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Langouo Fontsa M, Padonou F, Willard-Gallo K. Tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer: implications for immunotherapy. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:839-847. [PMID: 39007892 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2380892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) arise at chronic inflammatory sites where they function as miniature lymph nodes to generate immune responses, which can be beneficial or detrimental, in diseases as diverse as autoimmunity, chronic infections and cancer. A growing number of studies show that a TLS presence in tumors from cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors is closely linked with improved clinical outcomes. TLS may foster the generation of specific anti-tumor immune responses and immunological memory that recognizes a patient's own tumor. Due to repeated rounds of chronic inflammation, some tumor-associated TLS may be immunologically inactive, with immune checkpoint inhibitors functioning to revitalize them through pathway activation. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes work on TLS and how they mediate immune responses in human tumors. We also explore TLS as potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy. EXPERT OPINION The presence of TLS in human tumors has been linked with a better clinical prognosis, response to treatment(s) and overall survival. TLS provide a structured microenvironment for the activation, expansion and maturation of immune cells at the tumor site. These activities can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments such as checkpoint inhibitors and cancer vaccines by revitalizing local anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireille Langouo Fontsa
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francine Padonou
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karen Willard-Gallo
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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2
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Wang J, Li Q, Qiu Y, Kitanovski S, Wang C, Zhang C, Li F, Li X, Zhang Z, Huang L, Zhang J, Hoffmann D, Lu M, Lu H. Cell-type-specific expression analysis of liver transcriptomics with clinical parameters to decipher the cause of intrahepatic inflammation in chronic hepatitis B. IMETA 2024; 3:e221. [PMID: 39135698 PMCID: PMC11316924 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains challenging due to the lack of direct intervention methods for hepatic inflammation. Multi-omics research offers a promising approach to understand hepatic inflammation mechanisms in CHB. A Bayesian linear model linked gene expression with clinical parameters, and population-specific expression analysis (PSEA) refined bulk gene expression into specific cell types across different clinical phases. These models were integrated into our analysis of key factors like inflammatory cells, immune activation, T cell exhaustion, chemokines, receptors, and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Validation through multi-immune staining in liver specimens from CHB patients bolstered our findings. In CHB patients, increased gene expression related to immune cell activation and migration was noted. Marker genes of macrophages, T cells, immune-negative regulators, chemokines, and ISGs showed a positive correlation with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels but not hepatitis B virus DNA levels. The PSEA model confirmed T cells as the source of exhausted regulators, while macrophages primarily contributed to chemokine expression. Upregulated ISGs (ISG20, IFI16, TAP2, GBP1, PSMB9) in the hepatitis phase were associated with T cell and macrophage infiltration and positively correlated with ALT levels. Conversely, another set of ISGs (IFI44, ISG15, IFI44L, IFI6, MX1) mainly expressed by hepatocytes and B cells showed no correlation with ALT levels. Our study presents a multi-omics analysis integrating bulk transcriptomic, single-cell sequencing data, and clinical data from CHB patients to decipher the cause of intrahepatic inflammation in CHB. The findings confirm that macrophages secrete chemokines like CCL20, recruiting exhausted T cells into liver tissue; concurrently, hepatocyte innate immunity is suppressed, hindering the antiviral effects of ISGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesThe Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital of EssenUniversity of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Center for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB)University of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Qian Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesThe Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital of EssenUniversity of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Yuanwang Qiu
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Simo Kitanovski
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Center for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB)University of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Chen Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesThe Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Chenxia Zhang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Fahong Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Department of Infectious DiseasesNational Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiaoguang Li
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- School of Public Health and Emergency ManagementSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Lihua Huang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Department of Infectious DiseasesNational Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Daniel Hoffmann
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Center for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB)University of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Mengji Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesThe Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital of EssenUniversity of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Fifth People's Hospital of WuxiJiangnan UniversityWuxiChina
