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Danielsen AK, Massarenti L, Minculescu L, Jensen PØ, Hansen PR, Holmstrup P, Damgaard C, Nielsen CH. Cytokine responses of CD4+ T cells and NKT cells to periodontitis-associated bacteria in individuals with or without periodontitis. J Periodontal Res 2024. [PMID: 38962877 DOI: 10.1111/jre.13317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
AIM Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease driven by opportunistic bacteria including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, where T-cell and NKT-cell responses to these bacteria in patients with periodontitis grade B or C are not fully elucidated. The objective is to determine if exaggerated proinflammatory Th-cell responses to periodontitis-associated bacteria, but not commensal bacteria, is a characteristic of increased periodontitis grade. METHODS Mononuclear cells from patients with periodontitis grade C (n = 26) or grade B (n = 33) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 26) were stimulated with P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum or the commensal bacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes. Cytokine production by different T-cell populations and FOXP3-expression by regulatory T cells were assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS Compared to HCs, grade C patients had decreased frequencies of interleukin (IL)-10-producing CD4+ T cells before stimulation (p = .02) and increased frequencies of IFN-y-producing CD4+ T cells after stimulation with P. gingivalis (p = .0019). Grade B patients had decreased frequencies of FOXP3+ CD4+ T cells before (p = .030) before and after stimulation with anti-CD2/anti-CD3/anti-CD28-loaded beads (p = .047), P. gingivalis (p = .013) and S. epidermidis (p = .018). Clinical attachment loss correlated with the frequencies of IFN-y-producing Th1 cells in P. gingivalis- and F. nucleatum-stimulated cultures in grade B patients (p = .023 and p = .048, respectively) and with the frequencies of Th17 cells in P. gingivalis-stimulated cultures (p = .0062) in grade C patients. Patients with periodontitis grade C or grade B showed lower frequencies of IL-10-producing NKT cells than HCs in unstimulated cultures (p = .0043 and p = .027 respectively). CONCLUSIONS Both periodontitis groups showed decreased frequencies of immunoregulatory T-cell and NKT cell subsets at baseline. Clinical attachment loss correlated with P. gingivalis-induced Th17-responses in grade C patients and with Th1-responses in grade B patients when cells were stimulated with P. gingivalis, supporting that dysregulated pro-inflammatory T-cell responses to periodontitis-associated bacteria contribute to the pathogenesis of periodontitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Katrine Danielsen
- Research Area Periodontology, Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura Massarenti
- Research Area Periodontology, Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lia Minculescu
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Riis Hansen
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Palle Holmstrup
- Research Area Periodontology, Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Damgaard
- Research Area Periodontology, Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Henrik Nielsen
- Research Area Periodontology, Section for Oral Biology and Immunopathology, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Institute for Inflammation Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Schüller SS, Barman S, Mendez-Giraldez R, Soni D, Daley J, Baden LR, Levy O, Dowling DJ. Immune profiling of age and adjuvant-specific activation of human blood mononuclear cells in vitro. Commun Biol 2024; 7:709. [PMID: 38851856 PMCID: PMC11162429 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06390-4] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccination reduces morbidity and mortality due to infections, but efficacy may be limited due to distinct immunogenicity at the extremes of age. This raises the possibility of employing adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity and protection. Early IFNγ production is a hallmark of effective vaccine immunogenicity in adults serving as a biomarker that may predict effective adjuvanticity. We utilized mass cytometry (CyTOF) to dissect the source of adjuvant-induced cytokine production in human blood mononuclear cells (BMCs) from newborns (~39-week-gestation), adults (~18-63 years old) and elders (>65 years of age) after stimulation with pattern recognition receptors agonist (PRRa) adjuvants. Dimensionality reduction analysis of CyTOF data mapped the BMC compartment, elucidated age-specific immune responses and profiled PRR-mediated activation of monocytes and DCs upon adjuvant stimulation. Furthermore, we demonstrated PRRa adjuvants mediated innate IFNγ induction and mapped NK cells as the key source of TLR7/8 agonist (TLR7/8a) specific innate IFNγ responses. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed age and TLR7/8a-specific accumulation of innate IFNγ producing γδ T cells. Our study demonstrates the application of mass cytometry and cutting-edge computational approaches to characterize immune responses across immunologically distinct age groups and may inform identification of the bespoke adjuvantation systems tailored to enhance immunity in distinct vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone S Schüller
