1
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Eisa M, Gomez-Escobar E, Bédard N, Abdeltawab NF, Flores N, Mazouz S, Fieffé-Bédard A, Sakayan P, Gridley J, Abdel-Hakeem MS, Bruneau J, Grakoui A, Shoukry NH. Coordinated expansion of memory T follicular helper and B cells mediates spontaneous clearance of HCV reinfection. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1403769. [PMID: 38947319 PMCID: PMC11211980 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1403769] [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: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Follicular helper T cells are essential for helping in the maturation of B cells and the production of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) during primary viral infections. However, their role during recall responses is unclear. Here, we used hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection in humans as a model to study the recall collaborative interaction between circulating CD4 T follicular helper cells (cTfh) and memory B cells (MBCs) leading to the generation of NAbs. Methods We evaluated this interaction longitudinally in subjects who have spontaneously resolved primary HCV infection during a subsequent reinfection episode that resulted in either another spontaneous resolution (SR/SR, n = 14) or chronic infection (SR/CI, n = 8). Results Both groups exhibited virus-specific memory T cells that expanded upon reinfection. However, early expansion of activated cTfh (CD4+CXCR5+PD-1+ICOS+FoxP3-) occurred in SR/SR only. The frequency of activated cTfh negatively correlated with time post-infection. Concomitantly, NAbs and HCV-specific MBCs (CD19+CD27+IgM-E2-Tet+) peaked during the early acute phase in SR/SR but not in SR/CI. Finally, the frequency of the activated cTfh1 (CXCR3+CCR6-) subset correlated with the neutralization breadth and potency of NAbs. Conclusion These results underscore a key role for early activation of cTfh1 cells in helping antigen-specific B cells to produce NAbs that mediate the clearance of HCV reinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Eisa
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elsa Gomez-Escobar
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Bédard
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nourtan F. Abdeltawab
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- School of Pharmacy, Newgiza University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nicol Flores
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sabrina Mazouz
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alizée Fieffé-Bédard
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick Sakayan
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - John Gridley
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mohamed S. Abdel-Hakeem
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Médecine familiale et département d’urgence, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Naglaa H. Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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2
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Adhikari A, Abayasingam A, Brasher NA, Kim HN, Lord M, Agapiou D, Maher L, Rodrigo C, Lloyd AR, Bull RA, Tedla N. Characterization of antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis in patients infected with hepatitis C virus with different clinical outcomes. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29381. [PMID: 38235622 PMCID: PMC10953302 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29381] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Early neutralizing antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and CD8 + T cell effector responses can lead to viral clearance. However, these functions alone are not sufficient to protect patients against HCV infection, thus undefined additional antiviral immune mechanisms are required. In recent years, Fc-receptor-dependent antibody effector functions, particularly, antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) were shown to offer immune protection against several RNA viruses. However, its development and clinical role in patients with HCV infection remain unknown. In this study, we found that patients with chronic GT1a or GT3a HCV infection had significantly higher concentrations of anti-envelope 2 (E2) antibodies, predominantly IgG1 subclass, than patients that cleared the viruses while the latter had antibodies with higher affinities. 97% of the patients with HCV had measurable ADCP of whom patients with chronic disease showed significantly higher ADCP than those who naturally cleared the virus. Epitope mapping studies showed that patients with antibodies that target antigenic domains on the HCV E2 protein that are known to associate with neutralization function are also strongly associated with ADCP, suggesting antibodies with overlapping/dual functions. Correlation studies showed that ADCP significantly correlated with plasma anti-E2 antibody levels and neutralization function regardless of clinical outcome and genotype of infecting virus, while a significant correlation between ADCP and affinity was only evident in patients that cleared the virus. These results suggest ADCP was mostly driven by antibody titer in patients with chronic disease while maintained in clearers due to the quality (affinity) of their anti-E2 antibodies despite having lower antibody titers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Adhikari
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Infection and ImmunologyKathmandu Research Institute for Biological SciencesLalitpurNepal
| | - Arunasingam Abayasingam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Nicholas A. Brasher
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Ha Na Kim
- Molecular Surface Interaction Laboratory, Mark Wainwright Analytical CentreUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Megan Lord
- Molecular Surface Interaction Laboratory, Mark Wainwright Analytical CentreUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of EngineeringUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - David Agapiou