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesThe Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
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Cross A, Harris JM, Arbe-Barnes E, Nixon C, Dhairyawan R, Hall A, Quaglia A, Issa F, Kennedy PTF, McKeating JA, Gill US, Peppa D. Characterisation of HBV and co-infection with HDV and HIV through spatial transcriptomics. EGASTROENTEROLOGY 2024; 2:e100067. [PMID: 39149129 PMCID: PMC11326438 DOI: 10.1136/egastro-2024-100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Background and aims The intrahepatic processes associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), especially in the context of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) and HIV co-infection, require a better understanding. Spatial transcriptomics can provide new insights into the complex intrahepatic biological processes, guiding new personalised treatments. Our aim is to evaluate this method characterising the intrahepatic transcriptional landscape, cellular composition and biological pathways in liver biopsy samples from patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HDV or HIV co-infection. Method The NanoString GeoMx digital spatial profiling platform was employed to assess expression of HBV surface antigen and CD45 in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies from three treatment-naïve patients with chronic HBV and HDV or HIV co-infection. The GeoMx Human Whole Transcriptome Atlas assay quantified the expression of genes enriched in specific regions of interest (ROIs). Cell type proportions within ROIs were deconvoluted using a training matrix from the human liver cell atlas. A weighted gene correlation network analysis evaluated transcriptomic signatures across sampled regions. Results Spatially discrete transcriptomic signatures and distinct biological pathways were associated with HBV infection/disease status and immune responses. Shared features including 'cytotoxicity' and 'B cell receptor signalling' were consistent across patients, suggesting common elements alongside individual traits. HDV/HBV co-infection exhibited upregulated genes linked to apoptosis and immune cell recruitment, whereas HIV/HBV co-infection featured genes related to interferon response regulation. Varied cellular characteristics and immune cell populations, with an abundance of γδT cells in the HDV/HBV sample, were observed within analysed regions. Transcriptional differences in hepatocyte function suggest disrupted metabolic processes in HDV/HBV co-infection potentially impacting disease progression. Conclusion This proof-of-principle study shows the value of this platform in investigating the complex immune landscape, highlighting relevant host pathways to disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Cross
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James M Harris
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Arbe-Barnes
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Colin Nixon
- Cancer Research UK, Scotalnd Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rageshri Dhairyawan
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
- Centre for Immunobiology, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, QMUL, London, UK
| | - Andrew Hall
- UCL Cancer Institute, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Alberto Quaglia
- UCL Cancer Institute, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Fadi Issa
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Patrick T F Kennedy
- Centre for Immunobiology, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, QMUL, London, UK
| | - Jane A McKeating
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Upkar S Gill
- Centre for Immunobiology, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, QMUL, London, UK
| | - Dimitra Peppa
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
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Chua C, Mahamed D, Nkongolo S, Sanchez Vasquez JD, Mehrotra A, Wong DKH, Chung RT, Feld JJ, Janssen HLA, Gehring AJ. Liver-restricted Type I IFN Signature Precedes Liver Damage in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Stopping Antiviral Therapy. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:1002-1011. [PMID: 38294274 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Immune-mediated liver damage is the driver of disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Liver damage is an Ag-independent process caused by bystander activation of CD8 T cells and NK cells. How bystander lymphocyte activation is initiated in chronic hepatitis B patients remains unclear. Periods of liver damage, called hepatic flares, occur unpredictably, making early events difficult to capture. To address this obstacle, we longitudinally sampled the liver of chronic hepatitis B patients stopping antiviral therapy and analyzed immune composition and activation using flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. At 4 wk after stopping therapy, HBV replication rebounded but no liver damage was detectable. There were no changes in cell frequencies at viral rebound. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed upregulation of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) and proinflammatory cytokine migration inhibitory factor (MIF) at viral rebound in patients that go on to develop hepatic flares 6-18 wk after stopping therapy. The type I IFN signature was only detectable within the liver, and neither IFN-α/β or ISG induction could be detected in the peripheral blood. In vitro experiments confirmed the type I IFN-dependent ISG profile whereas MIF was induced primarily by IL-12. MIF exposure further amplified inflammatory cytokine production by myeloid cells. Our data show that innate immune activation is detectable in the liver before clinically significant liver damage is evident. The combination of type I IFN and enhanced cytokine production upon MIF exposure represent the earliest immunological triggers of lymphocyte bystander activation observed in hepatic flares associated with chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conan Chua