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neonatal Directorate, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth, Australia
| | - Soumik Barman
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Dheeraj Soni
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John Daley
- Dana Farber CyTOF Core Facility, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lindsey R Baden
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ofer Levy
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - David J Dowling
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Foyle KL, Robertson SA. Gamma delta (γδ) T cells in the female reproductive tract: active participants or indifferent bystanders in reproductive success? DISCOVERY IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 3:kyae004. [PMID: 38863792 PMCID: PMC11165432 DOI: 10.1093/discim/kyae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The female reproductive tract accommodates and balances the unique immunological challenges of protection from sexually transmitted pathogens and tolerance of the fetus and placenta in pregnancy. Leukocytes in the female reproductive tract actively engage in extensive maternal adaptations that are imperative for embryo implantation, placental development, and fetal growth support. γδ T cells are abundant at many mucosal sites in the body, where they provide protection against pathogens and cancer, and have roles in tissue renewal and homeostasis. In this review, we summarize studies in humans and rodents showing that γδ T cells are prevalent in the female reproductive tract and fluctuate in response to hormone changes across the reproductive cycle. Emerging evidence points to a link between changes in their abundance and molecular repertoire in the uterus and pregnancy disorders including recurrent miscarriage and preterm birth. However, defining the precise functional role of female reproductive tract γδ T cells and understanding their physiological significance in reproduction and pregnancy have remained elusive. Here, we critically analyze whether reproductive tract γδ T cells could be active participants in reproductive events-or whether their principal function is immune defense, in which case they may compromise pregnancy success unless adequately regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrie L Foyle
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sarah A Robertson
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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4
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Peng S, Lin A, Jiang A, Zhang C, Zhang J, Cheng Q, Luo P, Bai Y. CTLs heterogeneity and plasticity: implications for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:58. [PMID: 38515134 PMCID: PMC10956324 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play critical antitumor roles, encompassing diverse subsets including CD4+, NK, and γδ T cells beyond conventional CD8+ CTLs. However, definitive CTLs biomarkers remain elusive, as cytotoxicity-molecule expression does not necessarily confer cytotoxic capacity. CTLs differentiation involves transcriptional regulation by factors such as T-bet and Blimp-1, although epigenetic regulation of CTLs is less clear. CTLs promote tumor killing through cytotoxic granules and death receptor pathways, but may also stimulate tumorigenesis in some contexts. Given that CTLs cytotoxicity varies across tumors, enhancing this function is critical. This review summarizes current knowledge on CTLs subsets, biomarkers, differentiation mechanisms, cancer-related functions, and strategies for improving cytotoxicity. Key outstanding questions include refining the CTLs definition, characterizing subtype diversity, elucidating differentiation and senescence pathways, delineating CTL-microbe relationships, and enabling multi-omics profiling. A more comprehensive understanding of CTLs biology will facilitate optimization of their immunotherapy applications. Overall, this review synthesizes the heterogeneity, regulation, functional roles, and enhancement strategies of CTLs in antitumor immunity, highlighting gaps in our knowledge of subtype diversity, definitive biomarkers, epigenetic control, microbial interactions, and multi-omics characterization. Addressing these questions will refine our understanding of CTLs immunology to better leverage cytotoxic functions against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengkun Peng
- Department of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Anqi Lin
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Aimin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Changhai hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Cangang Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya HospitalCentral South University, Hunan, China.