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Lisa Maher
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Chaturaka Rodrigo
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Andrew R. Lloyd
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Rowena A. Bull
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Nicodemus Tedla
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of MedicineUNSW AustraliaSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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3
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Shoukry NH, Cox AL, Walker CM. Immunological Monitoring in Hepatitis C Virus Controlled Human Infection Model. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:S270-S275. [PMID: 37579206 PMCID: PMC10425133 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad359] [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: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Controlled human infection model trials for hepatitis C virus represent an important opportunity to identify correlates of protective immunity against a well-characterized inoculum of hepatitis C virus and how such responses are modified by vaccination. In this article, we discuss the approach to immunological monitoring during such trials, including a set of recommendations for optimal sampling schedule and preferred immunological assays to examine the different arms of the immune response. We recommend that this approach be adapted to different trial designs. Finally, we discuss how these studies can provide surrogate predictors of the success of candidate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naglaa H Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Andrea L Cox
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher M Walker
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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4
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Osmani Z, Boonstra A. Recent Insights into the Role of B Cells in Chronic Hepatitis B and C Infections. Pathogens 2023; 12:815. [PMID: 37375505 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic viral hepatitis infections, caused by the hepatitis B or C virus, are a major global health problem causing an estimated one million deaths each year. Immunological studies have classically focused on T cells, while B cells have largely been neglected. Emerging evidence, however, highlights a role for B cells in the immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B and C infections. B cell responses appear to be altered across different clinical phases of chronic HBV infection and across stages of disease in chronic HCV infection. These B cell responses show signs of a more activated state with a simultaneous enrichment of phenotypically exhausted atypical memory B cells. Despite the fact that studies show an activating B cell signature in chronic viral hepatitis infection, antibody responses to HBsAg remain impaired in chronic HBV infection, and glycoprotein E2-specific neutralizing antibody responses remain delayed in the acute phase of HCV infection. At the same time, studies have reported that a subset of HBV- and HCV-specific B cells exhibit an exhausted phenotype. This may, at least in part, explain why antibody responses in chronic HBV and HCV patients are suboptimal. Here, we summarize recent findings and discuss upcoming research questions while looking forward to how new single-cell technologies could provide novel insights into the role of B cells in chronic viral hepatitis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zgjim Osmani
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andre Boonstra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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5
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Mazouz S, Salinas E, Bédard N, Filali A, Khedr O, Swadling L, Abdel-Hakeem MS, Siddique A, Barnes E, Bruneau J, Grakoui A, Shoukry NH. Differential immune transcriptomic profiles between vaccinated and resolved HCV reinfected subjects. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010968. [PMID: 36378682 PMCID: PMC9707775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Successive episodes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represent a unique natural rechallenge experiment to define correlates of long-term protective immunity and inform vaccine development. We applied a systems immunology approach to characterize longitudinal changes in the peripheral blood transcriptomic signatures in eight subjects who spontaneously resolved two successive HCV infections. Furthermore, we compared these signatures with those induced by an HCV T cell-based vaccine regimen. We identified a plasma cell transcriptomic signature during early acute HCV reinfection. This signature was absent in primary infection and following HCV vaccine boost. Spontaneous resolution of HCV reinfection was associated with rapid expansion of glycoprotein E2-specifc memory B cells in three subjects and transient increase in E2-specific neutralizing antibodies in six subjects. Concurrently, there was an increase in the breadth and magnitude of HCV-specific T cells in 7 out of 8 subjects. These results suggest a cooperative role for both antibodies and T cells in clearance of HCV reinfection and support the development of next generation HCV vaccines targeting these two arms of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Mazouz
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eduardo Salinas
- Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nathalie Bédard
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ali Filali
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Omar Khedr
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Leo Swadling
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohamed S. Abdel-Hakeem
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Asiyah Siddique