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deeqa Mahamed
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shirin Nkongolo
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Juan Diego Sanchez Vasquez
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aman Mehrotra
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David K H Wong
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jordan J Feld
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harry L A Janssen
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Adam J Gehring
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Genshaft AS, Subudhi S, Keo A, Sanchez Vasquez JD, Conceição-Neto N, Mahamed D, Boeijen LL, Alatrakchi N, Oetheimer C, Vilme M, Drake R, Fleming I, Tran N, Tzouanas C, Joseph-Chazan J, Arreola Villanueva M, van de Werken HJG, van Oord GW, Groothuismink ZMA, Beudeker BJ, Osmani Z, Nkongolo S, Mehrotra A, Spittaels K, Feld J, Chung RT, de Knegt RJ, Janssen HLA, Aerssens J, Bollekens J, Hacohen N, Lauer GM, Boonstra A, Shalek AK, Gehring AJ. Single-cell RNA sequencing of liver fine-needle aspirates captures immune diversity in the blood and liver in chronic hepatitis B patients. Hepatology 2023; 78:1525-1541. [PMID: 37158243 PMCID: PMC10581444 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS HBV infection is restricted to the liver, where it drives exhaustion of virus-specific T and B cells and pathogenesis through dysregulation of intrahepatic immunity. Our understanding of liver-specific events related to viral control and liver damage has relied almost solely on animal models, and we lack useable peripheral biomarkers to quantify intrahepatic immune activation beyond cytokine measurement. Our objective was to overcome the practical obstacles of liver sampling using fine-needle aspiration and develop an optimized workflow to comprehensively compare the blood and liver compartments within patients with chronic hepatitis B using single-cell RNA sequencing. APPROACH AND RESULTS We developed a workflow that enabled multi-site international studies and centralized single-cell RNA sequencing. Blood and liver fine-needle aspirations were collected, and cellular and molecular captures were compared between the Seq-Well S 3 picowell-based and the 10× Chromium reverse-emulsion droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing technologies. Both technologies captured the cellular diversity of the liver, but Seq-Well S 3 effectively captured neutrophils, which were absent in the 10× dataset. CD8 T cells and neutrophils displayed distinct transcriptional profiles between blood and liver. In addition, liver fine-needle aspirations captured a heterogeneous liver macrophage population. Comparison between untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B and patients treated with nucleoside analogs showed that myeloid cells were highly sensitive to environmental changes while lymphocytes displayed minimal differences. CONCLUSIONS The ability to electively sample and intensively profile the immune landscape of the liver, and generate high-resolution data, will enable multi-site clinical studies to identify biomarkers for intrahepatic immune activity in HBV and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S. Genshaft
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sonu Subudhi
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arlin Keo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Computational Biology Center, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juan Diego Sanchez Vasquez
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nádia Conceição-Neto
- Infectious Diseases Biomarkers, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Deeqa Mahamed
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauke L. Boeijen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadia Alatrakchi
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chris Oetheimer
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mike Vilme
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Riley Drake
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ira Fleming
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nancy Tran
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Constantine Tzouanas
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jasmin Joseph-Chazan
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martin Arreola Villanueva
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Harmen J. G. van de Werken
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Computational Biology Center, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gertine W. van Oord
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zwier M. A. Groothuismink
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Boris J. Beudeker
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zgjim Osmani
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Shirin Nkongolo
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aman Mehrotra
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kurt Spittaels
- Infectious Diseases Biomarkers, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jordan Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Raymond T. Chung
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert J. de Knegt
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harry L. A. Janssen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeroen Aerssens
- Infectious Diseases Biomarkers, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jacques Bollekens
- Infectious Diseases Biomarkers, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Nir Hacohen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Georg M. Lauer
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andre Boonstra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alex K. Shalek