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yifeng Bai
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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5
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Parwani KK, Branella GM, Burnham RE, Burnham AJ, Bustamante AYS, Foppiani EM, Knight KA, Petrich BG, Horwitz EM, Doering CB, Spencer HT. Directing the migration of serum-free, ex vivo-expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1331322. [PMID: 38487542 PMCID: PMC10937339 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1331322] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Vγ9Vδ2 T cells represent a promising cancer therapy platform because the implementation of allogenic, off-the-shelf product candidates is possible. However, intravenous administration of human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells manufactured under good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant, serum-free conditions are not tested easily in most mouse models, mainly because they lack the ability to migrate from the blood to tissues or tumors. We demonstrate that these T cells do not migrate from the circulation to the mouse bone marrow (BM), the site of many malignancies. Thus, there is a need to better characterize human γδ T-cell migration in vivo and develop strategies to direct these cells to in vivo sites of therapeutic interest. To better understand the migration of these cells and possibly influence their migration, NSG mice were conditioned with agents to clear BM cellular compartments, i.e., busulfan or total body irradiation (TBI), or promote T-cell migration to inflamed BM, i.e., incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), prior to administering γδ T cells. Conditioning with TBI, unlike busulfan or IFA, increases the percentage and number of γδ T cells accumulating in the mouse BM, and cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and BM display identical surface protein profiles. To better understand the mechanism by which cells migrate to the BM, mice were conditioned with TBI and administered γδ T cells or tracker-stained red blood cells. The mechanism by which γδ T cells enter the BM after radiation is passive migration from the circulation, not homing. We tested if these ex vivo-expanded cells can migrate based on chemokine expression patterns and showed that it is possible to initiate homing by utilizing highly expressed chemokine receptors on the expanded γδ T cells. γδ T cells highly express CCR2, which provides chemokine attraction to C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)-expressing cells. IFNγ-primed mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) (γMSCs) express CCL2, and we developed in vitro and in vivo models to test γδ T-cell homing to CCL2-expressing cells. Using an established neuroblastoma NSG mouse model, we show that intratumorally-injected γMSCs increase the homing of γδ T cells to this tumor. These studies provide insight into the migration of serum-free, ex vivo-expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in NSG mice, which is critical to understanding the fundamental properties of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran K Parwani
- Cancer Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Gianna M Branella
- Cancer Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Rebecca E Burnham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andre J Burnham
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Austre Y Schiaffino Bustamante
- Cancer Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Elisabetta Manuela Foppiani
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kristopher A Knight
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Edwin M Horwitz
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Christopher B Doering
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - H Trent Spencer
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
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6
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Verkerk T, Pappot AT, Jorritsma T, King LA, Duurland MC, Spaapen RM, van Ham SM. Isolation and expansion of pure and functional γδ T cells. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1336870. [PMID: 38426099 PMCID: PMC10902048 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1336870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
γδ T cells are important components of the immune system due to their ability to elicit a fast and strong response against infected and transformed cells. Because they can specifically and effectively kill target cells in an MHC independent fashion, there is great interest to utilize these cells in anti-tumor therapies where antigen presentation may be hampered. Since only a small fraction of T cells in the blood or tumor tissue are γδ T cells, they require extensive expansion to allow for fundamental, preclinical and ex vivo research. Although expansion protocols can be successful, most are based on depletion of other cell types rather than γδ T cell specific isolation, resulting in unpredictable purity of the isolated fraction. Moreover, the primary focus only lies with expansion of Vδ2+ T cells, while Vδ1+ T cells likewise have anti-tumor potential. Here, we investigated whether γδ T cells directly isolated from blood could be efficiently expanded while maintaining function. γδ T cell subsets were isolated using MACS separation, followed by FACS sorting, yielding >99% pure γδ T cells. Isolated Vδ1+ and Vδ2+ T cells could effectively expand immediately after isolation or upon freeze/thawing and reached expansion ratios between 200 to 2000-fold starting from varying numbers using cytokine supported feeder stimulations. MACS/FACS isolated and PHA stimulated γδ T cells expanded as good as immobilized antibody mediated stimulated cells in PBMCs, but delivered purer cells. After expansion, potential effector functions of γδ T cells were demonstrated by IFN-γ, TNF-α and granzyme B production upon PMA/ionomycin stimulation and effective killing capacity of multiple tumor cell lines was confirmed in killing assays. In conclusion, pure γδ T cells can productively be expanded while maintaining their anti-tumor effector functions against tumor cells. Moreover, γδ T cells could be expanded from low starting numbers suggesting that this protocol may even allow for expansion of cells extracted from tumor biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Verkerk
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anouk T Pappot
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tineke Jorritsma
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lisa A King
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mariël C Duurland
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Robbert M Spaapen
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - S Marieke van Ham
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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7
