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Pirker AL, Vogl T. Development of systemic and mucosal immune responses against gut microbiota in early life and implications for the onset of allergies. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2024; 5:1439303. [PMID: 39086886 PMCID: PMC11288972 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1439303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The early microbial colonization of human mucosal surfaces is essential for the development of the host immune system. Already during pregnancy, the unborn child is prepared for the postnatal influx of commensals and pathogens via maternal antibodies, and after birth this protection is continued with antibodies in breast milk. During this critical window of time, which extends from pregnancy to the first year of life, each encounter with a microorganism can influence children's immune response and can have a lifelong impact on their life. For example, there are numerous links between the development of allergies and an altered gut microbiome. However, the exact mechanisms behind microbial influences, also extending to how viruses influence host-microbe interactions, are incompletely understood. In this review, we address the impact of infants' first microbial encounters, how the immune system develops to interact with gut microbiota, and summarize how an altered immune response could be implied in allergies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Vogl
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Kempis-Calanis LA, Rodríguez-Jorge O, Gutiérrez-Reyna DY, Ventura-Martínez CJ, Spicuglia S, Medina-Rivera A, Thieffry D, González A, Santana MA. Neonatal CD4+ T cells have a characteristic transcriptome and epigenome and respond to TCR stimulation with proliferation and yet a limited immune response. J Leukoc Biol 2024; 116:64-76. [PMID: 38146769 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad162] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The adaptive immune response is coordinated by CD4+ T cells, which determine the type and strength of the immune response and the effector cells involved. It has been reported that CD4+ T cells are less responsive in neonates, leading to low activation of the cellular response and poor antibody production by B cells. This low response is essential for the tolerant window that favors birth transition from the sterile environment in the womb to the outside world but leaves neonates vulnerable to infection, which is still an important health issue. Neonates have a high morbidity and mortality rate due to infections, and the molecular reasons are still understudied. We asked whether the neonatal naive CD4+ T cells have a genomic program that predisposes them to a low response. Therefore, we evaluated the transcriptome and epigenome of human neonatal and adult naive CD4+ T cells. Our results point to a gene expression profile forming a distinct regulatory network in neonatal cells, which favors proliferation and a low T-cell response. Such expression profile is supported by a characteristic epigenetic landscape of neonatal CD4+ T cells, which correlates with the characteristic transcriptome of the neonatal cells. These results were confirmed by experiments showing a low response to activation signals, higher proliferation, and lower expression of cytokines of neonatal CD4+ T cells as compared to adult cells. Understanding this network could lead to novel vaccine formulations and better deal with life-threatening diseases during this highly vulnerable period of our lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Aimara Kempis-Calanis
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y de Sistemas, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Chamilpa 62209 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Otoniel Rodríguez-Jorge
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y de Sistemas, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Chamilpa 62209 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Darely Yarazeth Gutiérrez-Reyna
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y de Sistemas, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Chamilpa 62209 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Carlos Jesús Ventura-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y de Sistemas, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Chamilpa 62209 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Salvatore Spicuglia
- Aix-Marseille University, Inserm, TAGC, UMR1090, Equipe Labélisée LIGUE contre le Cancer, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Alejandra Medina-Rivera
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM 3002, Blvd. 3001, 76230 Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Denis Thieffry
- Département de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Aitor González
- Aix-Marseille University, Inserm, TAGC, UMR1090, Equipe Labélisée LIGUE contre le Cancer, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - María Angélica Santana
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y de Sistemas, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Chamilpa 62209 Cuernavaca, México
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3
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Mijač S, Banić I, Genc AM, Lipej M, Turkalj M. The Effects of Environmental Exposure on Epigenetic Modifications in Allergic Diseases. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:110. [PMID: 38256371 PMCID: PMC10820670 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Allergic diseases are one of the most common chronic conditions and their prevalence is on the rise. Environmental exposure, primarily prenatal and early life influences, affect the risk for the development and specific phenotypes of allergic diseases via epigenetic mechanisms. Exposure to pollutants, microorganisms and parasites, tobacco smoke and certain aspects of diet are known to drive epigenetic changes that are essential for immune regulation (e.g., the shift toward T helper 2-Th2 cell polarization and decrease in regulatory T-cell (Treg) differentiation). DNA methylation and histone modifications can modify immune programming related to either pro-allergic interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 13 (IL-13) or counter-regulatory interferon γ (IFN-γ) production. Differential expression of small non-coding RNAs has also been linked to the risk for allergic diseases and associated with air pollution. Certain exposures and associated epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the susceptibility to allergic conditions and specific clinical manifestations of the disease, while others are thought to have a protective role against the development of allergic diseases, such as maternal and early postnatal microbial diversity, maternal helminth infections and dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D. Epigenetic mechanisms are also known to be involved in mediating the response to common treatment in allergic diseases, for example, changes in histone acetylation of proinflammatory genes and in the expression of certain microRNAs are associated with the response to inhaled corticosteroids in asthma. Gaining better insight into the epigenetic regulation of allergic diseases may ultimately lead to significant improvements in the management of these conditions, earlier and more precise diagnostics, optimization of current treatment regimes, and the implementation of novel therapeutic options and prevention strategies in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Mijač
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
| | - Ivana Banić
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
- Department of Innovative Diagnostics, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana-Marija Genc
- Department of Medical Research, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.M.); (A.-M.G.)
| | - Marcel Lipej
- IT Department, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Mirjana Turkalj
- Department of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology, Srebrnjak Children’s Hospital, Srebrnjak 100, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Faculty of Medicine, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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4
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Wang W, Garcia C, Shao F, Cohen JA, Bai Y, Fine A, Ai X. Lung dopaminergic nerves facilitate the establishment of T H2 resident memory cells in early life. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:386-399. [PMID: 36841266 PMCID: PMC10440294 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.02.011] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic asthma develops from allergen exposure in early childhood and progresses into adulthood. The central mediator of progressive allergic asthma is allergen-specific, TH2-resident memory cells (TRMs). Although the crosstalk between nerves and immune cells plays an established role in acute allergic inflammation, whether nerves facilitate the establishment of TH2-TRMs in the immature lung following early life allergen exposure is unknown. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify nerve-derived signals that act in TH2 effector cells to regulate the tissue residency in the immature lung. METHODS Following neonatal allergen exposure, allergen-specific TH2-TRMs were tracked temporally and spatially in relationship to developing sympathetic nerves in the lung. Functional mediators of dopamine signaling in the establishment of TH2-TRMs were identified by in vitro bulk RNA-sequencing of dopamine-treated TH2 cells followed by in vivo assessment of candidate genes using adoptive transfer of TH2 cells with viral gene knockdown. RESULTS This study found that sympathetic nerves produce dopamine and reside in proximity to TH2 effector cells during the contraction phase following neonatal allergen exposure. Dopamine signals via DRD4 on TH2 cells to elevate IL2RA and epigenetically facilitate type 2 cytokine expression. Blockade of dopamine-DRD4 signaling following neonatal allergen exposure impairs lung residence of TH2 cells and ameliorates anamnestic inflammation in adults. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that maturing sympathetic nerves enable a dopamine-enriched lung environment in early life that promotes the establishment of allergen-specific TH2-TRMs. The dopamine-DRD4 axis may provide a therapeutic target to modify allergic asthma progression from childhood to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass.
| | - Carolyn Garcia
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Fengzhi Shao
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass
| | - Jonathan A Cohen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Yan Bai
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass
| | - Alan Fine
- Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass
| | - Xingbin Ai
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass.
