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Liao R, Hsu JY, Aboelella NS, McKeever JA, Thomas-Toth AT, Koh AS, LaBelle JL. Venetoclax Induces BCL-2-Dependent Treg to TH17 Plasticity to Enhance the Antitumor Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:1074-1089. [PMID: 38810242 PMCID: PMC11293981 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0344] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The specific BCL-2 small molecule inhibitor venetoclax induces apoptosis in a wide range of malignancies, which has led to rapid clinical expansion in its use alone and in combination with chemotherapy and immune-based therapies against a myriad of cancer types. While lymphocytes, and T cells in particular, rely heavily on BCL-2 for survival and function, the effects of small molecule blockade of the BCL-2 family on surviving immune cells is not fully understood. We aimed to better understand the effect of systemic treatment with venetoclax on regulatory T cells (Treg), which are relatively resistant to cell death induced by specific drugging of BCL-2 compared to other T cells. We found that BCL-2 blockade altered Treg transcriptional profiles and mediated Treg plasticity toward a TH17-like Treg phenotype, resulting in increased IL17A production in lymphoid organs and within the tumor microenvironment. Aligned with previously described augmented antitumor effects observed when combining venetoclax with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibition, we also demonstrated that Treg-specific genetic BCL-2 knockout combined with anti-PD-1 induced tumor regression and conferred overlapping genetic changes with venetoclax-treated Tregs. As long-term combination therapies using venetoclax gain more traction in the clinic, an improved understanding of the immune-modulatory effects caused by venetoclax may allow expansion of its use against malignancies and immune-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosy Liao
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Jocelyn Y. Hsu
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Nada S. Aboelella
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | | | - Anika T. Thomas-Toth
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Andrew S. Koh
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - James L. LaBelle
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
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2
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Liang C, Spoerl S, Xiao Y, Habenicht KM, Haeusl SS, Sandner I, Winkler J, Strieder N, Eder R, Stanewsky H, Alexiou C, Dudziak D, Rosenwald A, Edinger M, Rehli M, Hoffmann P, Winkler TH, Berberich-Siebelt F. Oligoclonal CD4 +CXCR5 + T cells with a cytotoxic phenotype appear in tonsils and blood. Commun Biol 2024; 7:879. [PMID: 39025930 PMCID: PMC11258247 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06563-1] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In clinical situations, peripheral blood accessible CD3+CD4+CXCR5+ T-follicular helper (TFH) cells may have to serve as a surrogate indicator for dysregulated germinal center responses in tissues. To determine the heterogeneity of TFH cells in peripheral blood versus tonsils, CD3+CD4+CD45RA-CXCR5+ cells of both origins were sorted. Transcriptomes, TCR repertoires and cell-surface protein expression were analysed by single-cell RNA sequencing, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Reassuringly, all blood-circulating CD3+CD4+CXCR5+ T-cell subpopulations also appear in tonsils, there with some supplementary TFH characteristics, while peripheral blood-derived TFH cells display markers of proliferation and migration. Three further subsets of TFH cells, however, with bona fide T-follicular gene expression patterns, are exclusively found in tonsils. One additional, distinct and oligoclonal CD4+CXCR5+ subpopulation presents pronounced cytotoxic properties. Those 'killer TFH (TFK) cells' can be discovered in peripheral blood as well as among tonsillar cells but are located predominantly outside of germinal centers. They appear terminally differentiated and can be distinguished from all other TFH subsets by expression of NKG7 (TIA-1), granzymes, perforin, CCL5, CCR5, EOMES, CRTAM and CX3CR1. All in all, this study provides data for detailed CD4+CXCR5+ T-cell assessment of clinically available blood samples and extrapolation possibilities to their tonsil counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunguang Liang
- Functional Genomics and Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Silvia Spoerl
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yin Xiao
- Institute of Pathology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina M Habenicht
- Division of Genetics, Department Biology, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center of Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sigrun S Haeusl
- Institute of Pathology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Sandner
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Winkler
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Rüdiger Eder
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Alexiou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation-Professorship, Section of Experimental Oncology & Nanomedicine (SEON), University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Diana Dudziak
- Laboratory of Dendritic Cell Biology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Rosenwald
- Institute of Pathology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre Mainfranken, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Edinger
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Rehli
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Petra Hoffmann
- Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas H Winkler