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Habel JR, Chua BY, Kedzierski L, Selva KJ, Damelang T, Haycroft ER, Nguyen TH, Koay HF, Nicholson S, McQuilten HA, Jia X, Allen LF, Hensen L, Zhang W, van de Sandt CE, Neil JA, Pragastis K, Lau JS, Jumarang J, Allen EK, Amanant F, Krammer F, Wragg KM, Juno JA, Wheatley AK, Tan HX, Pell G, Walker S, Audsley J, Reynaldi A, Thevarajan I, Denholm JT, Subbarao K, Davenport MP, Hogarth PM, Godfrey DI, Cheng AC, Tong SY, Bond K, Williamson DA, McMahon JH, Thomas PG, Pannaraj PS, James F, Holmes NE, Smibert OC, Trubiano JA, Gordon CL, Chung AW, Whitehead CL, Kent SJ, Lappas M, Rowntree LC, Kedzierska K. Immune profiling of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy reveals NK cell and γδ T cell perturbations. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e167157. [PMID: 37036008 PMCID: PMC10132165 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy poses a greater risk for severe COVID-19; however, underlying immunological changes associated with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy are poorly understood. We defined immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in unvaccinated pregnant and nonpregnant women with acute and convalescent COVID-19, quantifying 217 immunological parameters. Humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 were similar in pregnant and nonpregnant women, although our systems serology approach revealed distinct antibody and FcγR profiles between pregnant and nonpregnant women. Cellular analyses demonstrated marked differences in NK cell and unconventional T cell activation dynamics in pregnant women. Healthy pregnant women displayed preactivated NK cells and γδ T cells when compared with healthy nonpregnant women, which remained unchanged during acute and convalescent COVID-19. Conversely, nonpregnant women had prototypical activation of NK and γδ T cells. Activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and T follicular helper cells was similar in SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant and nonpregnant women, while antibody-secreting B cells were increased in pregnant women during acute COVID-19. Elevated levels of IL-8, IL-10, and IL-18 were found in pregnant women in their healthy state, and these cytokine levels remained elevated during acute and convalescent COVID-19. Collectively, we demonstrate perturbations in NK cell and γδ T cell activation in unvaccinated pregnant women with COVID-19, which may impact disease progression and severity during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Habel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brendon Y. Chua
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Lukasz Kedzierski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kevin J. Selva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timon Damelang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ebene R. Haycroft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thi H.O. Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hui-Fern Koay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Suellen Nicholson
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hayley A. McQuilten
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xiaoxiao Jia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lilith F. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luca Hensen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wuji Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carolien E. van de Sandt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessica A. Neil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine Pragastis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jillian S.Y. Lau
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Eastern Health, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jaycee Jumarang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - E. Kaitlynn Allen
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Fatima Amanant
- Department of Microbiology, and
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M. Wragg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Juno
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adam K. Wheatley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hyon-Xhi Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gabrielle Pell
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susan Walker
- Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer Audsley
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arnold Reynaldi
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Irani Thevarajan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Justin T. Denholm
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kanta Subbarao
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Miles P. Davenport
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - P. Mark Hogarth
- Immune Therapies Laboratory, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dale I. Godfrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Allen C. Cheng
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology Unit, Alfred Health, and Monash Infectious Diseases, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven Y.C. Tong
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katherine Bond
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Deborah A. Williamson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - James H. McMahon
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul G. Thomas
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Pia S. Pannaraj
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Fiona James
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natasha E. Holmes
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Critical Care, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Data Analytics Research and Evaluation Centre, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Olivia C. Smibert
- Departments of Pediatrics, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, and
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jason A. Trubiano
- Centre for Antibiotic Allergy and Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, and
- National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medicine (Austin Health), University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claire L. Gordon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy W. Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Clare L. Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Infectious Diseases Department, Alfred Health, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Martha Lappas
- Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Louise C. Rowntree
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine Kedzierska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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8
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Almeida JS, Casanova JM, Santos-Rosa M, Tarazona R, Solana R, Rodrigues-Santos P. Natural Killer T-like Cells: Immunobiology and Role in Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032743. [PMID: 36769064 PMCID: PMC9917533 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