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5
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Eddens T, Parks OB, Williams JV. Neonatal Immune Responses to Respiratory Viruses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:863149. [PMID: 35493465 PMCID: PMC9047724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.863149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory tract infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, infants, and young children. These early life infections present a formidable immunologic challenge with a number of possibly conflicting goals: simultaneously eliminate the acute pathogen, preserve the primary gas-exchange function of the lung parenchyma in a developing lung, and limit long-term sequelae of both the infection and the inflammatory response. The latter has been most well studied in the context of childhood asthma, where multiple epidemiologic studies have linked early life viral infection with subsequent bronchospasm. This review will focus on the clinical relevance of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), and rhinovirus (RV) and examine the protective and pathogenic host responses within the neonate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Eddens
- Pediatric Scientist Development Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Division of Allergy/Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Olivia B. Parks
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - John V. Williams
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Holm SR, Jenkins BJ, Cronin JG, Jones N, Thornton CA. A role for metabolism in determining neonatal immune function. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2021; 32:1616-1628. [PMID: 34170575 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses of neonates differ markedly to those of adults, with skewed cytokine phenotypes, reduced inflammatory properties and drastically diminished memory function. Recent research efforts have started to unravel the role of cellular metabolism in determining immune cell fate and function. For studies in humans, much of the work on metabolic mechanisms underpinning innate and adaptive immune responses by different haematopoietic cell types is in adults. Studies investigating the contribution of metabolic adaptation in the unique setting of early life are just emerging, and much more work is needed to elucidate the contribution of metabolism to neonatal immune responses. Here, we discuss our current understanding of neonatal immune responses, examine some of the latest developments in neonatal immunometabolism and consider the possible role of altered metabolism to the distinctive immune phenotype of the neonate. Understanding the role of metabolism in regulating immune function at this critical stage in life has direct benefit for the child by affording opportunities to maximize immediate and long-term health. Additionally, gaining insight into the diversity of human immune function and naturally evolved immunometabolic strategies that modulate immune function could be harnessed for a wide range of opportunities including new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R Holm
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Ben J Jenkins
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - James G Cronin
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Nicholas Jones
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Catherine A Thornton
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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7
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Yu HR, Hsu TY, Tsai CC, Huang HC, Cheng HH, Lai YJ, Lin YJ, Chen CC, Li SC, Yang K. The Functional DNA Methylation Signatures Relevant to Altered Immune Response of Neonatal T Cells with l-Arginine Supplementation. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13082780. [PMID: 34444938 PMCID: PMC8401784 DOI: 10.3390/nu13082780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
l-Arginine is an important nutrient in the infant diet that significantly regulates the maturation of the immune system in neonates, including the maturation of CD4+ T cells. The biological activities of CD4+ T cells differ substantially between neonates and adults, and these differences may be governed by epigenetic processes. Investigating these differences and the causative processes may help understand neonatal and developmental immunity. In this study, we compared the functional DNA methylation profiles in CD4+ T cells of neonates and adults, focusing on the role of l-arginine supplementation. Umbilical cord blood and adult CD4+ T cells were cultured with/without l-arginine treatment. By comparing DNA methylation in samples without l-arginine treatment, we found that CD4+ T cells of neonatal cord blood generally showed higher DNA methylation than those of adults (average CpG methylation percentage 0.6305 for neonate and 0.6254 for adult, t-test p-value < 0.0001), suggesting gene silencing in neonates. By examining DNA methylation patterns of CpG dinucleotides induced by l-arginine treatment, we found that more CpG dinucleotides were hypomethylated and more genes appeared to be activated in neonatal T-cells as compared with adult. Genes activated by l-arginine stimulation of cord blood samples were more enriched regarding immune-related pathways. CpG dinucleotides at IL-13 promoter regions were hypomethylated after l-arginine stimulation. Hypomethylated CpG dinucleotides corresponded to higher IL-13 gene expression and cytokine production. Thus, DNA methylation partially accounts for the mechanism underlying differential immune function in neonates. Modulatory effects of l-arginine on DNA methylation are gene-specific. Nutritional intervention is a potential strategy to modulate immune function of neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Ren Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (H.-R.Y.); (H.-C.H.); (C.-C.C.)
| | - Te-Yao Hsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (T.-Y.H.); (C.-C.T.); (H.-H.C.); (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-J.L.)
| | - Ching-Chang Tsai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (T.-Y.H.); (C.-C.T.); (H.-H.C.); (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-J.L.)
| | - Hsin-Chun Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (H.-R.Y.); (H.-C.H.); (C.-C.C.)
| | - Hsin-Hsin Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (T.-Y.H.); (C.-C.T.); (H.-H.C.); (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-J.L.)
| | - Yun-Ju Lai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (T.-Y.H.); (C.-C.T.); (H.-H.C.); (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-J.L.)
| | - Yu-Ju Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (T.-Y.H.); (C.-C.T.); (H.-H.C.); (Y.-J.L.); (Y.-J.L.)
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan; (H.-R.Y.); (H.-C.H.); (C.-C.C.)
| | - Sung-Chou Li
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.-C.L.); (K.Y.)
| | - Kuender Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 104217, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.-C.L.); (K.Y.)
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Kim KH, Lee YT, Park Y, Ko EJ, Jung YJ, Kim YJ, Jo EK, Kang SM. BCG Cell Wall Skeleton As a Vaccine Adjuvant Protects Both Infant and Old-Aged Mice from Influenza Virus Infection. Biomedicines 2021; 9:516. [PMID: 34063125 PMCID: PMC8148143 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9050516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and the cell wall skeleton (CWS) derived from BCG are known to enhance nonspecific immune activation and anti-cancer immunity; however, their roles as a vaccine adjuvant are largely unknown. Here, we report that BCG-CWS acts as a strong immune adjuvant by promoting the protective immune responses in mouse models with influenza vaccination. The different aged mice immunized with inactivated split vaccine with or without BCG-CWS were challenged with an influenza pandemic virus. When protective immune responses were compared, even a single immunization of adult mice with a BCG-CWS-adjuvanted vaccine showed significantly enhanced humoral immune responses with increased IgG1 and IgG2a isotype antibodies. Importantly, the protective effects by the BCG-CWS adjuvant for influenza vaccination upon humoral and cellular immunogenicity were comparable between infants (6 days and 2 weeks old) and aged (20 months old) mice. Moreover, BCG-CWS dramatically augmented vaccine-mediated protective responses, including decreased viral loads, lung damage, and airway resistance, as well as increased mouse survival, amelioration of weight loss, and proinflammatory cytokine expression in all experimental groups including infant, adults, and old aged mice. We further provided the evidence that the BCG-CWS adjuvant effects were mediated through Toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and TLR4 signaling pathways. Together, these data suggest that BCG-CWS can be promising as a potential influenza vaccine adjuvant in both young and old aged population through TLR2/4-mediated immune-boosting activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Hye Kim
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
| | - Young-Tae Lee
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
| | - Yoonsuh Park
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
| | - Eun-Ju Ko
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
| | - Yu-Jin Jung
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
| | - Yu-Jin Kim
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eun-Kyeong Jo
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam NationalUniversity, Munhwa-ro 266, Jungku, Daejeon 35015, Korea;
- Infection Control Convergence Research Center, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Munhwa-ro 266, Jungku, Daejeon 35015, Korea
| | - Sang-Moo Kang
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; (K.-H.K.); (Y.-T.L.); (Y.P.); (E.-J.K.); (Y.-J.J.); (Y.-J.K.)
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9
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Srinivasan J, Lancaster JN, Singarapu N, Hale LP, Ehrlich LIR, Richie ER. Age-Related Changes in Thymic Central Tolerance. Front Immunol 2021; 12:676236. [PMID: 33968086 PMCID: PMC8100025 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.676236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and hematopoietic antigen presenting cells (HAPCs) in the thymus microenvironment provide essential signals to self-reactive thymocytes that induce either negative selection or generation of regulatory T cells (Treg), both of which are required to establish and maintain central tolerance throughout life. HAPCs and TECs are comprised of multiple subsets that play distinct and overlapping roles in central tolerance. Changes that occur in the composition and function of TEC and HAPC subsets across the lifespan have potential consequences for central tolerance. In keeping with this possibility, there are age-associated changes in the cellular composition and function of T cells and Treg. This review summarizes changes in T cell and Treg function during the perinatal to adult transition and in the course of normal aging, and relates these changes to age-associated alterations in thymic HAPC and TEC subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashree Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | | | - Nandini Singarapu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Laura P Hale
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Lauren I R Ehrlich
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
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10
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Saghafian-Hedengren S, Sverremark-Ekström E, Nilsson A. T Cell Subsets During Early Life and Their Implication in the Treatment of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Front Immunol 2021; 12:582539. [PMID: 33763058 PMCID: PMC7982872 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.582539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system plays a major role in recognizing and eliminating malignant cells, and this has been exploited in the development of immunotherapies aimed at either activating or reactivating the anti-tumor activity of a patient's immune system. A wide range of therapeutic approaches involving T lymphocytes, such as programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (PDL-1) inhibitors, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) blockers, and CD19-targeted T-cell therapy through chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells or CD19/CD3 bi-specific T-cell engagers, have been introduced to the field of oncology, leading to significant improvements in overall survival of adult cancer patients. During the past few years, the availability and approval of T-cell based immunotherapies have become a reality also for the treatment of childhood cancers. However, the distribution, ratio of regulatory to effector cells and the quality of T-cell responses early in life are distinct from those during adolescence and adulthood, raising the possibility that these differences impact the efficacy of immunotherapy. Herein we provide a brief overview of the properties of conventional T cell subsets during early life. Focusing on the most common cancer type during childhood, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we describe how current conventional therapies used against ALL influence the T-cell compartment of small children. We describe early life T-cell responses in relation to immunotherapies engaging T-cell anticancer reactivity and present our opinion that it is not only immaturity of the adaptive immune system, but also the impact of an immunosuppressive environment that may prove disadvantageous in the setting of immunotherapies targeting pediatric cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanie Saghafian-Hedengren
- Division of Paediatric Oncology and Paediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Sverremark-Ekström
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Nilsson
- Division of Paediatric Oncology and Paediatric Surgery, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Pierau M, Arra A, Brunner-Weinzierl MC. Preventing Atopic Diseases During Childhood - Early Exposure Matters. Front Immunol 2021; 12:617731. [PMID: 33717110 PMCID: PMC7946845 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.617731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Atopic diseases in childhood are a major burden worldwide and there is still a lack of knowledge about treatable causes. In industrialized countries such as Germany, almost every second child is sensitized to at least one common allergen. Recent studies show that although the predisposition to allergies is inherited, the adaptive immune system of neonates and infants follows a developmental trajectory and whether an allergy actually occurs depends also on timing of allergen exposure including diet as well as environmental factors. New recommendations are far from being rigid of allergen avoidance; it is rather moving toward conditions that stand for more biodiversity. The observation that introduction of peanuts or eggs early in life significantly reduced the development of a later allergy will change our recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods. This is consistent with the hygiene hypothesis that early provocation shapes the developing immune system so that it reacts appropriately. Therefore, promoting the development of tolerance is at the heart of sensible allergy prevention - and this begins with the last trimester of pregnancy. In light of this concept, actual recommendations are discussed.