- Division of Genetics, Department Biology, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center of Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Komatsu K, Ideno H, Nakashima K, Udagawa N, Kobayashi Y, Kimura H, Tachibana M, Yamashita T, Nifuji A. The G9a histone methyltransferase represses osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption by regulating NFATc1 function. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23779. [PMID: 38967255 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400449rr] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications affect cell differentiation via transcriptional regulation. G9a/EHMT2 is an important epigenetic modifier that catalyzes the methylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) and interacts with various nuclear proteins. In this study, we investigated the role of G9a in osteoclast differentiation. When we deleted G9a by infection of Cre-expressing adenovirus into bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) from G9afl/fl (Ehmt2fl/fl) and induced osteoclastic differentiation by the addition of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), the number of TRAP-positive multinucleated osteoclasts significantly increased compared with control. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of osteoclast markers, TRAP, and cathepsin K, and to a lesser extent, NFATc1, a critical transcription factor, increased in G9a KO cells. Infection of wild-type (WT) G9a-expressing adenovirus in G9a KO cells restored the number of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells. In G9a KO cells, increased nuclear accumulation of NFATc1 protein and decreased H3K9me2 accumulation were observed. Furthermore, ChIP experiments revealed that NFATc1 binding to its target, Ctsk promoter, was enhanced by G9a deletion. For in vivo experiments, we created G9a conditional knock-out (cKO) mice by crossing G9afl/fl mice with Rank Cre/+ (Tnfrsf11aCre/+) mice, in which G9a is deleted in osteoclast lineage cells. The trabecular bone volume was significantly reduced in female G9a cKO mice. The serum concentration of the C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), a bone-resorbing indicator, was higher in G9a cKO mice. In addition, osteoclasts differentiated from G9a cKO BMMs exhibited greater bone-resorbing activity. Our findings suggest that G9a plays a repressive role in osteoclastogenesis by modulating NFATc1 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Komatsu
- Department of Pharmacology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hisashi Ideno
- Department of Pharmacology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Nakashima
- Department of Pharmacology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Udagawa
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kobayashi
- Institute for Oral Science, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Makoto Tachibana
- Laboratory of Epigenome Dynamics, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Teruhito Yamashita
- Institute for Oral Science, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Japan
| | - Akira Nifuji
- Department of Pharmacology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
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Li X, Ning X, Rui B, Wang Y, Lei Z, Yu D, Liu F, Deng Y, Yuan J, Li W, Yan J, Li M. Alterations of milk oligosaccharides in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus impede colonization of beneficial bacteria and development of RORγt + Treg cell-mediated immune tolerance in neonates. Gut Microbes 2023; 15:2256749. [PMID: 37741825 PMCID: PMC10519364 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2256749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasing public health concern that significantly increases the risk of early childhood allergic diseases. Altered maternal milk glycobiome may strongly affect gut microbiota and enteric-specific Treg cell-mediated development of immune tolerance in GDM infants. In this study, we found that, compared with healthy Chinese mothers, mothers with GDM had significantly lower levels of total and specific human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in their colostrum that subsequently increased with extension of lactation. This alteration in HMO profiles significantly delayed colonization of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. in their breast-fed infants, resulting in a distinct gut microbial structure and metabolome. Further experiments in GDM mouse models indicated that decreased contents of milk oligosaccharides, mainly 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL), in GDM maternal mice reduced colonization of bacteria, such as L. reuteri and L. johnsonii, in the neonatal gut, which impeded development of RORγt+ regulatory T (Treg) cell-mediated immune tolerance. Treatment of GDM neonates with 3'-SL, Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) and L. johnsonii promoted the proliferation of enteric Treg cells and expression of transcription factor RORγt, which may have contributed to compromising ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic responses. In vitro experiments showed that 3'-SL, metabolites of L. johnsonii, and lysates of L. reuteri stimulated differentiation of mouse RORγt+ Treg cells through multiple regulatory effects on Toll-like receptor, MAPK, p53, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. This study provides new ideas for the development of gut microbiota and immune tolerance in GDM newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinke Li
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xixi Ning
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Binqi Rui
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yushuang Wang
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Zengjie Lei
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Da Yu
- Department of Obstetrics, Dalian Women and Children Medical Center (Group), Dalian, China
| | - Feitong Liu
- H&H Group, H&H Research, China Research and Innovation Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanjie Deng
- Department of Obstetrics, Dalian Women and Children Medical Center (Group), Dalian, China
| | - Jieli Yuan
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Wenzhe Li
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jingyu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Microecology, College of Basic Medical Science, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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5