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eleanor Barnes
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de médecine familiale et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Naglaa H. Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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6
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Nishio A, Hasan S, Park H, Park N, Salas JH, Salinas E, Kardava L, Juneau P, Frumento N, Massaccesi G, Moir S, Bailey JR, Grakoui A, Ghany MG, Rehermann B. Serum neutralization activity declines but memory B cells persist after cure of chronic hepatitis C. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5446. [PMID: 36114169 PMCID: PMC9481596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33035-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections underscores the need for an effective vaccine. Successful vaccines to other viruses generally depend on a long-lasting humoral response. However, data on the half-life of HCV-specific responses are lacking. Here we study archived sera and mononuclear cells that were prospectively collected up to 18 years after cure of chronic HCV infection to determine the role of HCV antigen in maintaining neutralizing antibody and B cell responses. We show that HCV-neutralizing activity decreases rapidly in potency and breadth after curative treatment. In contrast, HCV-specific memory B cells persist, and display a restored resting phenotype, normalized chemokine receptor expression and preserved ability to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells. The short half-life of HCV-neutralizing activity is consistent with a lack of long-lived plasma cells. The persistence of HCV-specific memory B cells and the reduced inflammation after cure provide an opportunity for vaccination to induce protective immunity against re-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Nishio
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sharika Hasan
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Heiyoung Park
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nana Park
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jordan H Salas
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Eduardo Salinas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Lela Kardava
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul Juneau
- Division of Data Services, NIH Library, Office of Research Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Contractor- Zimmerman Associates, Inc, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Nicole Frumento
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Guido Massaccesi
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Susan Moir
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Justin R Bailey
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Clinical Research Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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7
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Zhang Z, Chang WY, Wang K, Yang Y, Wang X, Yao C, Wu T, Wang L, Wang T. Interpreting the B-cell receptor repertoire with single-cell gene expression using Benisse. NAT MACH INTELL 2022. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-022-00492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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8
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Ogega CO, Skinner NE, Flyak AI, Clark KE, Board NL, Bjorkman PJ, Crowe JE, Cox AL, Ray SC, Bailey JR. B cell overexpression of FCRL5 and PD-1 is associated with low antibody titers in HCV infection. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010179. [PMID: 34990486 PMCID: PMC8769295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies targeting the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein E2 are associated with delayed disease progression, and these antibodies can also facilitate spontaneous clearance of infection in some individuals. However, many infected people demonstrate low titer and delayed anti-E2 antibody responses. Since a goal of HCV vaccine development is induction of high titers of anti-E2 antibodies, it is important to define the mechanisms underlying these suboptimal antibody responses. By staining lymphocytes with a cocktail of soluble E2 (sE2) glycoproteins, we detected HCV E2-specific (sE2+) B cells directly ex vivo at multiple acute infection timepoints in 29 HCV-infected subjects with a wide range of anti-E2 IgG titers, including 17 persistently infected subjects and 12 subjects with spontaneous clearance of infection. We performed multi-dimensional flow cytometric analysis of sE2+ and E2-nonspecific (sE2-) class-switched B cells (csBC). In sE2+ csBC from both persistence and clearance subjects, frequencies of resting memory B cells (rMBC) were reduced, frequencies of activated MBC (actMBC) and tissue-like MBC (tlMBC) were increased, and expression of FCRL5, an IgG receptor, was significantly upregulated. Across all subjects, plasma anti-E2 IgG levels were positively correlated with frequencies of sE2+ rMBC and sE2+ actMBC, while anti-E2 IgG levels were negatively correlated with levels of FCRL5 expression on sE2+ rMBC and PD-1 expression on sE2+ actMBC. Upregulation of FCRL5 on sE2+ rMBC and upregulation of PD-1 on sE2+ actMBC may limit anti-E2 antibody production in vivo. Strategies that limit upregulation of these molecules could potentially generate higher titers of protective antibodies against HCV or other pathogens. Antiviral immunity relies on production of protective immunoglobulin G (IgG) by B cells, but many hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals have very low levels of HCV-specific IgG in their serum. Elucidating mechanisms underlying this suboptimal IgG expression remains paramount in guiding therapeutic and vaccine strategies. In this study, we developed a highly specific method to capture HCV-specific B cells and characterized their surface protein expression. Two proteins analyzed were Fc receptor-like protein 5 (FCRL5), a cell surface receptor for IgG, and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), a marker of lymphocyte activation and exhaustion. We measured serum levels of anti-HCV IgG in these subjects and demonstrated that overexpression of FCRL5 and PD-1 on memory B cells was associated with reduced anti-E2 IgG levels. This study uses HCV as a viral model, but the findings may be applicable to many viral infections, and they offer new potential targets to enhance antiviral IgG production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton O. Ogega
