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Manuel G, Coleman M, Orvis AS, Munson J, Li A, Kapur RP, Li M, Li E, Armistead B, Rajagopal L, Adams Waldorf KM. Spatial profiling of the placental chorioamniotic membranes reveals upregulation of immune checkpoint proteins during Group B Streptococcus infection in a nonhuman primate model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1299644. [PMID: 38239507 PMCID: PMC10794649 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1299644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal mortality, which is often complicated by intrauterine infection and inflammation. We have established a nonhuman primate model of Group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae) infection-associated preterm birth. Immune checkpoints are modulators of the immune response by activating or suppressing leukocyte function and are understudied in preterm birth. The objective of this study was to spatially profile changes in immune protein expression at the maternal-fetal interface during a GBS infection with a focus on immune checkpoints. Methods Twelve nonhuman primates (pigtail macaques, Macaca nemestrina) received a choriodecidual inoculation of either: 1) 1-5 X 108 colony forming units (CFU) of hyperhemolytic/hypervirulent GBS (GBSΔcovR, N=4); 2) an isogenic/nonpigmented strain (GBS ΔcovRΔcylE, N=4); or, 3) saline (N=4). A Cesarean section was performed at preterm labor or 3 days after GBS infection or 7 days after saline inoculation. Nanostring GeoMx® Digital Spatial Profiling technology was used to segment protein expression within the amnion, chorion, and maternal decidua at the inoculation site using an immuno-oncology panel targeting 56 immunoproteins enriched in stimulatory and inhibitory immune checkpoint proteins or their protein ligands. Statistical analysis included R studio, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson and Spearman tests. Results Both inhibitory and stimulatory immune checkpoint proteins were significantly upregulated within the chorioamniotic membranes and decidua (VISTA, LAG3, PD-1, CD40, GITR), as well as their ligands (PD-L1, PD-L2, CD40L; all p<0.05). Immunostaining for VISTA revealed positive (VISTA+) cells, predominantly in the chorion and decidua. There were strong correlations between VISTA and amniotic fluid concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α (all p<0.05), as well as maternal placental histopathology scores (p<0.05). Conclusion Differential regulation of multiple immune checkpoint proteins in the decidua at the site of a GBS infection indicates a major perturbation in immunologic homeostasis that could benefit the host by restricting immune-driven pathologies or the pathogen by limiting immune surveillance. Protein expression of VISTA, an inhibitory immune checkpoint, was upregulated in the chorion and decidua after GBS infection. Investigating the impact of innate immune cell expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints may reveal new insights into placental host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gygeria Manuel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michelle Coleman
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Childrens Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Austyn S. Orvis
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Childrens Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jeff Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Amanda Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Raj P. Kapur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Miranda Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Edmunda Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Blair Armistead
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Childrens Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lakshmi Rajagopal
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Childrens Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kristina M. Adams Waldorf
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Tarantal AF, Hartigan-O'Connor DJ, Noctor SC. Translational Utility of the Nonhuman Primate Model. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:491-497. [PMID: 35283343 PMCID: PMC9576492 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates are essential for the study of human disease and to explore the safety of new diagnostics and therapies proposed for human use. They share similar genetic, physiologic, immunologic, reproductive, and developmental features with humans and thus have proven crucial for the study of embryonic/fetal development, organ system ontogeny, and the role of the maternal-placental-fetal interface in health and disease. The fetus may be exposed to a variety of inflammatory stimuli including infectious microbes as well as maternal inflammation, which can result from infections, obesity, or environmental exposures. Growing evidence supports that inflammation is a mediator of fetal programming and that the maternal immune system is tightly integrated with fetal-placental immune responses that may set a postnatal path for future health or disease. This review addresses some of the unique features of the nonhuman primate model system, specifically the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), and importance of the species for studies focused on organ system ontogeny and the impact of viral teratogens in relation to development and congenital disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice F Tarantal
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California; Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California; California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
| | - Dennis J Hartigan-O'Connor
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California; California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Stephen C Noctor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California; Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, California
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Immunotherapy for cancer treatment during pregnancy. Lancet Oncol 2021; 22:e550-e561. [PMID: 34856152 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00525-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has greatly improved outcomes for subgroups of patients with cancer. As indications keep expanding, there is an unmet need to gain a better understanding of the effect of these therapies on pregnancy and fertility. During pregnancy, substantial adaptations occur in the maternal immune system to maintain protection against pathogens while avoiding detrimental reactions to the semi-allogeneic fetus. The pathways involved in the establishment of this fetomaternal tolerance can be hijacked by cancers. Immunotherapies that target these inhibitory pathways, or that directly interact with the regulatory immune cells involved in tolerance mechanisms, might therefore result in complications during pregnancy. Similarly, by activating the patient's immune system with immunotherapy, a broad range of immune-related adverse events can occur that could negatively affect the fetus or impede a future desired pregnancy. This Review summarises preclinical and clinical data related to the use of immunotherapy during pregnancy, including all approved immune checkpoint inhibitors, recombinant cytokines, cell therapies, vaccines, and immunomodulatory drugs.