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12
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Semmes EC, Chen JL, Goswami R, Burt TD, Permar SR, Fouda GG. Understanding Early-Life Adaptive Immunity to Guide Interventions for Pediatric Health. Front Immunol 2021; 11:595297. [PMID: 33552052 PMCID: PMC7858666 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.595297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Infants are capable of mounting adaptive immune responses, but their ability to develop long-lasting immunity is limited. Understanding the particularities of the neonatal adaptive immune system is therefore critical to guide the design of immune-based interventions, including vaccines, in early life. In this review, we present a thorough summary of T cell, B cell, and humoral immunity in early life and discuss infant adaptive immune responses to pathogens and vaccines. We focus on the differences between T and B cell responses in early life and adulthood, which hinder the generation of long-lasting adaptive immune responses in infancy. We discuss how knowledge of early life adaptive immunity can be applied when developing vaccine strategies for this unique period of immune development. In particular, we emphasize the use of novel vaccine adjuvants and optimization of infant vaccine schedules. We also propose integrating maternal and infant immunization strategies to ensure optimal neonatal protection through passive maternal antibody transfer while avoiding hindering infant vaccine responses. Our review highlights that the infant adaptive immune system is functionally distinct and uniquely regulated compared to later life and that these particularities should be considered when designing interventions to promote pediatric health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor C. Semmes
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Children’s Health and Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jui-Lin Chen
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ria Goswami
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Trevor D. Burt
- Children’s Health and Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Children’s Health and Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Genevieve G. Fouda
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Children’s Health and Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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13
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Chasaide CN, Mills KH. Next-Generation Pertussis Vaccines Based on the Induction of Protective T Cells in the Respiratory Tract. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E621. [PMID: 33096737 PMCID: PMC7711671 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunization with current acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines protects against severe pertussis, but immunity wanes rapidly after vaccination and these vaccines do not prevent nasal colonization with Bordetella pertussis. Studies in mouse and baboon models have demonstrated that Th1 and Th17 responses are integral to protective immunity induced by previous infection with B. pertussis and immunization with whole cell pertussis (wP) vaccines. Mucosal Th17 cells, IL-17 and secretory IgA (sIgA) are particularly important in generating sustained sterilizing immunity in the nasal cavity. Current aP vaccines induce potent IgG and Th2-skewed T cell responses but are less effective at generating Th1 and Th17 responses and fail to prime respiratory tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells, that maintain long-term immunity at mucosal sites. In contrast, a live attenuated pertussis vaccine, pertussis outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines or aP vaccines formulated with novel adjuvants do induce cellular immune responses in the respiratory tract, especially when delivered by the intranasal route. An increased understanding of the mechanisms of sustained protective immunity, especially the role of respiratory TRM cells, will facilitate the development of next generation pertussis vaccines that not only protect against pertussis disease, but prevent nasal colonization and transmission of B. pertussis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kingston H.G. Mills
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, 2, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland;
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14
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Li H, Ryu MH, Rider CF, Tse W, Clifford RL, Aristizabal MJ, Wen W, Carlsten C. Predominant DNMT and TET mediate effects of allergen on the human bronchial epithelium in a controlled air pollution exposure study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020; 147:1671-1682. [PMID: 33069714 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.08.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological data show that traffic-related air pollution contributes to the increasing prevalence and severity of asthma. DNA methylation (DNAm) changes may elucidate adverse health effects of environmental exposures. OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the effects of allergen and diesel exhaust (DE) exposures on global DNAm and its regulation enzymes in human airway epithelium. METHODS A total of 11 participants, including 7 with and 4 without airway hyperresponsiveness, were recruited for a randomized, double-blind crossover study. Each participant had 3 exposures: filtered air + saline, filtered air + allergen, and DE + allergen. Forty-eight hours postexposure, endobronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavages were collected. Levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, 5-methylcytosine, and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine were determined by immunohistochemistry. Cytokines and chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavages were measured by electrochemiluminescence multiplex assays. RESULTS Predominant DNMT (the most abundant among DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) and predominant TET (the most abundant among TET1, TET2, and TET3) were participant-dependent. 5-Methylcytosine and its regulation enzymes differed between participants with and without airway hyperresponsiveness at baseline (filtered air + saline) and in response to allergen challenge (regardless of DE exposure). Predominant DNMT and predominant TET correlated with lung function. Allergen challenge effect on IL-8 in bronchoalveolar lavages was modified by TET2 baseline levels in the epithelium. CONCLUSIONS Response to allergen challenge is associated with key DNAm regulation enzymes. This relationship is generally unaltered by DE coexposure but is rather dependent on airway hyperresponsiveness status. These enzymes therefore warranted further inquiry regarding their potential in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Min Hyung Ryu
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher F Rider
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wayne Tse
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachel L Clifford
- Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham MRC Molecular Pathology Node, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Maria J Aristizabal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Weiping Wen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chris Carlsten
- Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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15
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Forsberg A, Huoman J, Söderholm S, Bhai Mehta R, Nilsson L, Abrahamsson TR, Ernerudh J, Gustafsson M, Jenmalm MC. Pre- and postnatal Lactobacillus reuteri treatment alters DNA methylation of infant T helper cells. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2020; 31:544-553. [PMID: 32150651 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perinatal childhood exposures, including probiotic supplementation, may affect epigenetic modifications and impact on immune maturation and allergy development. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pre- and postnatal Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation on DNA methylation in relation to immune maturation and allergy development. METHODS DNA methylation patterns were investigated for allergy-related T helper subsets using a locus-specific method and at a genome-wide scale using the Illumina 450K array. From a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled allergy prevention trial with pre- and postnatal probiotic supplementation, CD4+ T helper cells were obtained at birth (from cord blood), and 12 and 24 months of age (total (placebo/probiotics); locus-specific method: CB = 32 (17/15), 12 months = 24 (9/15), 24 months = 35 (15/20); Illumina: CB = 19 (10/9), 12 months = 10 (6/4), 24 months = 19(11/8)). RESULTS Comparing probiotics to placebo, the greatest genome-wide differential DNA methylation was observed at birth, where the majority of sites were hypomethylated, indicating transcriptional accessibility in the probiotic group. Bioinformatic analyses, including network analyses, revealed a module containing 91 genes, enriched for immune-related pathways such as chemotaxis, PI3K-Akt, MAPK and TGF-β signalling. A majority of the module genes were associated with atopic manifestations (OR = 1.43, P = 2.4 × 10-6 ), and a classifier built on this model could predict allergy development (AUC = 0.78, P = 3.0 × 10e-3 ). Pathways such as IFN-γ signalling and T-cell activation were more hypermethylated at birth compared with later in life in both intervention groups over time, in line with DNA methylation patterns in the IFNG locus obtained by the locus-specific methodology. CONCLUSION Maternal L. reuteri supplementation during pregnancy alters DNA methylation patterns in CD4+ T cells towards enhanced immune activation at birth, which may affect immune maturation and allergy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Forsberg
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Johanna Huoman
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Simon Söderholm
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ratnesh Bhai Mehta
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lennart Nilsson
- Allergy Center, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Thomas R Abrahamsson
- Crown Princess Victoria's Child and Youth Hospital, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jan Ernerudh
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mika Gustafsson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Bioinformatics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Maria C Jenmalm
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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16
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Rackaityte E, Halkias J. Mechanisms of Fetal T Cell Tolerance and Immune Regulation. Front Immunol 2020; 11:588. [PMID: 32328065 PMCID: PMC7160249 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The developing human fetus generates both tolerogenic and protective immune responses in response to the unique requirements of gestation. Thus, a successful human pregnancy depends on a fine balance between two opposing immunological forces: the semi-allogeneic fetus learns to tolerate both self- and maternal- antigens and, in parallel, develops protective immunity in preparation for birth. This critical window of immune development bridges prenatal immune tolerance with the need for postnatal environmental protection, resulting in a vulnerable neonatal period with heightened risk of infection. The fetal immune system is highly specialized to mediate this transition and thus serves a different function from that of the adult. Adaptive immune memory is already evident in the fetal intestine. Fetal T cells with pro-inflammatory potential are born in a tolerogenic environment and are tightly controlled by both cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms, suggesting that compartmentalization and specialization, rather than immaturity, define the fetal immune system. Dysregulation of fetal tolerance generates an inflammatory response with deleterious effects to the pregnancy. This review aims to discuss the recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular composition of fetal adaptive immunity and the mechanisms that govern T cell development and function. We also discuss the tolerance promoting environment that impacts fetal immunity and the consequences of its breakdown. A greater understanding of fetal mechanisms of immune activation and regulation has the potential to uncover novel paradigms of immune balance which may be leveraged to develop therapies for transplantation, autoimmune disease, and birth-associated inflammatory pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elze Rackaityte