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nicole E. Skinner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrew I. Flyak
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn E. Clark
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nathan L. Board
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Pamela J. Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - James E. Crowe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Andrea L. Cox
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stuart C. Ray
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Justin R. Bailey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Shoukry NH. Towards a Systems Immunology Approach to Understanding Correlates of Protective Immunity against HCV. Viruses 2021; 13:1871. [PMID: 34578451 PMCID: PMC8473057 DOI: 10.3390/v13091871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in systems biology-based approaches to studying immunity to viral infections and responses to vaccines. These approaches that integrate multiple facets of the immune response, including transcriptomics, serology and immune functions, are now being applied to understand correlates of protective immunity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and to inform vaccine development. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding immunity to HCV using systems biology, specifically transcriptomic and epigenetic studies. It also examines proposed strategies moving forward towards an integrated systems immunology approach for predicting and evaluating the efficacy of the next generation of HCV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naglaa H. Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Tour Viger, Local R09.414, 900 Rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada;
- Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
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10
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Salinas E, Boisvert M, Upadhyay AA, Bédard N, Nelson SA, Bruneau J, Derdeyn CA, Marcotrigiano J, Evans MJ, Bosinger SE, Shoukry NH, Grakoui A. Early T follicular helper cell activity accelerates hepatitis C virus-specific B cell expansion. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:140590. [PMID: 33463551 DOI: 10.1172/jci140590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Early appearance of neutralizing antibodies during acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with spontaneous viral clearance. However, the longitudinal changes in antigen-specific memory B cell (MBCs) associated with divergent HCV infection outcomes remain undefined. We characterized longitudinal changes in E2 glycoprotein-specific MBCs from subjects who either spontaneously resolved acute HCV infection or progressed to chronic infection, using single-cell RNA-seq and functional assays. HCV-specific antibodies in plasma from chronically infected subjects recognized multiple E2 genotypes, while those from spontaneous resolvers exhibited variable cross-reactivity to heterotypic E2. E2-specific MBCs from spontaneous resolvers peaked early after infection (4-6 months), following expansion of activated circulating T follicular helper cells (cTfh) expressing interleukin 21. In contrast, E2-specific MBCs from chronically infected subjects, enriched in VH1-69, expanded during persistent infection (> 1 year), in the absence of significantly activated cTfh expansion. Early E2-specific MBCs from spontaneous resolvers produced monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with fewer somatic hypermutations and lower E2 binding but similar neutralization as mAbs from late E2-specific MBCs of chronically infected subjects. These findings indicate that early cTfh activity accelerates expansion of E2-specific MBCs during acute infection, which might contribute to spontaneous clearance of HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Salinas
- Division of Infectious diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Maude Boisvert
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Amit A Upadhyay
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nathalie Bédard
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sydney A Nelson
- Yerkes NHP Genomics Core Laboratory, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine Familiale et de Médecine D'Urgence, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cynthia A Derdeyn
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Joseph Marcotrigiano
- Structural Virology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew J Evans
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Steven E Bosinger
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Yerkes NHP Genomics Core Laboratory, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Naglaa H Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Division of Infectious diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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11