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, USA
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam J. Gehring
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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6
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Wang X, Gu X, Liu F. IL-6 gene polymorphism predicts PEGylated IFN-α treatment response in hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. Per Med 2023; 20:503-510. [PMID: 37909375 DOI: 10.2217/pme-2023-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Background: Genetic polymorphism can affect the response to antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Objective: The study examined the genetic association of the IL-6 rs1800796 polymorphism with PEGylated IFN-α (PegIFN-α) treatment response in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive CHB patients. Methods: Direct sequencing was done for the genotyping of the rs1800796 polymorphism in the serum of CHB patients. Results: More patients with combined response (n = 95) carried IL-6 rs1800796 GC genotypes, while CC genotype carriers possessed reduced HBeAg seroconversion rate and high values of hepatitis B virus DNA. Baseline HBsAg and HBeAg and IL-6 rs1800796 CC genotype were independently related to PegIFN-α treatment response. Conclusion: Detection of the IL-6 rs1800796 genotype in CHB patients may have potential guiding significance for PegIFN-α response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Wang
- Department of Hepatology, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250031, China
| | - Xiu Gu
- Department of Hepatology, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250031, China
| | - Fengli Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250031, China
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7
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Fu YL, Zhou SN, Hu W, Li J, Zhou MJ, Li XY, Wang YY, Zhang P, Chen SY, Fan X, Song JW, Jiao YM, Xu R, Zhang JY, Zhen C, Zhou CB, Yuan JH, Shi M, Wang FS, Zhang C. Metabolic interventions improve HBV envelope-specific T-cell responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Hepatol Int 2023; 17:1125-1138. [PMID: 36976426 PMCID: PMC10522531 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10490-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restoration of HBV-specific T cell immunity is a promising approach for the functional cure of chronic Hepatitis B (CHB), necessitating the development of valid assays to boost and monitor HBV-specific T cell responses in patients with CHB. METHODS We analyzed hepatitis B virus (HBV) core- and envelope (env)-specific T cell responses using in vitro expanded peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with CHB exhibiting different immunological phases, including immune tolerance (IT), immune activation (IA), inactive carrier (IC), and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENEG). Additionally, we evaluated the effects of metabolic interventions, including mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (MTA), polyphenolic compounds, and ACAT inhibitors (iACAT), on HBV-specific T-cell functionality. RESULTS We found that HBV core- and env-specific T cell responses were finely coordinated and more profound in IC and ENEG than in the IT and IA stages. HBV env-specific T cells were more dysfunctional but prone to respond to metabolic interventions using MTA, iACAT, and polyphenolic compounds than HBV core-specific T-cells. The responsiveness of HBV env-specific T cells to metabolic interventions can be predicted by the eosinophil (EO) count and the coefficient of variation of red blood cell distribution width (RDW-CV). CONCLUSION These findings may provide valuable information for metabolically invigorating HBV-specific T-cells to treat CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Long Fu
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang-Nan Zhou
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Li
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Ju Zhou
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Li
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - You-Yuan Wang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Yuan Chen
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Fan
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Wen Song
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Mei Jiao
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ruonan Xu
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Yuan Zhang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhen
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Bao Zhou
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Hong Yuan
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Shi
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fu-Sheng Wang
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Chao Zhang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
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8
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Yang D, Tian R, Deng R, Xue B, Liu S, Wang L, Li H, Liu Q, Wan M, Tang S, Wang X, Zhu H. The dual functions of KDM7A in HBV replication and immune microenvironment. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0164123. [PMID: 37623314 PMCID: PMC10581003 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01641-23] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
