FcγRIIIa-Syk Co-signal Modulates CD4+ T-cell Response and Up-regulates Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Expression

Increased levels of a pro-inflammatory IgG receptor in the midbrain of people with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence that neuroinflammation may contribute to schizophrenia neuropathology. Elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines are evident in the midbrain from schizophrenia subjects, findings that are driven by a subgroup of patients, characterised as a "high inflammation" biotype. Cytokines trigger the release of antibodies, of which immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the most common. The level and function of IgG is regulated by its transporter (FcGRT) and by pro-inflammatory IgG receptors (including FcGR3A) in balance with the anti-inflammatory IgG receptor FcGR2B. Testing whether abnormalities in IgG activity contribute to the neuroinflammatory abnormalities schizophrenia patients, particularly those with elevated cytokines, may help identify novel treatment targets.

METHODS

Post-mortem midbrain tissue from healthy controls and schizophrenia cases (n = 58 total) was used to determine the localisation and abundance of IgG and IgG transporters and receptors in the midbrain of healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. Protein levels of IgG and FcGRT were quantified using western blot, and gene transcript levels of FcGRT, FcGR3A and FcGR2B were assessed using qPCR. The distribution of IgG in the midbrain was assessed using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results were compared between diagnostic (schizophrenia vs control) and inflammatory (high vs low inflammation) groups.

RESULTS

We found that IgG and FcGRT protein abundance (relative to β-actin) was unchanged in people with schizophrenia compared with controls irrespective of inflammatory subtype. In contrast, FcGRT and FcGR3A mRNA levels were elevated in the midbrain from "high inflammation" schizophrenia cases (FcGRT; p = 0.02, FcGR3A; p < 0.0001) in comparison to low-inflammation patients and healthy controls, while FcGR2B mRNA levels were unchanged. IgG immunoreactivity was evident in the midbrain, and approximately 24% of all individuals (control subjects and schizophrenia cases) showed diffusion of IgG from blood vessels into the brain. However, the intensity and distribution of IgG was comparable across schizophrenia cases and control subjects.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that an increase in the pro-inflammatory Fcγ receptor FcGR3A, rather than an overall increase in IgG levels, contribute to midbrain neuroinflammation in schizophrenia patients. However, more precise information about IgG-Fcγ receptor interactions is needed to determine their potential role in schizophrenia neuropathology.

Complement System and Alarmin HMGB1 Crosstalk: For Better or Worse

Our immune system responds to infectious (PAMPs) and tissue damage (DAMPs) signals. The complement system and alarmin High-Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) are two powerful soluble actors of human host defense and immune surveillance. These systems involve molecular cascades and amplification loops for their signaling or activation. Initially activated as alarm raising systems, their function can be finally switched towards inflammation resolution, where they sustain immune maturation and orchestrate repair mechanisms, opening the way back to homeostasis. However, when getting out of control, these defense systems can become deleterious and trigger serious cellular and tissue damage. Therefore, they can be considered as double-edged swords. The close interaction between the complement and HMGB1 pathways is described here, as well as their traditional and non-canonical roles, their functioning at different locations and their independent and collective impact in different systems both in health and disease. Starting from these systems and interplay at the molecular level (when elucidated), we then provide disease examples to better illustrate the signs and consequences of their roles and interaction, highlighting their importance and possible vicious circles in alarm raising and inflammation, both individually or in combination. Although this integrated view may open new therapeutic strategies, future challenges have to be faced because of the remaining unknowns regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying the fragile molecular balance which can drift towards disease or return to homeostasis, as briefly discussed at the end.

Blockade of TLR2 and TLR4 Attenuates Inflammatory Response and Parasite Load in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis is characterized by a pronounced inflammatory response associated with ulcer development. Monocytes/macrophages, the main cells harboring parasites, are largely responsible for parasite control. Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling leads to the transcription of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1β and TNF during innate immune response. TLR antagonists have been used in the treatment of inflammatory disease. The neutralization of these receptors may attenuate an exacerbated inflammatory response. We evaluated the ability of TLR2 and TLR4 antagonists to modulate host immune response in L. braziliensis-infected monocytes and cells from CL patient skin lesions. Following TLR2 and TLR4 neutralization, decreased numbers of infected cells and internalized parasites were detected in CL patient monocytes. In addition, reductions in oxidative burst, IL-1β, TNF and CXCL9 production were observed. TNF production by cells from CL lesions also decreased after TLR2 and TLR4 neutralization. The attenuation of host inflammatory response after neutralizing these receptors suggests the potential of TLR antagonists as immunomodulators in association with antimonial therapy in human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