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Kardani K, Sadat SM, Kardani M, Bolhassani A. The next generation of HCV vaccines: a focus on novel adjuvant development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:839-855. [PMID: 34114513 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1941895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Considerable efforts have been made to treat and prevent acute and chronic infections caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Current treatments are unable to protect people from reinfection. Hence, there is a need for development of both preventive and therapeutic HCV vaccines. Many vaccine candidates are in development to fight against HCV, but their efficacy has so far proven limited partly due to low immunogenicity. AREAS COVERED We explore development of novel and powerful adjuvants to achieve an effective HCV vaccine. The basis for developing strong adjuvants is to understand the innate immunity pathway, which subsequently stimulates humoral and cellular immune responses. We have also investigated immunogenicity of developed adjuvants that have been used in recent studies available in online databases such as PubMed, PMC, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, etc. EXPERT OPINION Adjuvants are used as a part of vaccine formulation to boost vaccine immunogenicity and antigen delivery. Several FDA-approved adjuvants are used in licensed human vaccines. Unfortunately, no adjuvant has yet been proven to boost HCV immune responses to the extent needed for an effective vaccine. One of the promising approaches for developing an effective adjuvant is the combination of various adjuvants to trigger several innate immune responses, leading to activation of adaptive immunity.[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Kardani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Kardani
- Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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12
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Jin X, Zhou W, Luo M, Wang P, Xu Z, Ma K, Cao H, Xu C, Huang Y, Cheng R, Xiao L, Lin X, Pang F, Li Y, Nie H, Jiang Q. Global characterization of B cell receptor repertoire in COVID-19 patients by single-cell V(D)J sequencing. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6278607. [PMID: 34015809 PMCID: PMC8194558 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The world is facing a pandemic of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Adaptive immune responses are essential for SARS-CoV-2 virus clearance. Although a large body of studies have been conducted to investigate the immune mechanism in COVID-19 patients, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the BCR repertoire in patients. In this study, we used the single-cell V(D)J sequencing to characterize the BCR repertoire across convalescent COVID-19 patients. We observed that the BCR diversity was significantly reduced in disease compared with healthy controls. And BCRs tend to skew toward different V gene segments in COVID-19 and healthy controls. The CDR3 sequences of heavy chain in clonal BCRs in patients were more convergent than that in healthy controls. In addition, we discovered increased IgG and IgA isotypes in the disease, including IgG1, IgG3 and IgA1. In all clonal BCRs, IgG isotypes had the most frequent class switch recombination events and the highest somatic hypermutation rate, especially IgG3. Moreover, we found that an IgG3 cluster from different clonal groups had the same IGHV, IGHJ and CDR3 sequences (IGHV4-4-CARLANTNQFYDSSSYLNAMDVW-IGHJ6). Overall, our study provides a comprehensive characterization of the BCR repertoire in COVID-19 patients, which contributes to the understanding of the mechanism for the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyun Jin
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Wenyang Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Meng Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Zhaochun Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Kexin Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Huimin Cao
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Chang Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Yan Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Rui Cheng
- Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Lixing Xiao
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | | | | | - Yiqun Li
- Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Huan Nie
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
| | - Qinghua Jiang
- School of Life Science and Technology at the Harbin Institute of Technology, China
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13
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Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL), the Canadian Network on Hepatitis C (CANHEPC) and the Canadian Association of Hepatology Nurses (CAHN) 2021 Abstracts. CANADIAN LIVER JOURNAL 2021; 4:113-248. [PMID: 35991765 PMCID: PMC9204943 DOI: 10.3138/canlivj.4.2.abst] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
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14
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Lutckii A, Strunz B, Zhirkov A, Filipovich O, Rukoiatkina E, Gusev D, Lobzin Y, Fischler B, Aleman S, Sällberg M, Björkström NK. Evidence for B cell maturation but not trained immunity in uninfected infants exposed to hepatitis C virus. Gut 2020; 69:2203-2213. [PMID: 32341018 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-320269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rare compared with other chronic viral infections, despite that newborns have an immature, and possibly more susceptible, immune system. It further remains unclear to what extent prenatal and perinatal exposure to HCV affects immune system development in neonates. DESIGN To address this, we studied B cells, innate immune cells and soluble factors in a cohort of 62 children that were either unexposed, exposed uninfected or infected with HCV. Forty of these infants were followed longitudinally from birth up until 18 months of age. RESULTS As expected, evidence for B cell maturation was observed with increased age in children, whereas few age-related changes were noticed among innate immune cells. HCV-infected children had a high frequency of HCV-specific IgG-secreting B cells. Such a response was also detected in some exposed but uninfected children but not in uninfected controls. Consistent with this, both HCV-exposed uninfected and HCV-infected infants had evidence of early B cell immune maturation with an increased proportion of IgA-positive plasma cells and upregulated CD40 expression. In contrast, actual HCV viraemia, but not mere exposure, led to alterations within myeloid immune cell populations, natural killer (NK) cells and a distinct soluble factor profile with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. CONCLUSION Our data reveal that exposure to, and infection with, HCV causes disparate effects on adaptive B cells and innate immune cell such as myeloid cells and NK cells in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Lutckii
