wGRS on disease status by calculating the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve. The area under curve for the purely genetic model was 0.72 and for gender plus genetic model was 0.82, with confidence limits substantially above random predictions. The risk of PBC using logistic regression was estimated after dividing individuals into quartiles. Individuals in the highest disclosed risk group demonstrated a substantially increased risk for PBC compared with the lowest risk group (odds ratio: 9.3, P=1.91E-084). Finally, we validated our findings in an analysis of an Italian PBC cohort. Our data suggested that the wGRS, utilizing genetic variants, was significantly associated with increased risk for PBC with consistent discriminant ability. Our study is a first step toward risk prediction for PBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruqi Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, China
| | - Haoyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, China
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qi Miao
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, China
| | - Zhaolian Bian
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, China
| | - Wansu Ma
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xiaomei Feng
- Division of Gastroenterology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Michael F. Seldin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Clinical Immunology, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Wilson Liao
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xiong Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, China
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50
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Chang CH, Chen YC, Zhang W, Leung PSC, Gershwin ME, Chuang YH. Innate immunity drives the initiation of a murine model of primary biliary cirrhosis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121320. [PMID: 25807531 PMCID: PMC4373957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play complex roles in bridging innate and adaptive immunity by engaging with glycolipid antigens presented by CD1d. Our earlier work suggested that iNKT cells were involved in the initiation of the original loss of tolerance in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). To address this issue in more detail and, in particular, to focus on whether iNKT cells activated by a Th2-biasing agonist (2s,3s,4r)-1-O-(α-D-galactopyranosyl)-N-tetracosanoyl-2-amino-1,3,4-nonanetriol (OCH), can influence the development of PBC in a xenobiotic-induced PBC murine model. Groups of mice were treated with either OCH or, as a control, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and thence serially followed for cytokine production, markers of T cell activation, liver histopathology and anti-mitochondrial antibody responses. Further, additional groups of CD1d deleted mice were similarly studied. Our data indicate that administration of OCH has a dramatic influence with exacerbation of portal inflammation and hepatic fibrosis similar to mice treated with α-GalCer. Further, iNKT cell deficient CD1d knockout mice have decreased inflammatory portal cell infiltrates and reduced anti-mitochondrial antibody responses. We submit that activation of iNKT cells can occur via overlapping and/or promiscuous pathways and highlight the critical role of innate immunity in the natural history of autoimmune cholangitis. These data have implications for humans with PBC and emphasize that therapeutic strategies must focus not only on suppressing adaptive responses, but also innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chun Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Weici Zhang
- Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Patrick S. C. Leung
- Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - M. Eric Gershwin
- Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Ya-Hui Chuang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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