KDM7A (lysine demethylase 7A, also known as JHDM1D) is a histone demethylase, it is mainly involved in the intracellular post-translational modifications process. Recently, it has been proved that the histone demethylase members can regulate the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the expression of key molecules in the Janus-activated kinase-signal transducer and activator of the transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway by chromatin modifying mechanisms. In our study, we identify novel roles of KDM7A in HBV replication and immune microenvironment through two subjects: pathogen and host. On the one hand, KDM7A is highly expressed in HBV-infected cells and promotes HBV replication in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, KDM7A interacts with HBV covalently closed circular DNA and augments the activity of the HBV core promoter. On the other hand, KDM7A can remodel the immune microenvironment. It inhibits the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) through the IFN-γ/JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway in both hepatocytes and macrophages. Further study shows that KDM7A interacts with JAK2 and STAT1 and affects their methylation. In general, we demonstrate the dual functions of KDM7A in HBV replication and immune microenvironment, and then we propose a new therapeutic target for HBV infection and immunotherapy. IMPORTANCE Histone lysine demethylase KDM7A can interact with covalently closed circular DNA and promote the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The IFN-γ/JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway in macrophages and hepatocytes is also downregulated by KDM7A. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of HBV infection and the remodeling of the immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yang
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Renyun Tian
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Rilin Deng
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Binbin Xue
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China
| | - Shun Liu
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Luoling Wang
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huiyi Li
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mengyu Wan
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Songqing Tang
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haizhen Zhu
- Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology of College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China
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9
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Osmani Z, Boonstra A. Recent Insights into the Role of B Cells in Chronic Hepatitis B and C Infections. Pathogens 2023; 12:815. [PMID: 37375505 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic viral hepatitis infections, caused by the hepatitis B or C virus, are a major global health problem causing an estimated one million deaths each year. Immunological studies have classically focused on T cells, while B cells have largely been neglected. Emerging evidence, however, highlights a role for B cells in the immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B and C infections. B cell responses appear to be altered across different clinical phases of chronic HBV infection and across stages of disease in chronic HCV infection. These B cell responses show signs of a more activated state with a simultaneous enrichment of phenotypically exhausted atypical memory B cells. Despite the fact that studies show an activating B cell signature in chronic viral hepatitis infection, antibody responses to HBsAg remain impaired in chronic HBV infection, and glycoprotein E2-specific neutralizing antibody responses remain delayed in the acute phase of HCV infection. At the same time, studies have reported that a subset of HBV- and HCV-specific B cells exhibit an exhausted phenotype. This may, at least in part, explain why antibody responses in chronic HBV and HCV patients are suboptimal. Here, we summarize recent findings and discuss upcoming research questions while looking forward to how new single-cell technologies could provide novel insights into the role of B cells in chronic viral hepatitis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zgjim Osmani
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andre Boonstra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Lim YS, Kim WR, Dieterich D, Kao JH, Flaherty JF, Yee LJ, Roberts LR, Razavi H, Kennedy PTF. Evidence for Benefits of Early Treatment Initiation for Chronic Hepatitis B. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040997. [PMID: 37112976 PMCID: PMC10142077 DOI: 10.3390/v15040997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Antiviral treatment reduces the risk of HCC and mortality; nonetheless, globally in 2019, only 2.2% of CHB patients received treatment. Current international CHB guidelines recommend antiviral treatment only in subsets of patients with clear evidence of liver damage. This contrasts with hepatitis C or HIV where early treatment is recommended in all infected patients, regardless of end-organ damage. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of data on the early initiation of antiviral treatment and its related potential economic impact. Literature searches were performed using PubMed and abstracts from international liver congresses (2019-2021). Data on risk of disease progression and HCC and the impact of antiviral treatment in currently ineligible patients were summarized. Cost-effectiveness data on early antiviral treatment initiation were also collated. Accumulating molecular, clinical, and economic data suggest that early initiation of antiviral treatment could save many lives through HCC prevention in a highly cost-effective manner. In light of these data, we consider several alternative expanded treatment strategies that might further a simplified 'treatment as prevention' approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Suk Lim
- Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - W Ray Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94063, USA
| | - Douglas Dieterich
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jia-Horng Kao
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Research, Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Lewis R Roberts
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Homie Razavi
- Center for Disease Analysis Foundation, Lafayette, CO 80026, USA
| | - Patrick T F Kennedy
- Barts Liver Centre, Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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11