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Benedikt Strunz
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anton Zhirkov
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Olga Filipovich
- North-Western State Medical University named after I.I.Mechnikov, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Elena Rukoiatkina
- Maternity Hospital No 16, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Department of Pediatrics, Gynecology and Female Reproductology, Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Denis Gusev
- Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Yuriy Lobzin
- Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Björn Fischler
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Soo Aleman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matti Sällberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Niklas K Björkström
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Zoldan K, Hofmann M. B protected: from vertical HCV transmission? Gut 2020; 69:2061-2062. [PMID: 32606206 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Zoldan
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maike Hofmann
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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16
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Immune system control of hepatitis C virus infection. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 46:36-44. [PMID: 33137689 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global public health problem even though more than 95% of infections can be cured by treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents. Resolution of viremia post antiviral therapy does not lead to protective immunity and therefore reinfections can occur. Immune cell detection of HCV activates signaling pathways that produce interferons and trigger the innate immune response against the virus, preventing HCV replication and spread. Cells in the innate immune system, including natural killer, dendritic, and Kupffer cells, interact with infected hepatocytes and present viral antigens to T and B cells where their effector responses contribute to infection outcome. Despite the immune activation, HCV can evade the host response and establish persistent infection. Plans to understand the correlates of protection and strategies to activate proper innate and adaptive immune responses are needed for development of an effective prophylactic vaccine that stimulates protective immunity and limits HCV transmission.
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17
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Olbrich A, Wardemann H, Böhm S, Rother K, Colpitts CC, Wrensch F, Baumert TF, Berg T, Benckert J. Repertoire and Neutralizing Activity of Antibodies Against Hepatitis C Virus E2 Peptide in Patients With Spontaneous Resolution of Hepatitis C. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1209-1218. [PMID: 31165162 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies can prevent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, one of the leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Here, we characterized the immunoglobulin repertoire of memory B-cell antibodies against a linear epitope in the central front layer of the HCV envelope (E2; amino acids 483-499) in patients who were infected in a single-source outbreak. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based immunoglobulin gene cloning and recombinant expression approach was used to express monoclonal antibodies from HCV E2 peptide-binding immunoglobulin G-positive memory B cells. We identified highly mutated antibodies with a neutralizing effect in vitro against different genotype isolates sharing similar gene features. Our data confirm the importance of VH1-69 use for neutralizing activity. The data offer a promising basis for vaccine research and the use of anti-E2 antibodies as a means of passive immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Olbrich
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Section of Hepatology, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hedda Wardemann
- Division of B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Böhm
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Section of Hepatology, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Munich, Germany
| | - Karen Rother
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Section of Hepatology, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Che C Colpitts
- Inserm U1110, University of Strasbourg, France.,Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Wrensch
- Clinic for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité, CVK, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas F Baumert
- Clinic for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité, CVK, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Berg
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Section of Hepatology, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Benckert
- Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Section of Hepatology, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Clinic Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Inserm U1110, University of Strasbourg, France
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18