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Hofbauer Cells Spread Listeria monocytogenes among Placental Cells and Undergo Pro-Inflammatory Reprogramming while Retaining Production of Tolerogenic Factors. mBio 2021; 12:e0184921. [PMID: 34399615 PMCID: PMC8406333 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01849-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women are highly susceptible to infection by the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, leading to miscarriage, premature birth, and neonatal infection. L. monocytogenes is thought to breach the placental barrier by infecting trophoblasts at the maternal/fetal interface. However, the fate of L. monocytogenes within chorionic villi and how infection reaches the fetus are unsettled. Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are fetal placental macrophages and the only leukocytes residing in healthy chorionic villi, forming a last immune barrier protecting fetal blood from infection. Little is known about the HBCs’ antimicrobial responses to pathogens. Here, we studied L. monocytogenes interaction with human primary HBCs. Remarkably, despite their M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype at basal state, HBCs phagocytose and kill non-pathogenic bacteria like Listeria innocua and display low susceptibility to infection by L. monocytogenes. However, L. monocytogenes can exploit HBCs to spread to surrounding placental cells. Transcriptomic analyses by RNA sequencing revealed that HBCs undergo pro-inflammatory reprogramming upon L. monocytogenes infection, similarly to macrophages stimulated by the potent M1-polarizing agents lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Infected HBCs also express pro-inflammatory chemokines known to promote placental infiltration by maternal leukocytes. However, HBCs maintain the expression of a collection of tolerogenic genes and secretion of tolerogenic cytokines, consistent with their tissue homeostatic role in prevention of fetal rejection. In conclusion, we propose a previously unrecognized model in which HBCs promote the spreading of L. monocytogenes among placental cells and transition to a pro-inflammatory state likely to favor innate immune responses, while maintaining the expression of tolerogenic factors known to prevent maternal anti-fetal adaptive immunity.
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Schubert PT, Mason D, Martines R, Deleon-Carnes M, Zaki SR, Roberts DJ. Spectrum of Changes Seen With Placental Intravascular Organisms. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2019; 22:229-235. [PMID: 30334666 DOI: 10.1177/1093526618801616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fetal bacterial infections are a common cause of fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality. The pathologic correlates of congenital bacterial infection include acute chorioamnionitis, acute villitis, and acute intervillositis. The strength of the association of congenital bacterial infection differs among these pathologies. Acute chorioamnionitis results usually from an ascending infection, and damage to the fetus is thought to be cytokine driven rather than damage secondary to bacteremia. Acute villitis is strongly associated with fetal sepsis due to congenital infections. A much less common variant on acute villitis pattern has been described with additional presence of bacteria in the fetal capillaries of the chorionic villi. We describe the spectrum of bacteria that would induce this unique pattern. The histological archives were searched from 2 institutions for cases with intravascular bacteria present in the villous capillaries of the placenta. Thirteen cases were identified, of which 11 cases had acute chorioamnionitis and all cases showed an acute villitis. Eight cases had Escherichia coli identified and 3 cases had Group B Streptococcus. All cases were associated with fetal death. In 9 cases, the mother showed signs of a significant infection including 1 maternal death. We conclude that finding intravascular bacteria is a serious complication of congenital infection with serious fetal and maternal sequela.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel T Schubert
- 1 Division of Anatomical Pathology, Tygerberg Hospital, National Health Laboratory Service, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Deidre Mason
- 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Roosacelis Martines
- 3 Center for Disease Control, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Marlene Deleon-Carnes
- 3 Center for Disease Control, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sherif R Zaki
- 3 Center for Disease Control, Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Drucilla J Roberts
- 4 Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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