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Zhou L, Xia S, Liu Y, Ji Q, Li L, Gao X, Guo X, Yi X, Chen F. A lipid metabolism-based prognostic risk model for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Lipids Health Dis 2023; 22:46. [PMID: 37004044 PMCID: PMC10067291 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-023-01780-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Up to 85% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases in China can be attributed to infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Lipid metabolism performs important function in hepatocarcinogenesis of HBV-related liver carcinoma. However, limited studies have explored the prognostic role of lipid metabolism in HBV-related HCC. This study established a prognostic model to stratify HBV-related HCC based on lipid metabolisms. METHODS Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas HBV-related HCC samples, this study selected prognosis-related lipid metabolism genes and established a prognosis risk model by performing uni- and multi-variate Cox regression methods. The final markers used to establish the model were selected through the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method. Analysis of functional enrichment, immune landscape, and genomic alteration was utilized to investigate the inner molecular mechanism involved in prognosis. RESULTS The risk model independently stratified HBV-infected patients with liver cancer into two risk groups. The low-risk groups harbored longer survival times (with P < 0.05, log-rank test). TP53, LRP1B, TTN, and DNAH8 mutations and high genomic instability occurred in high-risk groups. Low-risk groups harbored higher CD8 T cell infiltration and BTLA expression. Lipid-metabolism (including "Fatty acid metabolism") and immune pathways were significantly enriched (P < 0.05) in the low-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS This study established a robust model to stratify HBV-related HCC effectively. Analysis results decode in part the heterogeneity of HBV-related liver cancer and highlight perturbation of lipid metabolism in HBV-related HCC. This study's findings could facilitate patients' clinical classification and give hints for treatment selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhou
- Cancer Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 Nansihuan West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Shaohuai Xia
- Beijing Fuzheng Cancer Hospital, No. 20 Jinghai 3rd road, Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Yaoyao Liu
- Beijing GenePlus Genomics Institute, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Qiang Ji
- Cancer Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 Nansihuan West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Lifeng Li
- Beijing GenePlus Genomics Institute, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Xuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Shenzhen GenePlus Clinical Laboratory, ShenZhen, 518122, China
| | - Xiaodi Guo
- Cancer Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 Nansihuan West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Beijing GenePlus Genomics Institute, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Cancer Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 Nansihuan West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China.
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12
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Dumolard L, Aspord C, Marche PN, Macek Jilkova Z. Immune checkpoints on T and NK cells in the context of HBV infection: Landscape, pathophysiology and therapeutic exploitation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148111. [PMID: 37056774 PMCID: PMC10086248 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the interplay between the virus and the host immune system is crucial in determining the pathogenesis of the disease. Patients who fail to mount a sufficient and sustained anti-viral immune response develop chronic hepatitis B (CHB). T cells and natural killer (NK) cells play decisive role in viral clearance, but they are defective in chronic HBV infection. The activation of immune cells is tightly controlled by a combination of activating and inhibitory receptors, called immune checkpoints (ICs), allowing the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Chronic exposure to viral antigens and the subsequent dysregulation of ICs actively contribute to the exhaustion of effector cells and viral persistence. The present review aims to summarize the function of various ICs and their expression in T lymphocytes and NK cells in the course of HBV infection as well as the use of immunotherapeutic strategies targeting ICs in chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Dumolard
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Aspord
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
- R&D Laboratory, Etablissement Français du Sang Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Patrice N. Marche
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Zuzana Macek Jilkova
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team Epigenetics, Immunity, Metabolism, Cell Signaling & Cancer, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
- Hepato-Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology Department, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
- *Correspondence: Zuzana Macek Jilkova,
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13
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Lopez-Scarim J, Nambiar SM, Billerbeck E. Studying T Cell Responses to Hepatotropic Viruses in the Liver Microenvironment. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:681. [PMID: 36992265 PMCID: PMC10056334 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