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Thapa M, Tedesco D, Gumber S, Elrod EJ, Han JH, Kitchens WH, Magliocca JF, Adams AB, Grakoui A. Blockade of BAFF Reshapes the Hepatic B Cell Receptor Repertoire and Attenuates Autoantibody Production in Cholestatic Liver Disease. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 204:3117-3128. [PMID: 32332110 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Defects in biliary transport proteins, MDR3 in humans and Mdr2 in mice, can lead to a spectrum of cholestatic liver disorders. Although B cell disorders and the aberrant Ab production are the leading extrahepatic manifestations of cholestatic liver diseases, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is incompletely understood. Using mice with deficiency of Mdr2 that progressively develop cholestatic liver disease, we investigated the contributions of BAFF to aberrant IgG autoantibody production and hepatic fibrosis. In Mdr2-/- mice, hepatic B lymphocytes constitutively produced IgG during fibrosis progression, which correlated with elevated serum levels of BAFF, antinuclear Abs (ANA) and immune complexes. The elevated BAFF and ANA titers were also detected in human patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and hepatobiliary cholangiopathies. Consistent with the higher BAFF levels, liver-specific selection of the focused BCR IgH repertoire was found on hepatic B cells in Mdr2-/- mice. Interestingly, the administration of anti-BAFF mAb in Mdr2-/- mice altered the BCR repertoire on hepatic B lymphocytes and resulted in reduced ANA and immune complex titers. However, anti-BAFF treatment did not attenuate hepatic fibrosis as measured by collagen deposition, hepatic expressions of collagen-1a, α-smooth muscle actin, and mononuclear cell infiltration (CD11b+ Ly-6chi monocytes and CD11b+ Gr1+ neutrophils). Importantly, depletion of B cells by anti-CD20 mAb reduced both hepatic fibrosis and serum levels of ANA and immune complexes. Our findings implicate B cells as the potential therapeutic targets for hepatic fibrosis and targeting BAFF specifically for attenuating the autoantibody production associated with cholestatic liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Thapa
- Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329;
| | - Dana Tedesco
- Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Sanjeev Gumber
- Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Yerkes Research Primate Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Elizabeth J Elrod
- Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Jin-Hwan Han
- Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - William H Kitchens
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; and
| | - Joseph F Magliocca
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; and
| | - Andrew B Adams
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; and
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329; .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
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19
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Le Bert N, Salimzadeh L, Gill US, Dutertre CA, Facchetti F, Tan A, Hung M, Novikov N, Lampertico P, Fletcher SP, Kennedy PTF, Bertoletti A. Comparative characterization of B cells specific for HBV nucleocapsid and envelope proteins in patients with chronic hepatitis B. J Hepatol 2020; 72:34-44. [PMID: 31348999 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Knowledge about the regulation of anti-HBV humoral immunity during natural HBV infection is limited. We recently utilized dual fluorochrome-conjugated HBsAg to demonstrate, in patients with chronic HBV (CHB) infection, the functional impairment of their HBsAg-specific B cells. However, the features of their HBcAg-specific B cells are unknown. Here we developed a method to directly visualize, select and characterize HBcAg-specific B cells in parallel with HBsAg-specific B cells. METHODS Fluorochrome-conjugated HBcAg reagents were synthesized and utilized to directly detect ex vivo HBcAg-specific B cells in 36 patients with CHB. The frequency, phenotype, functional maturation and transcriptomic profile of HBcAg-specific B cells was studied by flow cytometry, in vitro maturation assays and NanoString-based detection of expression of immune genes, which we compared with HBsAg-specific B cells and total B cells. RESULTS HBcAg-specific B cells are present at a higher frequency than HBsAg-specific B cells in patients with CHB and, unlike HBsAg-specific B cells, they mature efficiently into antibody-secreting cells in vitro. Their phenotypic and transcriptomic profiles show that HBcAg-specific B cells are preferentially IgG+ memory B cells. However, despite their phenotypic and functional differences, HBcAg- and HBsAg-specific B cells from patients with CHB share an mRNA expression pattern that differs from global memory B cells and is characterized by high expression of genes indicative of cross-presentation and innate immune activity. CONCLUSIONS During chronic HBV infection, a direct relation exists between serological detection of anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibodies, and the quantity and function of their respective specific B cells. However, the transcriptomic analysis performed in HBsAg- and HBcAg-specific B cells suggests additional roles of HBV-specific B cells beyond the production of antibodies. LAY SUMMARY Protection of viral infection necessitates the production of antibodies that are generated by specialized cells of the immune system called B cells. During chronic HBV infection, antibodies against the internal part of the virus (core or HBcAg) are detectable while the antibodies directed against the virus envelope (surface or HBsAg) are not present. Here we developed a method that allows us to directly visualize ex vivo the B cells specific for these 2 viral components, highlighting their differences and similarities, and showing how 2 components of the same virus can have different impacts on the function of antiviral B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Le Bert
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Loghman Salimzadeh