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joanna Halkias
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
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17
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Teixeira FME, Pietrobon AJ, Oliveira LDM, Oliveira LMDS, Sato MN. Maternal-Fetal Interplay in Zika Virus Infection and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes. Front Immunol 2020; 11:175. [PMID: 32117303 PMCID: PMC7033814 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, the organization of complex tolerance mechanisms occurs to assure non-rejection of the semiallogeneic fetus. Pregnancy is a period of vulnerability to some viral infections, mainly during the first and second trimesters, that may cause congenital damage to the fetus. Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has gained great notoriety due to the occurrence of congenital ZIKV syndrome, characterized by fetal microcephaly, which results from the ability of ZIKV to infect placental cells and neural precursors in the fetus. Importantly, in addition to the congenital effects, studies have shown that perinatal ZIKV infection causes a number of disorders, including maculopapular rash, conjunctivitis, and arthralgia. In this paper, we contextualize the immunological aspects involved in the maternal-fetal interface and vulnerability to ZIKV infection, especially the alterations resulting in perinatal outcomes. This highlights the need to develop protective maternal vaccine strategies or interventions that are capable of preventing fetal or even neonatal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciane Mouradian Emidio Teixeira
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anna Julia Pietrobon
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luana de Mendonça Oliveira
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luanda Mara da Silva Oliveira
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Notomi Sato
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Abstract
Neonatal CD4+ and CD8+ T cells have historically been characterized as immature or defective. However, recent studies prompt a reinterpretation of the functions of neonatal T cells. Rather than a population of cells always falling short of expectations set by their adult counterparts, neonatal T cells are gaining recognition as a distinct population of lymphocytes well suited for the rapidly changing environment in early life. In this review, I will highlight new evidence indicating that neonatal T cells are not inert or less potent versions of adult T cells but instead are a broadly reactive layer of T cells poised to quickly develop into regulatory or effector cells, depending on the needs of the host. In this way, neonatal T cells are well adapted to provide fast-acting immune protection against foreign pathogens, while also sustaining tolerance to self-antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Rudd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
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19
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Qazi KR, Bach Jensen G, van der Heiden M, Björkander S, Holmlund U, Haileselassie Y, Kokkinou E, Marchini G, Jenmalm MC, Abrahamsson T, Sverremark-Ekström E. Extremely Preterm Infants Have Significant Alterations in Their Conventional T Cell Compartment during the First Weeks of Life. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 204:68-77. [PMID: 31801814 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Extremely preterm neonates are particularly susceptible to infections, likely because of severely impaired immune function. However, little is known on the composition of the T cell compartment in early life in this vulnerable population. We conducted a comprehensive phenotypic flow cytometry-based longitudinal analysis of the peripheral conventional T cell compartment of human extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGAN) with extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) participating in a randomized placebo-controlled study of probiotic supplementation. PBMCs from ELGAN/ELBW neonates were collected at day 14, day 28, and postmenstrual week 36. Comparisons were made with full-term 14-d-old neonates. Total CD4+ and CD8+ T cell frequencies were markedly lower in the preterm neonates. The reduction was more pronounced among the CD8+ population, resulting in an increased CD4/CD8 ratio. The preterm infants were also more Th2 skewed than the full-term infants. Although the frequency of regulatory T cells seemed normal in the ELGAN/ELBW preterm neonates, their expression of the homing receptors α4β7, CCR4, and CCR9 was altered. Notably, ELGAN/ELBW infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis before day 14 had higher expression of CCR9 in CD4+T cells at day 14. Chorioamnionitis clearly associated with reduced T regulatory cell frequencies and functional characteristics within the preterm group. Finally, probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri did not impose any phenotypic changes of the conventional T cell compartment. In conclusion, notable immaturities of the T cell compartment in ELGAN/ELBW neonates may at least partially explain their increased susceptibility to severe immune-mediated morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaleda Rahman Qazi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Georg Bach Jensen
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Paediatrics, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; and
| | - Marieke van der Heiden
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sophia Björkander
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Holmlund
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yeneneh Haileselassie
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Efthymia Kokkinou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giovanna Marchini
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria C Jenmalm
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Thomas Abrahamsson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Paediatrics, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; and
| | - Eva Sverremark-Ekström
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Odorizzi PM, Jagannathan P, McIntyre TI, Budker R, Prahl M, Auma A, Burt TD, Nankya F, Nalubega M, Sikyomu E, Musinguzi K, Naluwu K, Kakuru A, Dorsey G, Kamya MR, Feeney ME. In utero priming of highly functional effector T cell responses to human malaria. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/463/eaat6176. [PMID: 30333241 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat6176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in infants and children. Some studies have reported that exposure to malaria antigens in utero results in the development of tolerance, which could contribute to poor immunity to malaria in early life. However, the effector T cell response to pathogen-derived antigens encountered in utero, including malaria, has not been well characterized. Here, we assessed the frequency, phenotype, and function of cord blood T cells from Ugandan infants born to mothers with and without placental malaria. We found that infants born to mothers with active placental malaria had elevated frequencies of proliferating effector memory fetal CD4+ T cells and higher frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that produced inflammatory cytokines. Fetal CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from placental malaria-exposed infants exhibited greater in vitro proliferation to malaria antigens. Malaria-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation correlated with prospective protection from malaria during childhood. These data demonstrate that placental malaria is associated with the generation of proinflammatory malaria-responsive fetal T cells. These findings add to our current understanding of fetal immunity and indicate that a functional and protective pathogen-specific T cell response can be generated in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela M Odorizzi
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
| | | | - Tara I McIntyre
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
| | - Rachel Budker
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
| | - Mary Prahl
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Ann Auma
- Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Trevor D Burt
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.,Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | | | - Esther Sikyomu
- Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Kate Naluwu
- Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Abel Kakuru
- Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA
| | - Moses R Kamya
- School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Margaret E Feeney
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110 USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
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21
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Han M, Rajput C, Hershenson MB. Rhinovirus Attributes that Contribute to Asthma Development. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2019; 39:345-359. [PMID: 31284925 PMCID: PMC6624084 DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Early-life wheezing-associated infections with human rhinovirus (HRV) are strongly associated with the inception of asthma. The immune system of immature mice and humans is skewed toward a type 2 cytokine response. Thus, HRV-infected 6-day-old mice but not adult mice develop augmented type 2 cytokine expression, eosinophilic inflammation, mucous metaplasia, and airway hyperresponsiveness. This asthma phenotype depends on interleukin (IL)-13-producing type 2 innate lymphoid cells, the expansion of which in turn depends on release of the innate cytokines IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin from the airway epithelium. In humans, certain genetic variants may predispose to HRV-induced childhood asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyuan Han
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Sciences Research Building II, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Charu Rajput
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Sciences Research Building II, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marc B Hershenson
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Sciences Research Building II, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Sciences Research Building II, 1150 West Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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22
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Kemter AM, Nagler CR. Influences on allergic mechanisms through gut, lung, and skin microbiome exposures. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:1483-1492. [PMID: 30830878 DOI: 10.1172/jci124610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In industrialized societies the incidence of allergic diseases like atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and asthma has risen alarmingly over the last few decades. This increase has been attributed, in part, to lifestyle changes that alter the composition and function of the microbes that colonize the skin and mucosal surfaces. Strategies that reverse these changes to establish and maintain a healthy microbiome show promise for the prevention and treatment of allergic disease. In this Review, we will discuss evidence from preclinical and clinical studies that gives insights into how the microbiota of skin, intestinal tract, and airways influence immune responses in the context of allergic sensitization.