A Two-Step Process of Effector Programming Governs CD4+ T Cell Fate Determination Induced by Antigenic Activation in the Steady State

Various processes induce and maintain immune tolerance, but effector T cells still arise under minimal perturbations of homeostasis through unclear mechanisms. We report that, contrary to the model postulating primarily tolerogenic mechanisms initiated under homeostatic conditions, effector programming is an integral part of T cell fate determination induced by antigenic activation in the steady state. This effector programming depends on a two-step process starting with induction of effector precursors that express Hopx and are imprinted with multiple instructions for their subsequent terminal effector differentiation. Such molecular circuits advancing specific terminal effector differentiation upon re-stimulation include programmed expression of interferon-γ, whose production then promotes expression of T-bet in the precursors. We further show that effector programming coincides with regulatory conversion among T cells sharing the same antigen specificity. However, conventional type 2 dendritic cells (cDC2) and T cell functions of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) increase effector precursor induction while decreasing the proportion of T cells that can become peripheral Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (pTreg) cells.

The mechanisms in the steady state that govern the formation of effector T cells with potentially autoimmune functions remain unclear. Opejin et al. reveal a two-step process starting with induction of effector precursors that express Hopx and are imprinted with multiple instructions for their subsequent terminal effector differentiation.

Inhibition of SYK kinase does not confer a pro-proliferative or pro-invasive phenotype in breast epithelium or breast cancer cells

SYK has been reported to possess both tumour promotor and repressor activities and deletion has been linked to a pro-proliferative / pro-invasive phenotype in breast tumours. It is unclear whether this is a consequence of protein deletion or loss of kinase activity. The SYK inhibitor, BI 1002494, caused no increase in proliferation in breast cancer cells or primary mammary epithelial cells in 2D or 3D cultures, nor changes in proliferation (CD1/2, CDK4, PCNA, Ki67) or invadopodia markers (MMP14, PARP, phospho-vimentin Ser56). BI 1002494 did not alter SYK protein expression. There was no change in phenotype observed in 3D cultures after addition of BI 1002494. Thirteen weeks of treatment with BI 1002494 resulted in no ductal branching or cellular proliferation in the mammary glands of mice. An in silico genetic analysis in breast tumour samples revealed no evidence that SYK has a typical tumour suppressor gene profile such as focal deletion, inactivating mutations or lower expression levels. Furthermore, SYK mutations were not associated with reduction in survival and disease-free period in breast cancer patients. In conclusion, small molecule inhibition of the kinase function of SYK does not contribute to a typical tumour suppressor profile.

CD32 Ligation Promotes the Activation of CD4+ T Cells

Low affinity receptors for the Fc portion of IgG (FcγRs) represent a critical link between innate and adaptive immunity. Immune complexes (ICs) are the natural ligands for low affinity FcγRs, and high levels of ICs are usually detected in both, chronic viral infections and autoimmune diseases. The expression and function of FcγRs in myeloid cells, NK cells and B cells have been well characterized. By contrast, there are controversial reports about the expression and function of FcγRs in T cells. Here, we demonstrated that ~2% of resting CD4+ T cells express cell surface FcγRII (CD32). Analysis of CD32 expression in permeabilized cells revealed an increased proportion of CD4+CD32+ T cells (~9%), indicating that CD4+ T cells store a CD32 cytoplasmic pool. Activation of CD4+ T cells markedly increased the expression of CD32 either at the cell surface or intracellularly. Analysis of CD32 mRNA transcripts in activated CD4+ T cells revealed the presence of both, the stimulatory FcγRIIa (CD32a) and the inhibitory FcγRIIb (CD32b) isoforms of CD32, being the CD32a:CD32b mRNA ratio ~5:1. Consistent with this finding, we found not only that CD4+ T cells bind aggregated IgG, used as an IC model, but also that CD32 ligation by specific mAb induced a strong calcium transient in CD4+ T cells. Moreover, we found that pretreatment of CD4+ T cells with immobilized IgG as well as cross-linking of CD32 by specific antibodies increased both, the proliferative response of CD4+ T cells and the release of a wide pattern of cytokines (IL-2, IL-5, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) triggered by either PHA or anti-CD3 mAb. Collectively, our results indicate that ligation of CD32 promotes the activation of CD4+ T cells. These findings suggest that ICs might contribute to the perpetuation of chronic inflammatory responses by virtue of its ability to directly interact with CD4+ T cells through CD32a, promoting the activation of T cells into different inflammatory profiles.