CD56+ T cells are generally recognized as a distinct population of T cells and are categorized as NKT-like cells. Although our understanding of NKT-like cells is far from satisfactory, it has been shown that aging and a number of disease situations have impacted these cells. To construct an overview of what is currently known, we reviewed the literature on human NKT-like cells. NKT-like cells are highly differentiated T cells with "CD1d-independent" antigen recognition and MHC-unrestricted cell killing. The genesis of NKT-like cells is unclear; however, it is proposed that the acquisition of innate characteristics by T cells could represent a remodeling process leading to successful aging. Additionally, it has been shown that NKT-like cells may play a significant role in several pathological conditions, making it necessary to comprehend whether these cells might function as prognostic markers. The quantification and characterization of these cells might serve as a cutting-edge indicator of individual immune health. Additionally, exploring the mechanisms that can control their killing activity in different contexts may therefore result in innovative therapeutic alternatives in a wide range of disease settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani-Sofia Almeida
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Immunology and Oncology, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Manuel Casanova
- Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
- University Clinic of Orthopedics, Orthopedics Service, Tumor Unit of the Locomotor Apparatus (UTAL), Coimbra Hospital and Universitary Center (CHUC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Manuel Santos-Rosa
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Raquel Tarazona
- Immunology Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Rafael Solana
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Reina Sofía University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
- Immunology Unit, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Paulo Rodrigues-Santos
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Immunology and Oncology, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center of Investigation in Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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9
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Manchorova D, Papadopoulou M, Alexandrova M, Dimitrova V, Djerov L, Zapryanova S, Dimitrova P, Vangelov I, Vermijlen D, Dimova T. Human decidual gamma/delta T cells possess unique effector and TCR repertoire profiles during pregnancy. Cell Immunol 2022; 382:104634. [PMID: 36308817 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Human γδ T cells are enriched at the maternal-fetal interface (MFI, decidua basalis) showing a highly differentiated phenotype. However, their functional potential is not well-known and it is not clear whether this decidua-enrichment is associated with specific γδ T cell receptors (TCR) as is observed in mice. Here we addressed these open questions by investigating decidual γδ T cells during early and late gestation, in comparison with paired blood samples, with flow cytometry (cytotoxic mediators, cytokines) and TCR high-throughput sequencing. While decidual γδ T cells expressed less perforin than their counterparts in the blood, they expressed significant more granulysin during early pregnancy. Strikingly, this high granulysin expression was limited to early pregnancy, as it was reduced at term pregnancy. In contrast to this granulysin expression pattern, decidual γδ T cells produced reduced levels of IFNγ and TNFα (compared to paired blood) in early pregnancy that then increased by term pregnancy. TCR repertoire analysis indicated that human decidual γδ T cells are not generated early in life as in the mouse. Despite this, a specific enrichment of the Vγ2 chain in the decidua in early pregnancy was observed that disappeared later onwards, reflecting dynamic changes in the decidual γδ TCR repertoire during human gestation. In conclusion, our data indicate that decidual γδ T cells express a specific and dynamic pattern of cytotoxic mediators, Th1 cytokines and TCR repertoire suggesting an important role for these unconventional T cells in assuring a healthy pregnancy in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Manchorova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - M Papadopoulou
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - M Alexandrova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - V Dimitrova
- Medical University, University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital "Maichin Dom", Sofia 1463, 2 Zdrave Str., Bulgaria
| | - L Djerov
- Medical University, University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital "Maichin Dom", Sofia 1463, 2 Zdrave Str., Bulgaria
| | - S Zapryanova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - P Dimitrova
- Institute of Microbiology "Acad. St. Angelov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 25 Acad. G. Bonchev str., Bulgaria
| | - I Vangelov
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - D Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Institute for Medical Immunology, Universitȇ Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041 Gosselies, Belgium; ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium; Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wavre, Belgium
| | - T Dimova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria.
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10
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Yang S, Feng T, Ma C, Wang T, Chen H, Li L, Liu Y, Zhou B, Zhou R, Li H. Early Pregnancy Human Decidua Gamma/Delta T Cells Exhibit Tissue Resident and Specific Functional Characteristics. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 28:6618535. [PMID: 35758607 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A successful pregnancy is a complicated process that builds upon two aspects of the maternal immune system that need to be balanced. As one of the indispensable groups of immune cell at the maternal-fetal interface, the decidual gamma/delta (γδ) T cells have attracted research attention in normal pregnancy and miscarriage. However, the role of γδ T cells in fetal growth remains poorly understood. Here we found that the γδ T cell population resident in decidua during early pregnancy was enriched and secreted growth factors including growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1). A diminution in such growth factors may impair fetal development and result in fetal growth restriction. We also observed that early decidual γδ T cells exhibited stronger cytokine-secretion characteristics, but that their cytotoxic actions against A549 cells were weaker, compared with γδ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In addition, the functional abilities of early decidual γδ T cells in promoting trophoblast cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation were also significantly more robust than in γδ T cells of PBMCs. These findings highlight the importance of γδ T cells in fetal growth and maternal immunotolerance during pregnancy, and show that they differ from γδ T cells in PBMCs. We thus recommend additional investigation in this research area to further elucidate a role for γδ T cells in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yang