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23
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Restori KH, Srinivasa BT, Ward BJ, Fixman ED. Neonatal Immunity, Respiratory Virus Infections, and the Development of Asthma. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1249. [PMID: 29915592 PMCID: PMC5994399 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants are exposed to a wide range of potential pathogens in the first months of life. Although maternal antibodies acquired transplacentally protect full-term neonates from many systemic pathogens, infections at mucosal surfaces still occur with great frequency, causing significant morbidity and mortality. At least part of this elevated risk is attributable to the neonatal immune system that tends to favor T regulatory and Th2 type responses when microbes are first encountered. Early-life infection with respiratory viruses is of particular interest because such exposures can disrupt normal lung development and increase the risk of chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma. The immunologic mechanisms that underlie neonatal host-virus interactions that contribute to the subsequent development of asthma have not yet been fully defined. The goals of this review are (1) to outline the differences between the neonatal and adult immune systems and (2) to present murine and human data that support the hypothesis that early-life interactions between the immune system and respiratory viruses can create a lung environment conducive to the development of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H Restori
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Bharat T Srinivasa
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian J Ward
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elizabeth D Fixman
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
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24
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Fonseca W, Lukacs NW, Ptaschinski C. Factors Affecting the Immunity to Respiratory Syncytial Virus: From Epigenetics to Microbiome. Front Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29515570 PMCID: PMC5825926 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common pathogen that infects virtually all children by 2 years of age and is the leading cause of hospitalization of infants worldwide. While most children experience mild symptoms, some children progress to severe lower respiratory tract infection. Those children with severe disease have a much higher risk of developing childhood wheezing later in life. Many risk factors are known to result in exacerbated disease, including premature birth and early age of RSV infection, when the immune system is relatively immature. The development of the immune system before and after birth may be altered by several extrinsic and intrinsic factors that could lead to severe disease predisposition in children who do not exhibit any currently known risk factors. Recently, the role of the microbiome and the resulting metabolite profile has been an area of intense study in the development of lung disease, including viral infection and asthma. This review explores both known risk factors that can lead to severe RSV-induced disease as well as emerging topics in the development of immunity to RSV and the long-term consequences of severe infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Fonseca
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Nicholas W Lukacs
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,University of Michigan, Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Catherine Ptaschinski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,University of Michigan, Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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25
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Farrington L, Vance H, Rek J, Prahl M, Jagannathan P, Katureebe A, Arinaitwe E, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Feeney ME. Both inflammatory and regulatory cytokine responses to malaria are blunted with increasing age in highly exposed children. Malar J 2017; 16:499. [PMID: 29284469 PMCID: PMC5747142 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Young children are at greatest risk for malaria-associated morbidity and mortality. The immune response of young children differs in fundamental ways from that of adults, and these differences likely contribute to the increased susceptibility of children to severe malaria and to their delayed development of immunity. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the peripheral blood during acute infection contribute to the control of parasitaemia, but are also responsible for much of the immunopathology seen during symptomatic disease. Clinical immunity to malaria may depend upon the ability to regulate these pro-inflammatory responses, possibly through mechanisms of immunologic tolerance. In order to explore the effect of age on the immune response to malaria and the development of clinical immunity, cytokines and chemokines were measured in the plasma of children at day 0 of an acute malaria episode and during convalescence. Results Younger children presenting with acute malaria exhibited much higher levels of TNF, IL2, and IL6, as well as increased Th1 associated chemokines IP10, MIG, and MCP1, compared to older children with acute malaria. Additionally, the regulatory cytokines IL10 and TNFRI were dramatically elevated in younger children compared to older children during acute infection, indicating that regulatory as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine responses are dampened in later childhood. Conclusions Together these data suggest that there is a profound blunting of the cytokine and chemokine response to malaria among older children residing in endemic settings, which may be due to repeated malaria exposure, intrinsic age-based differences in the immune response, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lila Farrington
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hilary Vance
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Rek
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mary Prahl
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Moses R Kamya
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.,Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Grant Dorsey
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Margaret E Feeney
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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26
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Cell intrinsic characteristics of human cord blood naïve CD4T cells. Immunol Lett 2017; 193:51-57. [PMID: 29180044 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It has been generally considered that the perinatal immune system is less inflammatory compared to the adult system and type 2 responses predominate perinatal immune responses against antigens. Indeed, previous studies in mice showed that there are cell-intrinsic differences between neonatal and adult CD4T cells. However, studies on human cord blood and infant blood demonstrated that human perinatal T cells do not produce elevated levels of Th2 cytokines with the exception of IL-13. These data raise the question if human T cells in the perinatal blood fundamentally differ from adult T cells. To decipher differences between human perinatal and adult T cells, we performed a focused comparative analysis on purified naïve CD4T cells from umbilical cord blood (UCB) and adult peripheral blood. Our data demonstrate naïve CD4T cells from UCB differ from adult naïve CD4T cells in surface expression of CD26, dipeptidyl peptidase-4. While only a fraction of effector/memory T cells from adult blood express CD26, practically all T cells from UCB express high levels of CD26. We also determined that Th1/Th2 polarizing conditions induce UCB CD4T cells to produce higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-5 compared to adult CD4T cells, respectively. These data demonstrate intrinsic differences between UCB and adult naive CD4T cells and suggest that human perinatal immune responses involve more complex mechanisms than the previously thought Th2-dominant responses.
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27
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In utero development of memory T cells. Semin Immunopathol 2017; 39:585-592. [DOI: 10.1007/s00281-017-0650-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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28
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Yang IV, Lozupone CA, Schwartz DA. The environment, epigenome, and asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017; 140:14-23. [PMID: 28673400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Asthma prevalence has been on the increase, especially in North America compared with other continents. However, the prevalence of asthma differs worldwide, and in many countries the prevalence is stable or decreasing. This highlights the influence of environmental exposures, such as allergens, air pollution, and the environmental microbiome, on disease etiology and pathogenesis. The epigenome might provide the unifying mechanism that translates the influence of environmental exposures to changes in gene expression, respiratory epithelial function, and immune cell skewing that are hallmarks of asthma. In this review we will introduce the concept of the environmental epigenome in asthmatic patients, summarize previous publications of relevance to this field, and discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana V Yang
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
| | - Catherine A Lozupone
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - David A Schwartz
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Immunology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colo
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29
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Han M, Hong JY, Jaipalli S, Rajput C, Lei J, Hinde JL, Chen Q, Hershenson NM, Bentley JK, Hershenson MB. IFN-γ Blocks Development of an Asthma Phenotype in Rhinovirus-Infected Baby Mice by Inhibiting Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2017; 56:242-251. [PMID: 27679954 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2016-0056oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life wheezing-associated infections with rhinovirus (RV) have been associated with asthma development in children. We have shown that RV infection of 6-day-old mice induces mucous metaplasia and airways hyperresponsiveness, which is dependent on IL-13, IL-25, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). Infection of immature mice fails to induce lung IFN-γ expression, in contrast to mature 8-week-old mice with a robust IFN-γ response, consistent with the notion that deficient IFN-γ production in immature mice permits RV-induced type 2 immune responses. We therefore examined the effects of intranasal IFN-γ administration on RV-induced ILC2 expansion and IL-13 expression in 6-day-old BALB/c and IL-13 reporter mice. Airway responses were assessed by histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Lung ILC2s were also treated with IFN-γ ex vivo. We found that, compared with untreated RV-infected immature mice, IFN-γ treatment attenuated RV-induced IL-13 and Muc5ac mRNA expression and mucous metaplasia. IFN-γ also reduced ILC2 expansion and the percentage of IL-13-secreting ILC2s. IFN-γ had no effect on the mRNA or protein expression of IL-25, IL-33, or thymic stromal lymphoprotein. Finally, IFN-γ treatment of sorted ILC2s reduced IL-5, IL-13, IL-17RB, ST2, and GATA-3 mRNA expression. We conclude that, in immature mice, IFN-γ inhibits ILC2 expansion and IL-13 expression in vivo and ex vivo, thereby attenuating RV-induced mucous metaplasia. These findings demonstrate the antagonistic function of IFN-γ on ILC2 expansion and gene expression, the absence of which may contribute to the development of an asthma-like phenotype after early-life RV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyuan Han
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | - Jun Young Hong
- 2 Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Suraj Jaipalli
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | - Charu Rajput
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | - Jing Lei
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | - Joanna L Hinde
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | - Qiang Chen
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and
| | | | | | - Marc B Hershenson
- Departments of 1 Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and.,2 Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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30
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Abstract
The early stages of life are associated with increased susceptibility to infection, which is in part due to an ineffective immune system. In the context of infection, the immune system must be stimulated to provide efficient protection while avoiding insufficient or excessive activation. Yet, in early life, age-dependent immune regulation at molecular and cellular levels contributes to a reduced immunological fitness in terms of pathogen clearance and response to vaccines. To enable microbial colonization to be tolerated at birth, epigenetic immune cell programming and early life-specific immune regulatory and effector mechanisms ensure that vital functions and organ development are supported and that tissue damage is avoided. Advancement in our understanding of age-related remodelling of immune networks and the consequent tuning of immune responsiveness will open up new possibilities for immune intervention and vaccine strategies that are designed specifically for early life.