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Trujillo-Ochoa JL, Kazemian M, Afzali B. The role of transcription factors in shaping regulatory T cell identity. Nat Rev Immunol 2023; 23:842-856. [PMID: 37336954 PMCID: PMC10893967 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Forkhead box protein 3-expressing (FOXP3+) regulatory T cells (Treg cells) suppress conventional T cells and are essential for immunological tolerance. FOXP3, the master transcription factor of Treg cells, controls the expression of multiples genes to guide Treg cell differentiation and function. However, only a small fraction (<10%) of Treg cell-associated genes are directly bound by FOXP3, and FOXP3 alone is insufficient to fully specify the Treg cell programme, indicating a role for other accessory transcription factors operating upstream, downstream and/or concurrently with FOXP3 to direct Treg cell specification and specialized functions. Indeed, the heterogeneity of Treg cells can be at least partially attributed to differential expression of transcription factors that fine-tune their trafficking, survival and functional properties, some of which are niche-specific. In this Review, we discuss the emerging roles of accessory transcription factors in controlling Treg cell identity. We specifically focus on members of the basic helix-loop-helix family (AHR), basic leucine zipper family (BACH2, NFIL3 and BATF), CUT homeobox family (SATB1), zinc-finger domain family (BLIMP1, Ikaros and BCL-11B) and interferon regulatory factor family (IRF4), as well as lineage-defining transcription factors (T-bet, GATA3, RORγt and BCL-6). Understanding the imprinting of Treg cell identity and specialized function will be key to unravelling basic mechanisms of autoimmunity and identifying novel targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Trujillo-Ochoa
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Majid Kazemian
- Departments of Biochemistry and Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Behdad Afzali
- Immunoregulation Section, Kidney Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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Jiang Z, Zhu H, Wang P, Que W, Zhong L, Li X, Du F. Different subpopulations of regulatory T cells in human autoimmune disease, transplantation, and tumor immunity. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e137. [PMID: 35474948 PMCID: PMC9023873 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), a subpopulation of naturally CD4+ T cells that characteristically express transcription factor Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), play a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the prevention of autoimmunity. With the development of biological technology, the understanding of plasticity and stability of Tregs has been further developed. Recent studies have suggested that human Tregs are functionally and phenotypically diverse. The functions and mechanisms of different phenotypes of Tregs in different disease settings, such as tumor microenvironment, autoimmune diseases, and transplantation, have gradually become hot spots of immunology research that arouse extensive attention. Among the complex functions, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs possess a potent immunosuppressive capacity and can produce various cytokines, such as IL‐2, IL‐10, and TGF‐β, to regulate immune homeostasis. They can alleviate the progression of diseases by resisting inflammatory immune responses, whereas promoting the poor prognosis of diseases by helping cells evade immune surveillance or suppressing effector T cells activity. Therefore, methods for targeting Tregs to regulate their functions in the immune microenvironment, such as depleting them to strengthen tumor immunity or expanding them to treat immunological diseases, need to be developed. Here, we discuss that different subpopulations of Tregs are essential for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies involving Tregs in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Jiang
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University Guizhou P. R. China
| | - Pusen Wang
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Weitao Que
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
| | - Xiao‐Kang Li
- Department of General Surgery Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai P. R. China
- Division of Transplantation Immunology National Research Institute for Child Health and Development Tokyo Japan
| | - Futian Du
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery Weifang People's Hospital Shandong P. R. China
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Ghosh S, Leavenworth JW. Current Advances in Follicular Regulatory T-Cell Biology. Crit Rev Immunol 2022; 42:35-47. [PMID: 37017287 PMCID: PMC11034780 DOI: 10.1615/critrevimmunol.2022045746] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Follicular regulatory T (TFR) cells are a population of CD4+ T-cells that concomitantly express markers for regulatory T-cells and follicular helper T (TFH) cells, and have been predominantly implicated in the regulation of humoral immunity via their suppressive functions. Rapid and robust progress has been made in the field of TFR cell research since the discovery of this subset over a decade ago. However, there is still a significant gap in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of TFR cells under various physiologic and pathologic settings. In this review article, we aim to highlight the most up-to-date concepts and investigations in both experimental animal models and human studies to provide a perspective on our understanding of TFR biology with particular emphasis on these cells in the context of disease settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadashib Ghosh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Jianmei W. Leavenworth
- Department of Neurosurgery, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
- The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
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