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Feng
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - ChengYong Ma
- West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tiehao Wang
- West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongqin Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital,Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Liman Li
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital,Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Li
- Center of Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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11
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Yu L, Zhang Y, Xiong J, Liu J, Zha Y, Kang Q, Zhi P, Wang Q, Wang H, Zeng W, Huang Y. Activated γδ T Cells With Higher CD107a Expression and Inflammatory Potential During Early Pregnancy in Patients With Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion. Front Immunol 2021; 12:724662. [PMID: 34484234 PMCID: PMC8416064 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.724662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported the involvement of γδ T cells in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA); however, both pathogenic and protective effects were suggested. To interrogate the role of γδ T cells in RSA, peripheral blood from RSA patients and healthy women with or without pregnancy were analyzed for γδ T cells by flow cytometry (n = 9–11 for each group). Moreover, the decidua from pregnant RSA patients and healthy controls (RSA-P and HC-P group, respectively) was simultaneously stained for γδ T cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and bulk sequenced for gene expression. Our results demonstrated that the frequencies of peripheral γδ T cells and their subpopulations in RSA patients were comparable to that in healthy subjects, but the PD1 expression on Vδ2+ cells was increased in pregnant patients. Furthermore, peripheral Vδ2+ cells in RSA-P patients demonstrated significantly increased expression of CD107a, as compared to that in pregnant healthy controls. In addition, RSA-P patients had higher proportion of IL-17A-secreting but not IL-4-secreting Vδ2+ cells compared to the control groups. In decidua, an inflammatory microenvironment was also evident in RSA-P patients, in which CCL8 expression and the infiltration of certain immune cells were higher than that in the HC-P group, as revealed by transcriptional analysis. Finally, although the presence of γδ T cells in decidua could be detected during pregnancy in both RSA patients and healthy subjects by multicolor IHC analysis, the expression of CD107a on γδ T cells was markedly higher in the RSA-P group. Collectively, our results indicated that the increased activation, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory potential of peripheral and/or local γδ T cells might be responsible for the pathogenesis of RSA. These findings could provide a better understanding of the role of γδ T cells in RSA and shed light on novel treatment strategies by targeting γδ T cells for RSA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Yu
- Department of Immunology, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Hospital of Chaoyang City, Chaoyang, China
| | - Jinfeng Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Zha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Kang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Pan Zhi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Immunology, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanjiang Zeng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yafei Huang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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12
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Xu QH, Liu H, Wang LL, Zhu Q, Zhang YJ, Muyayalo KP, Liao AH. Roles of γδT cells in pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications. Am J Reprod Immunol 2021; 86:e13487. [PMID: 34331364 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A successful pregnancy is a complex and unique process comprised of discrete events, including embryo implantation, placentation, and parturition. To maintain the balance between maternal-fetal immune tolerance and resistance to infections, the maternal immune system must have a high degree of stage-dependent plasticity throughout the period of pregnancy. Innate immunity is the frontline force for the establishment of early anti-infection and tolerance mechanisms in mammals. Belonging to the innate immune system, a subset of T cells called γδT cells (based on γδT cell receptors) are the main participants in immune surveillance and immune defense. Unlike traditional αβT cells, γδT cells are regarded as a bridge between innate immunity and acquired immunity. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the functional plasticity of γδT cells during pregnancy. Furthermore, we discuss the roles of γδT cells in pathological pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Han Xu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Ling Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian Zhu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Jing Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kahindo P Muyayalo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ai-Hua Liao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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13
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Endogenous control of inflammation characterizes pregnant women with asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4677. [PMID: 34326336 PMCID: PMC8322155 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24940-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect all human beings, including pregnant women. Thus, understanding the immunological changes induced by the virus during pregnancy is nowadays of pivotal importance. Here, using peripheral blood from 14 pregnant women with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection, we investigate cell proliferation and cytokine production, measure plasma levels of 62 cytokines, and perform a 38-parameter mass cytometry analysis. Our results show an increase in low density neutrophils but no lymphopenia or gross alterations of white blood cells, which display normal levels of differentiation, activation or exhaustion markers and show well preserved functionality. Meanwhile, the plasma levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1RA, IL-10 and IL-19 are increased, those of IL-17, PD-L1 and D-dimer are decreased, but IL-6 and other inflammatory molecules remain unchanged. Our profiling of antiviral immune responses may thus help develop therapeutic strategies to avoid virus-induced damages during pregnancy.
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