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31
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dela Peña-Ponce MG, Rodriguez-Nieves J, Bernhardt J, Tuck R, Choudhary N, Mengual M, Mollan KR, Hudgens MG, Peter-Wohl S, De Paris K. Increasing JAK/STAT Signaling Function of Infant CD4 + T Cells during the First Year of Life. Front Pediatr 2017; 5:15. [PMID: 28271056 PMCID: PMC5318443 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2017.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most infant deaths occur in the first year of life. Yet, our knowledge of immune development during this period is scarce and derived from cord blood (CB) only. To more effectively combat pediatric diseases, a deeper understanding of the kinetics and the factors that regulate the maturation of immune functions in early life is needed. Increased disease susceptibility of infants is generally attributed to T helper 2-biased immune responses. The differentiation of CD4+ T cells along a specific T helper cell lineage is dependent on the pathogen type, and on costimulatory and cytokine signals provided by antigen-presenting cells. Cytokines also regulate many other aspects of the host immune response. Therefore, toward the goal of increasing our knowledge of early immune development, we defined the temporal development of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling function of CD4+ T cells using cross-sectional blood samples from healthy infants ages 0 (birth) to 14 months. We specifically focused on cytokines important in T cell differentiation (IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-4) or in T cell survival and expansion (IL-2 and IL-7) in infant CD4+ T cells. Independent of the cytokine tested, JAK/STAT signaling in infant compared to adult CD4+ T cells was impaired at birth, but increased during the first year, with the most pronounced changes occurring in the first 6 months. The relative change in JAK/STAT signaling of infant CD4+ T cells with age was distinct for each cytokine tested. Thus, while about 60% of CB CD4+ T cells could efficiently activate STAT6 in response to IL-4, less than 5% of CB CD4+ T cells were able to activate the JAK/STAT pathway in response to IFN-γ, IL-12 or IL-2. By 4-6 months of age, the activation of the cytokine-specific STAT molecules was comparable to adults in response to IL-4 and IFN-γ, while IL-2- and IL-12-induced STAT activation remained below adult levels even at 1 year. These results suggest that common developmental and cytokine-specific factors regulate the maturation of the JAK/STAT signaling function in CD4+ T cells during the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myra Grace dela Peña-Ponce
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer Rodriguez-Nieves
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Janice Bernhardt
- Division of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ryan Tuck
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Neelima Choudhary
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael Mengual
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Katie R. Mollan
- Lineberger Cancer Center, Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael G. Hudgens
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sigal Peter-Wohl
- Division of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kristina De Paris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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32
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Yang IV, Pedersen BS, Liu AH, O'Connor GT, Pillai D, Kattan M, Misiak RT, Gruchalla R, Szefler SJ, Khurana Hershey GK, Kercsmar C, Richards A, Stevens AD, Kolakowski CA, Makhija M, Sorkness CA, Krouse RZ, Visness C, Davidson EJ, Hennessy CE, Martin RJ, Togias A, Busse WW, Schwartz DA. The nasal methylome and childhood atopic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2016; 139:1478-1488. [PMID: 27745942 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the strong environmental influence on both epigenetic marks and allergic asthma in children, the epigenetic alterations in respiratory epithelia might provide insight into allergic asthma. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify DNA methylation and gene expression changes associated with childhood allergic persistent asthma. METHODS We compared genomic DNA methylation patterns and gene expression in African American children with persistent atopic asthma (n = 36) versus healthy control subjects (n = 36). Results were validated in an independent population of asthmatic children (n = 30) by using a shared healthy control population (n = 36) and in an independent population of white adult atopic asthmatic patients (n = 12) and control subjects (n = 12). RESULTS We identified 186 genes with significant methylation changes, differentially methylated regions or differentially methylated probes, after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, batch effects, inflation, and multiple comparisons. Genes differentially methylated included those with established roles in asthma and atopy and genes related to extracellular matrix, immunity, cell adhesion, epigenetic regulation, and airflow obstruction. The methylation changes were substantial (median, 9.5%; range, 2.6% to 29.5%). Hypomethylated and hypermethylated genes were associated with increased and decreased gene expression, respectively (P < 2.8 × 10-6 for differentially methylated regions and P < 7.8 × 10-10 for differentially methylated probes). Quantitative analysis in 53 differentially expressed genes demonstrated that 32 (60%) have significant methylation-expression relationships within 5 kb of the gene. Ten loci selected based on the relevance to asthma, magnitude of methylation change, and methylation-expression relationships were validated in an independent cohort of children with atopic asthma. Sixty-seven of 186 genes also have significant asthma-associated methylation changes in nasal epithelia of adult white asthmatic patients. CONCLUSIONS Epigenetic marks in respiratory epithelia are associated with allergic asthma and gene expression changes in inner-city children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana V Yang
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colo.
| | - Brent S Pedersen
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | | | - George T O'Connor
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass
| | | | - Meyer Kattan
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Stanley J Szefler
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | | | | | - Adam Richards
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | | | | | | | - Christine A Sorkness
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis
| | | | | | - Elizabeth J Davidson
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Corinne E Hennessy
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | | | - Alkis Togias
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md; and University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - William W Busse
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis
| | - David A Schwartz
- Department of Medicine and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Immunology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
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33
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Odorizzi PM, Feeney ME. Impact of In Utero Exposure to Malaria on Fetal T Cell Immunity. Trends Mol Med 2016; 22:877-888. [PMID: 27614925 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy-associated malaria, including placental malaria, causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recently, it has been suggested that in utero exposure of the fetus to malaria antigens may negatively impact the developing immune system and result in tolerance to malaria. Here, we review our current knowledge of fetal immunity to malaria, focusing on the dynamic interactions between maternal malaria infection, placental development, and the fetal immune system. A better understanding of the long-term impact of in utero malaria exposure on the development of natural immunity to malaria, immune responses to other childhood pathogens, and vaccine immunogenicity is urgently needed. This may guide the implementation of novel chemoprevention strategies during pregnancy and facilitate the push toward malaria vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela M Odorizzi
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Margaret E Feeney
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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34
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Cui L, Takada H, Takimoto T, Fujiyoshi J, Ishimura M, Hara T. Immunoregulatory function of neonatal nucleated red blood cells in humans. Immunobiology 2016; 221:853-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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35
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Kumar SKM, Bhat BV. Distinct mechanisms of the newborn innate immunity. Immunol Lett 2016; 173:42-54. [PMID: 26994839 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ontogeny of immunity during early life is of high importance as it shapes the immune system for the entire course of life. The microbiome and the environment contribute to the development of immunity in newborns. As immune responses in newborns are predominantly less experienced they are increasingly susceptible to infections. Though the immune cells in newborns are in 'naïve' state, they have been shown to mount adult-like responses in several circumstances. The innate immunity plays a vital role in providing protection during the neonatal period. Various stimulants have been shown to enhance the potential and functioning of the innate immune cells in newborns. They are biased against the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and this makes them susceptible to wide variety of intracellular pathogens. The adaptive immunity requires prior antigenic experience which is very limited in newborns. This review discusses in detail the characteristics of innate immunity in newborns and the underlying developmental and functional mechanisms involved in the immune response. A better understanding of the immunological milieu in newborns could help the medical fraternity to find novel methods for prevention and treatment of infection in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kingsley Manoj Kumar
- Department of Neonatology, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry 605006, India.
| | - B Vishnu Bhat
- Department of Neonatology, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry 605006, India.
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36
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Nelson RW, Rajpal MN, Jenkins MK. The Neonatal CD4+ T Cell Response to a Single Epitope Varies in Genetically Identical Mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 195:2115-21. [PMID: 26179899 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Increased susceptibility to infection in the neonate is attributed in part to defects in T cell-mediated immunity. A peptide:MHC class II tetramer-based cell enrichment method was used to test this hypothesis at the level of a single epitope. We found that naive T cells with TCRs specific for the 2W:I-A(b) epitope were present in the thymuses of 1-d-old CD57BL/6 mice but were barely detectable in the spleen, likely because each mouse contained very few total splenic CD4(+) T cells. By day 7 of life, however, the total number of splenic CD4(+) T cells increased dramatically and the frequency of 2W:I-A(b)-specific naive T cells reached that of adult mice. Injection of 2W peptide in CFA into 1-d-old mice generated a 2W:I-A(b)-specific effector cell population that peaked later than in adult mice and showed more animal-to-animal variation. Similarly, 2W:I-A(b)-specific naive T cells in different neonatal mice varied significantly in generation of Th1, Th2, and follicular Th cells compared with adult mice. These results suggest that delayed effector cell expansion and stochastic variability in effector cell generation due to an initially small naive repertoire contribute to defective peptide:MHC class II-specific immunity in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Nelson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455; and
