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Kundura L, Cezar R, Ballongue E, André S, Michel M, Mettling C, Lozano C, Vincent T, Muller L, Lefrant JY, Roger C, Claret PG, Duvnjak S, Loubet P, Sotto A, Tran TA, Estaquier J, Corbeau P. Low Percentage of Perforin-Expressing NK Cells during Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Consumption Rather than Primary Deficiency. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:1105-1112. [PMID: 38345346 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Genetic defects in the ability to deliver effective perforin have been reported in patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. We tested the hypothesis that a primary perforin deficiency might also be causal in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. We recruited 54 volunteers confirmed as being SARS-CoV-2-infected by RT-PCR and admitted to intensive care units or non-intensive care units and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, the percentage of perforin-expressing CD3-CD56+ NK cells quantified by flow cytometry was low in COVID-19 patients (69.9 ± 17.7 versus 78.6 ± 14.6%, p = 0.026). There was no correlation between the proportions of perforin-positive NK cells and T8 lymphocytes. Moreover, the frequency of NK cells producing perforin was neither linked to disease severity nor predictive of death. Although IL-6 is known to downregulate perforin production in NK cells, we did not find any link between perforin expression and IL-6 plasma level. However, we unveiled a negative correlation between the degranulation marker CD107a and perforin expression in NK cells (r = -0.488, p = 10-4). PRF1 gene expression and the frequency of NK cells harboring perforin were normal in patients 1 y after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. A primary perforin defect does not seem to be a driver of COVID-19 because NK perforin expression is 1) linked neither to T8 perforin expression nor to disease severity, 2) inversely correlated with NK degranulation, and 3) normalized at distance from acute infection. Thus, the cause of low frequency of perforin-positive NK cells appears, rather, to be consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Kundura
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Cezar
- Immunology Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Emma Ballongue
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Sonia André
- INSERM U1124, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Moïse Michel
- Immunology Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Clément Mettling
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Lozano
- Immunology Department, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Vincent
- Immunology Department, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Muller
- Surgical Intensive Care Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Jean-Yves Lefrant
- Surgical Intensive Care Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Claire Roger
- Surgical Intensive Care Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Pierre-Géraud Claret
- Medical and Surgical Emergency Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Sandra Duvnjak
- Gerontology Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Paul Loubet
- *Infectious Diseases Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Albert Sotto
- *Infectious Diseases Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Tu-Anh Tran
- Pediatrics Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
| | - Jérôme Estaquier
- INSERM U1124, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Laval University Research Center; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pierre Corbeau
- Institute of Human Genetics, UMR9002, CNRS and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
- Immunology Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
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Hou C, Wang Z, Lu X. Impact of immunosenescence and inflammaging on the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. CANCER PATHOGENESIS AND THERAPY 2024; 2:24-30. [PMID: 38328711 PMCID: PMC10846300 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpt.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are employed in immunotherapeutic applications for patients with weakened immune systems and can improve the ability of T cells to kill cancer cells. Although ICIs can potentially treat different types of cancers in various groups of patients, their effectiveness may differ among older individuals. The reason ICIs are less effective in older adults is not yet clearly understood, but age-related changes in the immune system, such as immunosenescence and inflammation, may play a role. Therefore, this review focuses on recent advances in understanding the effects of immunosenescence and inflammation on the efficacy of ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuandong Hou
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
- Department of Hematology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Zining Wang
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
- Department of Hematology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Xuechun Lu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
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Bjorgen JC, Dick JK, Cromarty R, Hart GT, Rhein J. NK cell subsets and dysfunction during viral infection: a new avenue for therapeutics? Front Immunol 2023; 14:1267774. [PMID: 37928543 PMCID: PMC10620977 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the setting of viral challenge, natural killer (NK) cells play an important role as an early immune responder against infection. During this response, significant changes in the NK cell population occur, particularly in terms of their frequency, location, and subtype prevalence. In this review, changes in the NK cell repertoire associated with several pathogenic viral infections are summarized, with a particular focus placed on changes that contribute to NK cell dysregulation in these settings. This dysregulation, in turn, can contribute to host pathology either by causing NK cells to be hyperresponsive or hyporesponsive. Hyperresponsive NK cells mediate significant host cell death and contribute to generating a hyperinflammatory environment. Hyporesponsive NK cell populations shift toward exhaustion and often fail to limit viral pathogenesis, possibly enabling viral persistence. Several emerging therapeutic approaches aimed at addressing NK cell dysregulation have arisen in the last three decades in the setting of cancer and may prove to hold promise in treating viral diseases. However, the application of such therapeutics to treat viral infections remains critically underexplored. This review briefly explores several therapeutic approaches, including the administration of TGF-β inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive NK cell therapies, CAR NK cells, and NK cell engagers among other therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob C. Bjorgen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Jenna K. Dick