Role of a non-canonical splice variant of the Helios gene in the differentiation of acute lymphoblastic leukemic T cells

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a hematopoietic malignant disease, which arises from a genetic defect in the T-cell maturation signaling pathway. As a result, it is necessary to identify the molecules that impact T-cell development and control lymphoid-lineage malignancy. The present study utilized Jurkat T lymphoblastic cells as a well-established approach for the investigation into the function of the non-canonical alternative splice variant of Helios for the in vitro study of T-cell differentiation and leukemogenesis. In the present study, the Jurkat T-cell lines with stable overexpression of the wild-type (Helios-1) or the non-canonical short isoform (Helios-Δ326-1431), were established. RNA microarray, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry were used to assess changes in the gene expression profiles and to monitor the cell surface markers during T-cell differentiation. Multiple genes associated with T-cell differentiation and leukemogenesis were identified as being either activated or suppressed. In addition, the results indicated that the stable overexpression of the Helios isoforms stimulated the differentiation pathway of the T-lineage lymphoblastic cells. Therefore, these results suggest that full-length Helios-1 has a tumor suppressor-like and immunomodulatory role, in contrast to the oncogenic function of the non-canonical short isoform Helios-Δ326-1431.

The role of Syk in peripheral T cells

The aim of this study was to understand how Syk affects peripheral T cell function. T cells from Syk^-/- chimeric mice and DR1 Syk^fl/fl CD4^cre conditional mice gave strong CD3-induced Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokine responses. However, an altered peptide ligand (APL) of human CII (256-276) with two substitutions (F263N, E266D), also called A12, elicited only Th2 cytokine responses from Syk^fl/fl T cells but not Syk^fl/fl-CD4^cre T cells. Western blots revealed a marked increase in the phosphorylation of Syk, JNK and p38 upon A12/DR1 activation in WT or Syk^fl/fl T cells but not in Syk^fl/flCD4^-cre cells. We demonstrate that Syk is required for the APL- induction of suppressive cytokines. Chemical Syk inhibitors blocked activation of GATA-3 by peptide A12/DR1. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the role that Syk plays in directing T cell activity, and may shape therapeutic approaches for autoimmune diseases.

SYK-targeted dendritic cell-mediated cytotoxic T lymphocytes enhance the effect of immunotherapy on retinoblastoma

PURPOSE

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in children. Chemotherapy is currently the main method of RB treatment. Unfortunately, RB often becomes chemoresistant and turns lethal. Here, we used in vitro cell immunotherapy to explore whether adoptive immunotherapy could be used as a potential treatment for RB. We focused on spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), which is significantly upregulated in RB cells and serves as a marker for RB cells.

METHODS

Using lentiviruses, we genetically modified dendritic cells (DCs) to express and present the SYK peptide antigen to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in vitro. We used SYK-negative cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-10A, and hTERT-RPE1) and SYK-positive cell lines (MCF-7 and RB-Y79) to evaluate the specificity and cytotoxicity of DC presented CTLs using FACS, live-cell imaging, and RNA interference.

RESULTS

The cytotoxicity of CTLs induced by SYK-overexpressing DCs (SYK-DC-CTLs) was enhanced more than three times in SYK-positive cell lines compared with SYK-negative cell lines. DCs primed with SYK could drive CTL cytotoxicity against SYK-positive cell lines but not against SYK-negative cell lines. Moreover, SYK-silenced RB-Y79 cells successfully evaded the cytotoxic attack from SYK-DC-CTLs. However, SYK-DC-CTLs could target SYK overexpressed hTERT-RPE1 cells, suggesting that SYK is a specific antigen for RB. Furthermore, SYK-DC-CTL exhibited specific cytotoxicity against carboplatin-resistant RB-Y79 cells in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that SYK could be a potential immunotherapy target mediated by DCs. We propose SYK as a candidate target for treatment of chemoresistant RB.