| | - Miriam N Rajpal
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Marc K Jenkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455; and
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Yang IV, Pedersen BS, Liu A, O'Connor GT, Teach SJ, Kattan M, Misiak RT, Gruchalla R, Steinbach SF, Szefler SJ, Gill MA, Calatroni A, David G, Hennessy CE, Davidson EJ, Zhang W, Gergen P, Togias A, Busse WW, Schwartz DA. DNA methylation and childhood asthma in the inner city. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2015; 136:69-80. [PMID: 25769910 PMCID: PMC4494877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic marks are heritable, influenced by the environment, direct the maturation of T lymphocytes, and in mice enhance the development of allergic airway disease. Thus it is important to define epigenetic alterations in asthmatic populations. OBJECTIVE We hypothesize that epigenetic alterations in circulating PBMCs are associated with allergic asthma. METHODS We compared DNA methylation patterns and gene expression in inner-city children with persistent atopic asthma versus healthy control subjects by using DNA and RNA from PBMCs. Results were validated in an independent population of asthmatic patients. RESULTS Comparing asthmatic patients (n = 97) with control subjects (n = 97), we identified 81 regions that were differentially methylated. Several immune genes were hypomethylated in asthma, including IL13, RUNX3, and specific genes relevant to T lymphocytes (TIGIT). Among asthmatic patients, 11 differentially methylated regions were associated with higher serum IgE concentrations, and 16 were associated with percent predicted FEV1. Hypomethylated and hypermethylated regions were associated with increased and decreased gene expression, respectively (P < 6 × 10(-12) for asthma and P < .01 for IgE). We further explored the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression using an integrative analysis and identified additional candidates relevant to asthma (IL4 and ST2). Methylation marks involved in T-cell maturation (RUNX3), TH2 immunity (IL4), and oxidative stress (catalase) were validated in an independent asthmatic cohort of children living in the inner city. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that DNA methylation marks in specific gene loci are associated with asthma and suggest that epigenetic changes might play a role in establishing the immune phenotype associated with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana V Yang
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo
| | - Brent S Pedersen
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Andrew Liu
- Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo
| | - George T O'Connor
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass
| | | | - Meyer Kattan
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | | | | | - Stanley J Szefler
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Michelle A Gill
- University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex
| | | | | | - Corinne E Hennessy
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Elizabeth J Davidson
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo
| | - Weiming Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colo
| | - Peter Gergen
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md
| | - Alkis Togias
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md
| | - William W Busse
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis
| | - David A Schwartz
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo; Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo; Department of Immunology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
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Debock I, Flamand V. Unbalanced Neonatal CD4(+) T-Cell Immunity. Front Immunol 2014; 5:393. [PMID: 25221551 PMCID: PMC4145351 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In comparison to adults, newborns display a heightened susceptibility to pathogens and a propensity to develop allergic diseases. Particular properties of the neonatal immune system can account for this sensitivity. Indeed, a defect in developing protective Th1-type responses and a skewing toward Th2 immunity characterize today the neonatal T-cell immunity. Recently, new findings concerning Th17, regulatory helper T-cell, and follicular helper T-cell subsets in newborns have emerged. In some circumstances, development of effector inflammatory Th17-type responses can be induced in neonates, while differentiation in regulatory T-cells appears to be a default program of neonatal CD4+ T-cells. Poor antibody production, affinity maturation, and germinal center reaction in vaccinated neonates are correlated with a limiting expansion of TFH lymphocytes. We review herein the factors accounting for and the implications of the unbalanced neonatal helper T-cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Debock
- Institut d'Immunologie Médicale, Université Libre de Bruxelles , Gosselies , Belgium
| | - Véronique Flamand
- Institut d'Immunologie Médicale, Université Libre de Bruxelles , Gosselies , Belgium
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Abstract
Neonates have little immunological memory and a developing immune system, which increases their vulnerability to infectious agents. Recent advances in the understanding of neonatal immunity indicate that both innate and adaptive responses are dependent on precursor frequency of lymphocytes, antigenic dose and mode of exposure. Studies in neonatal mouse models and human umbilical cord blood cells demonstrate the capability of neonatal immune cells to produce immune responses similar to adults in some aspects but not others. This review focuses mainly on the developmental and functional mechanisms of the human neonatal immune system. In particular, the mechanism of innate and adaptive immunity and the role of neutrophils, antigen presenting cells, differences in subclasses of T lymphocytes (Th1, Th2, Tregs) and B cells are discussed. In addition, we have included the recent developments in the neonatal mouse immune system. Understanding neonatal immunity is essential to development of therapeutic vaccines to combat newly emerging infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleem Basha
- Center for Infectious Disease and Immunology, Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, 1425 Portland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14621, USA
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40
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Neonatal immunology: responses to pathogenic microorganisms and epigenetics reveal an "immunodiverse" developmental state. Immunol Res 2014; 57:246-57. [PMID: 24214026 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-013-8439-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal animals have heightened susceptibility to infectious agents and are at increased risk for the development of allergic diseases, such as asthma. Experimental studies using animal models have been quite useful for beginning to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these sensitivities. In particular, results from murine neonatal models indicate that developmental regulation of multiple immune cell types contributes to the typically poor responses of neonates to pathogenic microorganisms. Surprisingly, however, animal studies have also revealed that responses at mucosal surfaces in early life may be protective against primary or secondary disease. Our understanding of the molecular events underlying these processes is less well developed. Emerging evidence indicates that the functional properties of neonatal immune cells and the subsequent maturation of the immune system in ontogeny may be regulated by epigenetic phenomena. Here, we review recent findings from our group and others describing cellular responses to infection and developmentally regulated epigenetic processes in the newborn.
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Hong JY, Bentley JK, Chung Y, Lei J, Steenrod JM, Chen Q, Sajjan US, Hershenson MB. Neonatal rhinovirus induces mucous metaplasia and airways hyperresponsiveness through IL-25 and type 2 innate lymphoid cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2014; 134:429-39. [PMID: 24910174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life human rhinovirus infection has been linked to asthma development in high-risk infants and children. Nevertheless, the role of rhinovirus infection in the initiation of asthma remains unclear. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that, in contrast to infection of mature BALB/c mice, neonatal infection with rhinovirus promotes an IL-25-driven type 2 response, which causes persistent mucous metaplasia and airways hyperresponsiveness. METHODS Six-day-old and 8-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated with sham HeLa cell lysate or rhinovirus. Airway responses from 1 to 28 days after infection were assessed by using quantitative PCR, ELISA, histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and methacholine responsiveness. Selected mice were treated with a neutralizing antibody to IL-25. RESULTS Compared with mature mice, rhinovirus infection in neonatal mice increased lung IL-13 and IL-25 production, whereas IFN-γ, IL-12p40, and TNF-α expression was suppressed. In addition, the population of IL-13-secreting type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) was expanded with rhinovirus infection in neonatal but not mature mice. ILC2s were the major cell type secreting IL-13 in neonates. Finally, anti-IL-25 neutralizing antibody attenuated ILC2 expansion, mucous hypersecretion, and airways responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that early-life viral infection could contribute to asthma development by provoking age-dependent, IL-25-driven type 2 immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Young Hong
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - J Kelley Bentley
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Yutein Chung
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Jing Lei
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Jessica M Steenrod
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Uma S Sajjan
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich
| | - Marc B Hershenson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich; Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich.
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Abstract
Most infants born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women escape HIV infection. Infants evade infection despite an immature immune system and, in the case of breastfeeding, prolonged repetitive exposure. If infants become infected, the course of their infection and response to treatment differs dramatically depending upon the timing (in utero, intrapartum, or during breastfeeding) and potentially the route of their infection. Perinatally acquired HIV infection occurs during a critical window of immune development. HIV's perturbation of this dynamic process may account for the striking age-dependent differences in HIV disease progression. HIV infection also profoundly disrupts the maternal immune system upon which infants rely for protection and immune instruction. Therefore, it is not surprising that infants who escape HIV infection still suffer adverse effects. In this review, we highlight the unique aspects of pediatric HIV transmission and pathogenesis with a focus on mechanisms by which HIV infection during immune ontogeny may allow discovery of key elements for protection and control from HIV.
