Natural killer T cells and haemopoiesis

Increased numbers and functional activity of CD56⁺ T cells in healthy cytomegalovirus positive subjects

Human T cells expressing CD56 are capable of tumour cell lysis following activation with interleukin-2 but their role in viral immunity has been less well studied. Proportions of CD56(+) T cells were found to be highly significantly increased in cytomegalovirus-seropositive (CMV(+) ) compared with seronegative (CMV(-) ) healthy subjects (9.1 ± 1.5% versus 3.7 ± 1.0%; P < 0.0001). Proportions of CD56(+) T cells expressing CD28, CD62L, CD127, CD161 and CCR7 were significantly lower in CMV(+) than CMV(-) subjects but those expressing CD4, CD8, CD45RO, CD57, CD58, CD94 and NKG2C were significantly increased (P < 0.05), some having the phenotype of T effector memory cells. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and CD107a were significantly higher in CD56(+) T cells from CMV(+) than CMV(-) subjects following stimulation with CMV antigens. This also resulted in higher levels of proliferation in CD56(+) T cells from CMV(+) than CMV(-) subjects. Using Class I HLA pentamers, it was found that CD56(+) T cells from CMV(+) subjects contained similar proportions of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells to CD56(-) T cells in donors of several different HLA types. These differences may reflect the expansion and enhanced functional activity of CMV-specific CD56(+) memory T cells. In view of the link between CD56 expression and T-cell cytotoxic function, this strongly implicates CD56(+) T cells as being an important component of the cytotoxic T-cell response to CMV in healthy carriers.

Expression of functional soluble human leucocyte antigen-G molecules in lymphoproliferative disorders

Membrane-bound and soluble human leucocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) molecules display immunotolerant properties favouring tumour cell escape from immune surveillance. sHLA-G molecules have been detected in several tumour pathologies; this study aimed to evaluate sHLA-G expression in lymphoproliferative disorders. sHLA-G plasma level was significantly increased in 110 of 178 newly diagnosed lymphoid proliferations cases i.e. 59% of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, 65% of B non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and 58% of T-NHL. To assess the mechanisms involved in this secretion, the differential effect of cytokines was tested in in vitro cultures of NHL cells. A significant induction of sHLA-G level was shown in T-NHL in contrast with B-NHL and normal equivalent cells, after cytokine stimulation with (i) interferongamma (IFNgamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, (ii) IL-10 and (iii) transforming growth factor beta. An impact of microenvironment on sHLA-G expression was found in B-NHL as shown by the in vitro effect of addition of normal monocytes. Finally, a functional effect of sHLA-G molecules purified from pathologic plasma was demonstrated by their strong capacity to inhibit T-cell proliferation at concentrations currently observed during these disorders. These results suggest that functional sHLA-G molecules are upregulated in lymphoproliferative disorders which can support their potential immunomodulatory role during this pathology.