FcγRIIIa Signaling Modulates Endosomal TLR Responses in Human CD4+ T Cells

Recognition of Ab-opsonized pathogens by immune cells triggers both TLR and Fc receptor signaling. Fc receptors endocytose modified nucleic acids bound to Abs and deliver them to endosomes, where they are recognized by nucleic acid-sensing TLRs (NA-TLRs). We show that in CD4+ T cells, NA-TLRs, TLR3, TLR8, and TLR9 are upregulated by FcγRIIIa-pSyk cosignaling and localize with FcγRIIIa on the cell surface. TLR9 accumulates on the cell surface, where it recognizes CpG oligonucleotide 2006. Subcellular location of NA-TLRs is a key determinant in discriminating self versus viral nucleic acid. Hydroxychloroquine used for treating systemic lupus erythematosus and a Syk inhibitor blocked NA-TLR localization with FcγRIIIa. Engaging TLR9 with CpG oligonucleotide contributes to the development of IL17A+ and IL-21+ populations. RNA-sequencing analysis showed upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, NF-κB signaling, and heat shock protein pathway RNA transcripts. These data suggest a role for FcγRIIIa-pSyk cosignaling in modulating NA-TLR responses in human CD4+ T cells by affecting the amounts and cellular distribution. These events are important for understanding of autoimmune pathology.

T cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disorder caused by a complex combination of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Different polymorphisms and epigenetic modifications lead to altered gene expression and function of several molecules which lead to abnormal T cell responses. Metabolic and functional alterations result in peripheral tolerance failures and biased differentiation of T cells into pro-inflammatory and B cell-helper phenotypes as well as the accumulation of disease-promoting memory T cells. Understanding these T cell alterations and their origins is necessary to develop more accurate patient classification systems and to discover new therapeutic targets.

HMGB1 May Be a Biomarker for Predicting the Outcome in Patients with Polymyositis /Dermatomyositis with Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective

To investigate the significance of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) levels in polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) patients with interstitial lung disease and whether HMGB1 levels could predict disease outcome.

Methods

HMGB1 levels were measured in sera from 34 patients with PM/DM and from 34 healthy controls by ELISA.

Results

Significantly higher serum levels of HMGB1 were found in patients with PM [12.75 ng/ml (4.34–25.07 ng/ml), p < 0.001] and DM [20.75 ng/ml (3.80–124.88 ng/ml), p < 0.001] than in healthy controls [5.64 ng/ml (2.71–8.71 ng/ml)]. Importantly, the average HMGB1 level in PM/DM patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) was 25.84 ng/ml, which is significantly higher than that in PM/DM patients without ILD [12.68 ng/ml] (p < 0.05). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the serum HMGB1 cutoff value that best discriminated PM/DM patients with ILD from those without ILD was 14.5ng/ml. The area under the curve was 0.87±0.05, and the 95% Confidence interval (CI) was 0.77–0.98. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of this serum HMGB1 cutoff level was 84.6% and 89% respectively. Patients with higher levels of HMGB1 expression had lower overall survival rates and disease-free survival rates, whereas patients with lower levels of HMGB1 expression had higher survival rates.

Conclusion

Multivariate analysis showed that HMGB1 expression is a prognostic indicator for patient survival. These data support the notion that HMGB1 overexpression is involved in PM/DM progression for patients with ILD and is relative to its poor clinical outcomes.

Human CD4(+) T-Cells: A Role for Low-Affinity Fc Receptors

Both lymphoid and myeloid cells express Fc receptors (FcRs). Low-affinity FcRs engage circulating immune complexes, which results in the cellular activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. FcRs participate in the internalization, transport, and/or recycling of antibodies and antigens. Cytosolic FcRs also route these proteins to proteasomes and antigen-presentation pathways. Non-activated CD4(+) T-cells do not express FcRs. Once activated, naive CD4(+) T-cells express FcγRIIIa, which, upon IC ligation, provide a costimulatory signal for the differentiation of these cells into effector cell population. FcγRIIIa present on CD4(+) T-cell membrane could internalize nucleic acid-containing ICs and elicit a cross-talk with toll-like receptors. FcγRIIIa common γ-chain forms a heterodimer with the ζ-chain of T-cell receptor complex, suggesting a synergistic role for these receptors. This review first summarizes our current understanding of FcRs on CD4(+) T-cells. Thereafter, I will attempt to correlate the findings from the recent literature on FcRs and propose a role for these receptors in modulating adaptive immune responses via TLR signaling, nucleic acid sensing, and epigenetic changes in CD4(+) T-cells.