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Vanden Driessche K, Persson A, Marais BJ, Fink PJ, Urdahl KB. Immune vulnerability of infants to tuberculosis. Clin Dev Immunol 2013; 2013:781320. [PMID: 23762096 PMCID: PMC3666431 DOI: 10.1155/2013/781320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Revised: 03/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
One of the challenges faced by the infant immune system is learning to distinguish the myriad of foreign but nonthreatening antigens encountered from those expressed by true pathogens. This balance is reflected in the diminished production of proinflammatory cytokines by both innate and adaptive immune cells in the infant. A downside of this bias is that several factors critical for controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection are significantly restricted in infants, including TNF, IL-1, and IL-12. Furthermore, infant T cells are inherently less capable of differentiating into IFN- γ -producing T cells. As a result, infected infants are 5-10 times more likely than adults to develop active tuberculosis (TB) and have higher rates of severe disseminated disease, including miliary TB and meningitis. Infant TB is a fundamentally different disease than TB in immune competent adults. Immunotherapeutics, therefore, should be specifically evaluated in infants before they are routinely employed to treat TB in this age group. Modalities aimed at reducing inflammation, which may be beneficial for adjunctive therapy of some forms of TB in older children and adults, may be of no benefit or even harmful in infants who manifest much less inflammatory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen Vanden Driessche
- Centre for Understanding and Preventing Infections in Children, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4
- Department of Pediatrics, Laboratory of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Persson
- Centre for Understanding and Preventing Infections in Children, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4
| | - Ben J. Marais
- Sydney Institute for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney, Locked Bag 4100, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Pamela J. Fink
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin B. Urdahl
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Michel S, Busato F, Genuneit J, Pekkanen J, Dalphin JC, Riedler J, Mazaleyrat N, Weber J, Karvonen AM, Hirvonen MR, Braun-Fahrländer C, Lauener R, von Mutius E, Kabesch M, Tost J. Farm exposure and time trends in early childhood may influence DNA methylation in genes related to asthma and allergy. Allergy 2013; 68:355-64. [PMID: 23346934 DOI: 10.1111/all.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic susceptibility and environmental influences are important contributors to the development of asthma and atopic diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms may facilitate gene by environment interactions in these diseases. METHODS We studied the rural birth cohort PASTURE (Protection against allergy: study in rural environments) to investigate (a) whether epigenetic patterns in asthma candidate genes are influenced by farm exposure in general, (b) change over the first years of life, and (c) whether these changes may contribute to the development of asthma. DNA was extracted from cord blood and whole blood collected at the age of 4.5 years in 46 samples per time point. DNA methylation in 23 regions in ten candidate genes (ORMDL1, ORMDL2, ORMDL3, CHI3L1, RAD50, IL13, IL4, STAT6, FOXP3, and RUNX3) was assessed by pyrosequencing, and differences between strata were analyzed by nonparametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS In cord blood, regions in ORMDL1 and STAT6 were hypomethylated in DNA from farmers' as compared to nonfarmers' children, while regions in RAD50 and IL13 were hypermethylated (lowest P-value (STAT6) = 0.001). Changes in methylation over time occurred in 15 gene regions (lowest P-value (IL13) = 1.57*10(-8)). Interestingly, these differences clustered in the genes highly associated with asthma (ORMDL family) and IgE regulation (RAD50, IL13, and IL4), but not in the T-regulatory genes (FOXP3, RUNX3). CONCLUSIONS In this first pilot study, DNA methylation patterns change significantly in early childhood in specific asthma- and allergy-related genes in peripheral blood cells, and early exposure to farm environment seems to influence methylation patterns in distinct genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - F. Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics; Centre National de Génotypage; CEA-Institut de Génomique; Evry; France
| | - J. Genuneit
- Ulm University; Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry; Ulm; Germany
| | | | - J.-C. Dalphin
- Department of Respiratory Disease; Université de Franche-Comté; University Hospital; Besancon; France
| | - J. Riedler
- Children's Hospital Schwarzach; Schwarzach; Austria
| | - N. Mazaleyrat
- Laboratory for Epigenetics; Centre National de Génotypage; CEA-Institut de Génomique; Evry; France
| | - J. Weber
- LMU Munich; University Children's Hospital; Munich; Germany
| | - A. M. Karvonen
- Department of Environmental Health; National Institute for Health and Welfare; Kuopio; Finland
| | | | | | | | - E. von Mutius
- LMU Munich; University Children's Hospital; Munich; Germany
| | | | - J. Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics; Centre National de Génotypage; CEA-Institut de Génomique; Evry; France
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Yoshimoto M, Yoder MC, Guevara P, Adkins B. The murine Th2 locus undergoes epigenetic modification in the thymus during fetal and postnatal ontogeny. PLoS One 2013; 8:e51587. [PMID: 23335954 PMCID: PMC3546009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications play a central role in the differentiation and function of immune cells in adult animals. Developmentally regulated epigenetic patterns also appear to contribute to the ontogeny of the immune system. We show here that the epigenetic profile of the T-helper (Th) 2 locus undergoes changes in T lineage cells beginning in mid-gestation and extending throughout the first week of life. In particular, regulatory regions of the Th2 locus are largely methylated at CpG residues among fetal liver common lymphoid progenitor cells. The locus subsequently becomes highly hypomethylated among the downstream progeny of these cells within the fetal thymus. This hypomethylated state is preserved until birth when the locus becomes rapidly re-methylated, achieving adult-like status by 3–6 days post birth. Notably, the capacity for rapid, high level Th2 cytokine production is lost in parallel with this re-methylation. In vitro organ culture and in vivo transplantation experiments indicate that signals from the adult environment are required to achieve the postnatal methylated state. Together, these findings indicate that the Th2 bias of neonates may be conferred, in part, by an epigenetic profile inherited from fetal life. However, the fetal program is rapidly terminated post birth by the development of signals leading to the acquisition of adult-like epigenetic patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoko Yoshimoto
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Mervin C. Yoder
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Patricia Guevara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Becky Adkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Yang IV, Schwartz DA. Epigenetic mechanisms and the development of asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012; 130:1243-55. [PMID: 23026498 PMCID: PMC3518374 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2012.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Revised: 07/26/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is heritable, influenced by the environment, and modified by in utero exposures and aging; all of these features are also common to epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, the transcription factors that are involved in the development of mature T cells that are critical to the T(H)2 immune phenotype in asthmatic patients are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic marks (DNA methylation, modifications of histone tails, and noncoding RNAs) work in concert with other components of the cellular regulatory machinery to control the spatial and temporal levels of expressed genes. Technology to measure epigenetic marks on a genomic scale and comprehensive approaches to data analysis have recently emerged and continue to improve. Alterations in epigenetic marks have been associated with exposures relevant to asthma, particularly air pollution and tobacco smoke, as well as asthma phenotypes, in a few population-based studies. On the other hand, animal studies have begun to decipher the role of epigenetic regulation of gene expression associated with the development of allergic airway disease. Epigenetic mechanisms represent a promising line of inquiry that might, in part, explain the inheritance and immunobiology of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana V Yang
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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Tang WY, Levin L, Talaska G, Cheung YY, Herbstman J, Tang D, Miller RL, Perera F, Ho SM. Maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 5'-CpG methylation of interferon-γ in cord white blood cells. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2012; 120:1195-200. [PMID: 22562770 PMCID: PMC3440069 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal factors are implicated in the onset of childhood asthma. Differentiation of naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes into pro-allergic T-helper 2 cells induces interleukin (IL)4 expression and inhibits interferon (IFN)γ expression accompanied by concordant methylation changes in the promoters of these genes. However, it has yet to be established whether maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can alter these gene promoters epigenetically during fetal development. OBJECTIVES In this study we sought to elucidate the relationship between maternal PAH exposure and promoter methylation status of IFNγ and IL4. METHODS We assessed the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a representative airborne PAH, on the methylation status of the IFNγ and IL4 promoters in Jurkat cells and two lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, and on gene expression. In addition, we evaluated methylation status of the IFNγ promoter in cord white blood cells from 53 participants in the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health cohort. Maternal PAH exposure was estimated by personal air monitoring during pregnancy. RESULTS In vitro exposure of the cell models to low, noncytotoxic doses (0.1 and 1 nM) of BaP elicited increased promoter hypermethylation and reduced expression of IFNγ, but not IL4. IFNγ promoter methylation in cord white blood cells was associated with maternal PAH exposure in the cohort study subsample. CONCLUSION Consistent with the results for the cell lines, maternal exposure to PAHs was associated with hypermethylation of IFNγ in cord blood DNA from cohort children. These findings support a potential role of epigenetics in fetal reprogramming by PAH-induced environmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-yee Tang
- Division of Environmental Genetics and Molecular Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Lovinsky-Desir S, Miller RL. Epigenetics, asthma, and allergic diseases: a review of the latest advancements. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2012; 12:211-20. [PMID: 22451193 PMCID: PMC3358775 DOI: 10.1007/s11882-012-0257-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental epigenetic regulation in asthma and allergic disease is an exciting area that has gained a great deal of scientific momentum in recent years. Environmental exposures, including prenatal maternal smoking, have been associated with asthma-related outcomes that may be explained by epigenetic regulation. In addition, several known allergy and asthma genes have been found to be susceptible to epigenetic regulation. We review the latest experimental and translational studies that have been published this past year in several areas, including 1) characterization of environmental asthma triggers that induce epigenetic changes, 2) characterization of allergic immune and regulatory pathways important to asthma that undergo epigenetic regulation, 3) evidence of active epigenetic regulation in asthma experimental models and the production of asthma biomarkers, 4) evidence of transmission of an asthma-related phenotype across multiple generations, and 5) "pharmaco-epigenetics." The field has certainly advanced significantly in the past year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rachel L. Miller
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, PH8E-101; 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032 USA
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IgG placental transfer in healthy and pathological pregnancies. Clin Dev Immunol 2011; 2012:985646. [PMID: 22235228 PMCID: PMC3251916 DOI: 10.1155/2012/985646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 601] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 07/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Placental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies to the fetus is an important mechanism that provides protection to the infant while his/her humoral response is inefficient. IgG is the only antibody class that significantly crosses the human placenta. This crossing is mediated by FcRn expressed on syncytiotrophoblast cells. There is evidence that IgG transfer depends on the following: (i) maternal levels of total IgG and specific antibodies, (ii) gestational age, (iii) placental integrity, (iv) IgG subclass, and (v) nature of antigen, being more intense for thymus-dependent ones. These features represent the basis for maternal immunization strategies aimed at protecting newborns against neonatal and infantile infectious diseases. In some situations, such as mothers with primary immunodeficiencies, exogenous IgG acquired by intravenous immunoglobulin therapy crosses the placenta in similar patterns to endogenous immunoglobulins and may also protect the offspring from infections in early life. Inversely, harmful autoantibodies may cross the placenta and cause transitory autoimmune disease in the neonate.
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50
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Yang IV, Schwartz DA. Epigenetic control of gene expression in the lung. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 183:1295-301. [PMID: 21596832 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201010-1579pp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is traditionally defined as the study of heritable changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. There are three main classes of epigenetic marks--DNA methylation, modifications of histone tails, and noncoding RNAs--each of which may be influenced by the environment, diet, diseases, and ageing. Importantly, epigenetic marks have been shown to influence immune cell maturation and are associated with the risk of developing various forms of cancer, including lung cancer. Moreover, there is emerging evidence that these epigenetic marks affect gene expression in the lung and are associated with benign lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease. Technological advances have made it feasible to study epigenetic marks in the lung, and it is anticipated that this knowledge will enhance our understanding of the dynamic biology in the lung and lead to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for our patients with lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana V Yang
- Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health,Denver, CO 80206, USA.
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