T cells play an important role in the clearance of hepatotropic viruses but may also cause liver injury and contribute to disease progression in chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections which affect millions of people worldwide. The liver provides a unique microenvironment of immunological tolerance and hepatic immune regulation can modulate the functional properties of T cell subsets and influence the outcome of a virus infection. Extensive research over the last years has advanced our understanding of hepatic conventional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and unconventional T cell subsets and their functions in the liver environment during acute and chronic viral infections. The recent development of new small animal models and technological advances should further increase our knowledge of hepatic immunological mechanisms. Here we provide an overview of the existing models to study hepatic T cells and review the current knowledge about the distinct roles of heterogeneous T cell populations during acute and chronic viral hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eva Billerbeck
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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14
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Guo J, Wang S, Gao Q. Can next-generation humanized mice that reconstituted with both functional human immune system and hepatocytes model the progression of viral hepatitis to hepatocarcinogenesis? Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1002260. [PMID: 36213658 PMCID: PMC9537463 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1002260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infections cause liver immunopathological diseases such as hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinomas, which are difficult to treat and continue to be major health problems globally. Due to the species-specific hepato-tropism of HBV and HCV, conventional rodent models are limited in their utility for studying the infection and associated liver immunopathogenesis. Humanized mice reconstituted with both functional human immune system and hepatocytes (HIS-HuHEP mice) have been extremely instrumental for in vivo studies of HBV or HCV infection and human-specific aspects of the progression of liver immunopathogenesis. However, none of the current HIS-HuHEP mice can model the progression of viral hepatitis to hepatocarcinogenesis which may be a notorious result of HBV or HCV chronic infection in patients, suggesting that they were functionally compromised and that there is still significant space to improve and establish next-generation of HIS-HuHEP mice with more sophisticated functions. In this review, we first summarize the principal requirements to establish HIS-HuHEP mice. We then discuss the respective protocols for current HIS-HuHEP mice and their applications, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. We also raise perspectives for further improving and establishing next-generation HIS-HuHEP mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglong Guo
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Siyue Wang
- Graduate Program in Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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15
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Li N, Yu K, Dong M, Wang J, Yang F, Zhu H, Yu J, Yang J, Xie W, Mitra B, Mao R, Wu F, Guo H, Zhang J. Intrahepatic transcriptomics reveals gene signatures in chronic hepatitis B patients responded to interferon therapy. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1876-1889. [PMID: 35815389 PMCID: PMC9336496 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2100831] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a substantial public health burden worldwide. Alpha-interferon (IFNα) is one of the two currently approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), to explore the mechanisms underlying IFNα treatment response, we investigated baseline and 24-week on-treatment intrahepatic gene expression profiles in 21 CHB patients by mRNA-seq. The data analyses demonstrated that PegIFNα treatment significantly induced antiviral responses. Responders who achieved HBV DNA loss and HBeAg or HBsAg seroconversion displayed higher fold change and larger number of up-regulated interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Interestingly, lower expression levels of certain ISGs were observed in responders in their baseline biopsy samples. In HBeAg+ patients, non-responders had relative higher baseline HBeAg levels than responders. More importantly, HBeAg− patients showed higher HBsAg loss rate than HBeAg+ patients. Although a greater fold change of ISGs was observed in HBeAg− patients than HBeAg+ patients, upregulation of ISGs in HBeAg+ responders exceeded HBeAg− responders. Notably, PegIFNα treatment increased monocyte and mast cell infiltration, but decreased CD8 T cell and M1 macrophage infiltration in both responders and non-responders, while B cell infiltration was increased only in responders. Moreover, co-expression analysis identified ribosomal proteins as critical players in antiviral response. The data also indicate that IFNα may influence the production of viral antigens associated with endoplasmic reticulum. Collectively, the intrahepatic transcriptome analyses in this study enriched our understanding of IFN-mediated antiviral effects in CHB patients and provided novel insights into the development of potential strategies to improve IFNα therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kangkang Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minhui Dong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoxiang Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingshu Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wentao Xie
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bidisha Mitra
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Richeng Mao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feizhen Wu
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, China
| | - Haitao Guo
- Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biosafety Emergency Response, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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