“B cells and autoimmunity 2016”

PD-L1-PD-1 interactions limit effector regulatory T cell populations at homeostasis and during infection

Phenotypic and transcriptional profiling of regulatory T (Treg) cells at homeostasis reveals that T cell receptor activation promotes Treg cells with an effector phenotype (eTreg) characterized by the production of interleukin-10 and expression of the inhibitory receptor PD-1. At homeostasis, blockade of the PD-1 pathway results in enhanced eTreg cell activity, whereas during infection with Toxoplasma gondii, early interferon-γ upregulates myeloid cell expression of PD-L1 associated with reduced Treg cell populations. In infected mice, blockade of PD-L1, complete deletion of PD-1 or lineage-specific deletion of PD-1 in Treg cells prevents loss of eTreg cells. These interventions resulted in a reduced ratio of pathogen-specific effector T cells: eTreg cells and increased levels of interleukin-10 that mitigated the development of immunopathology, but which could compromise parasite control. Thus, eTreg cell expression of PD-1 acts as a sensor to rapidly tune the pool of eTreg cells at homeostasis and during inflammatory processes.

COVID-19: captures iron and generates reactive oxygen species to damage the human immune system

Currently, the novel coronavirus pneumonia has been widespread globally, and there is no specific medicine. In response to the emergency, we employed bioinformatics methods to investigate the virus's pathogenic mechanism, finding possible control methods. We speculated in previous studies that E protein was associated with viral infectivity. The present study adopted the domain search techniques to analyse the E protein. According to the results, the E protein could bind iron or haem. The iron and haem bound by the E protein came from the attacked haemoglobin and phagocytes. When E protein was attached to haem, it synthesised oxygen and water into superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. When the iron-bound E protein and the haem-bound E protein worked together, they converted superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. These were the "ROS attack" and "ROS escape" of the virus. "ROS attack" damaged the tissues or cells exposed on the surface of the virus, and "ROS escape" decomposed the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide that attacked the virus. When NK cells were exposed to infected cells, viruses that had not shed from the infected cells' surface damaged them through "ROS attack". In addition, lymphocytes such as T cells and B cells, which could be close to the antigen of the virus surface, were also easily damaged or killed by the "ROS attack", generating a decrease in lymphocytes. When memory B cells were exposed to the virus's surface antigen, they were also damaged by "ROS attack", resulting in the patient's re-infection. The virus applied the "ROS escape" to decompose hydrogen peroxide released by phagocytes into oxygen and water. The surrounding cells were replenished with oxygen, and the patient was in a "happy hypoxia" state. When the phagocytes swallowed the virus, the E protein converted superoxide anions into oxygen and water. In this way, the virus parasitized in the vesicles of the phagocyte. While virus was in the lysosome, the E protein generated ROS to damage nearby hydrolases. In this way, the virus parasitized the lysosome. Excessive hydroxyl free radicals destroyed the membrane structure of the lysosome, causing the hydrolase release from lysosome, autophagy of phagocytic cells and subsequent cell death. As a result, the colonizing phagocytes of the virus was associated with asymptomatic infection or retest-positive. Briefly, the virus inhibited the immune system through "ROS escape", and damaged the immune system by "ROS attack". The destruction instigated a strong cytokine storm, leading to organ failure and complications.

Yishen-tongbi decoction inhibits excessive activation of B cells by activating the FcγRIIb/Lyn/SHP-1 pathway and attenuates the inflammatory response in CIA rats

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Strong evidence supports that excessive activation of B cells plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of RA. Fc gamma receptor b (FcγRIIb) is the B cell inhibitory receptor and inhibits BCR (B cell receptor) signalling in part by selectively dephosphorylating CD19 which is considered a co-receptor for BCR and is essential for B cell activation. Our previous study demonstrated that a FcγRIIb I232T polymorphism presented a strong genetic link to RA and may lead to the excessive activation of B cells. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies and drugs that can effectively inhibit the excessive activation of B cells by regulating the FcγRIIb are necessary for the treatment of RA. Therefore, we used Burkitt's lymphoma ST486 human B cells (lacking endogenous FcγRIIb) transfected with the 232Thr loss-of-function mutant to construct a FcγRIIb mutant cell line (ST486), and we demonstrated that YSTB treatment not only reduced proliferation and promoted apoptosis in ST486 cells but also did so in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the intracellular Ca2+ flux of ST486 cells was decreased after treatment with YSTB, inhibiting the excessive activation of ST486 cells, and these effects correlated with the CD19/FcγRIIb-Lyn-SHP-1 pathways. Our data showed that YSTB treatment inhibited the expression of phosphorylated CD19 and upregulated the protein expression of FcγRIIb, Lyn, and SHP-1. Additionally, the CIA model was established to explore the anti-inflammatory and inhibitory effects of YSTB on bone destruction, and we found that YSTB decreased the paw oedema and arthritis index (AI) in CIA rats. It is worth mentioning that YSTB clearly decreased the AI earlier than methotrexate (MTX) (day 10 vs 16). Moreover, synovial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration and cartilage surface erosion in CIA rats were noticeably reduced after treatment with YSTB as evidenced by histopathological examination. Finally, we found that YSTB treatment suppressed bone erosion and joint space score (JNS) in CIA rats as evidenced by radiographic assessment. In summary, these data suggest that YSTB has great therapeutic potential for RA treatment.

Group A streptococcal M-protein specific antibodies and T-cells drive the pathology observed in the rat autoimmune valvulitis model

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are autoimmune mediated diseases triggered by group A streptococcal (GAS) infections. Molecular mimicry between GAS M-proteins and host tissue proteins has been proposed as the mechanism that initiates autoreactive immune responses in ARF/RHD. However, the individual role of antibodies and T-cells specific for GAS M-proteins in the pathogenesis of autoimmune carditis remains under-explored. The current study investigated the role of antibodies and T-cells in the development of carditis in the Lewis rat autoimmune valvultis (RAV) model by transferring serum and/or splenic T-cells from rats previously injected with GAS recombinant M5 protein. Here we report that serum antibodies alone and serum plus in vitro expanded rM5-specific T-cells from hyperimmune rats were capable of transferring carditis to naïve syngeneic animals. Moreover, the rats that received combined serum and T-cells developed more severe carditis. Recipient rats developed mitral valvulitis and myocarditis and showed prolongation of P-R intervals in electrocardiography. GAS M5 protein-specific IgG reactivity and T-cell recall response were also demonstrated in recipient rats indicating long-term persistence of antibodies and T-cells following transfer. The results suggest that both anti-GAS M5 antibodies and T-cells have differential propensity to induce autoimmune mediated carditis in syngeneic rats following transfer. The results highlight that antibodies and effector T-cells generated by GAS M protein injection can also independently home into cardiac tissue to cross-react with tissue proteins causing autoimmune mediated immunopathology.