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Ross Cromarty
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Geoffrey T. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Joshua Rhein
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Lee MJ, Blish CA. Defining the role of natural killer cells in COVID-19. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1628-1638. [PMID: 37460639 PMCID: PMC10538371 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01560-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are critical effectors of antiviral immunity. Researchers have therefore sought to characterize the NK cell response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The NK cells of patients with severe COVID-19 undergo extensive phenotypic and functional changes. For example, the NK cells from critically ill patients with COVID-19 are highly activated and exhausted, with poor cytotoxic function and cytokine production upon stimulation. The NK cell response to SARS-CoV-2 is also modulated by changes induced in virally infected cells, including the ability of a viral peptide to bind HLA-E, preventing NK cells from receiving inhibitory signals, and the downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I and ligands for the activating receptor NKG2D. These changes have important implications for the ability of infected cells to escape NK cell killing. The implications of these findings for antibody-dependent NK cell activity in COVID-19 are also reviewed. Despite these advances in the understanding of the NK cell response to SARS-CoV-2, there remain critical gaps in our current understanding and a wealth of avenues for future research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J Lee
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Catherine A Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Grifoni A, Alonzi T, Alter G, Noonan DM, Landay AL, Albini A, Goletti D. Impact of aging on immunity in the context of COVID-19, HIV, and tuberculosis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1146704. [PMID: 37292210 PMCID: PMC10246744 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1146704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of aging biology needs to be expanded due to the continuously growing number of elderly people worldwide. Aging induces changes that affect all systems of the body. The risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer increases with age. In particular, the age-induced adaptation of the immune system causes a greater susceptibility to infections and contributes to the inability to control pathogen growth and immune-mediated tissue damage. Since the impact of aging on immune function, is still to be fully elucidated, this review addresses some of the recent understanding of age-related changes affecting key components of immunity. The emphasis is on immunosenescence and inflammaging that are impacted by common infectious diseases that are characterized by a high mortality, and includes COVID-19, HIV and tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Grifoni
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tonino Alonzi
- Translational Research Unit, National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani”-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Douglas McClain Noonan
- Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
- Immunology and General Pathology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Alan L. Landay
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Delia Goletti
- Translational Research Unit, National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani”-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Cocker ATH, Guethlein LA, Parham P. The CD56-CD16+ NK cell subset in chronic infections. Biochem Soc Trans 2023:233017. [PMID: 37140380 DOI: 10.1042/bst20221374] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Long-term human diseases can shape the immune system, and natural killer (NK) cells have been documented to differentiate into distinct subsets specifically associated with chronic virus infections. One of these subsets found in large frequencies in HIV-1 are the CD56-CD16+ NK cells, and this population's association with chronic virus infections is the subject of this review. Human NK cells are classically defined by CD56 expression, yet increasing evidence supports the NK cell status of the CD56-CD16+ subset which we discuss herein. We then discuss the evidence linking CD56-CD16+ NK cells to chronic virus infections, and the potential immunological pathways that are altered by long-term infection that could be inducing the population's differentiation. An important aspect of NK cell regulation is their interaction with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class-I molecules, and we highlight work that indicates both virus and genetic-mediated variations in HLA expression that have been linked to CD56-CD16+ NK cell frequencies. Finally, we offer a perspective on CD56-CD16+ NK cell function, taking into account recent work that implies the subset is comparable to CD56+CD16+ NK cell functionality in antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity response, and the definition of CD56-CD16+ NK cell subpopulations with varying degranulation capacity against target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T H Cocker
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
| | - Lisbeth A Guethlein
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
| | - Peter Parham
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, U.S.A
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