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Upkar Singh Gill
- Barts Liver Centre, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Charles-Antoine Dutertre
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Immunology Network, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Floriana Facchetti
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Anthony Tan
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Magdeleine Hung
- Gilead Sciences, Department of Biology, Foster City, CA, USA
| | - Nikolai Novikov
- Gilead Sciences, Department of Biology, Foster City, CA, USA
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonio Bertoletti
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Singapore Immunology Network, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
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20
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Zhang J, Liu W, Wen B, Xie T, Tang P, Hu Y, Huang L, Jin K, Zhang P, Liu Z, Niu L, Qu X. Circulating CXCR3 + Tfh cells positively correlate with neutralizing antibody responses in HCV-infected patients. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10090. [PMID: 31300682 PMCID: PMC6626020 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46533-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating T follicular helper (cTfh) cells have been identified as counterparts of germinal center Tfh (GC Tfh) cells in humans and can support T-dependent B cell maturation and antibody production in vitro. However, the role of cTfh cells in neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses in HCV infection remains unclear. Here, we characterized the phenotype and function of cTfh cells and demonstrated the associations of cTfh cells and their subsets with nAb responses in HCV infection. A total of 38 HCV-infected individuals and 28 healthy controls were enrolled from a pool of injection drug users. The frequency and function of blood Tfh cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The titers and breadths of serum nAbs were measured using HCV pseudo-particle neutralization assays. Herein, we report several key observations. First, HCV infection skewed cTfh toward CXCR3+ cTfh cell differentiation. Second, the frequency of CXCR3+ cTfh cells positively correlated with HCV nAb titers and breadths. Third, CXCR3+ cTfh cells showed higher expression of Tfh-associated molecules (PD-1, ICOS, IL-21, Bcl-6) compared with CXCR3− cTfh cells from individuals with HCV infection. Coculture of cTfh cells and autologous memory B cells in vitro indicated that CXCR3+ cTfh cells show a superior ability to support HCV E2-specific B cell expansion compared with CXCR3− cTfh cells from individuals with HCV infection. HCV infection skews cTfh cells toward CXCR3-biased Tfh cell differentiation, which positively correlates with the magnitude and breadth of the HCV nAb response. It is our hope that these findings will provide insights for the rational design of a nAb-based HCV vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Wenpei Liu
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China.,Affiliated The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Southern Medical University, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Bo Wen
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Ting Xie
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Ping Tang
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Yabin Hu
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Liyan Huang
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Kun Jin
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Ziyan Liu
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Ling Niu
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Xiaowang Qu
- Translational Medicine Institute, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, University of South China, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China. .,Affiliated The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Southern Medical University, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, China.
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21
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Wu BR, Eltahla AA, Keoshkerian E, Walker MR, Underwood A, Brasher NA, Agapiou D, Lloyd AR, Bull RA. A method for detecting hepatitis C envelope specific memory B cells from multiple genotypes using cocktail E2 tetramers. J Immunol Methods 2019; 472:65-74. [PMID: 31226262 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a rapidly mutating RNA virus, with a strong propensity to cause chronic infection and progressive liver disease. Recent evidence has shown that early appearance of neutralizing antibodies in primary infection is associated with clearance. Little is known about the characteristics of HCV-specific B cells and their correlation with outcomes in primary infection, as there is a lack of sensitive tools for HCV-specific B cells which are present at very low frequency. We describe the development and optimisation of tetramer staining for flow cytometric detection of HCV-specific B cells using a cocktail of two recombinant HCV Envelope-2 (rE2) glycoproteins (from genotype 1a and 3a; Gt1a and Gt3a) and streptavidin dyes. The optimal weight to weight (w/w) ratio of streptavidin-phycoerythrin (PE) and rE2 proteins were determined for sensitive detection using HCV E2-specific hybridoma cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from HCV-infected individuals. In a cross-sectional set of PBMC samples collected from 33 subjects with either chronic infection or previous clearance, HCV E2-specific B cells (CD19+CD20+CD10-IgD-tetramer+) were detected in 29 subjects (87.8%), with a mean frequency of 0.45% (0.012-2.20%). To validate the specificity of tetramer staining, 367 HCV E2-specific B cells were single cell sorted from 9 PBMC samples before monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were synthesised, with 87.5% being reactive to E2 via ELISA. Of these mAbs, 284 and 246 clones were reactive to either Gt1a or Gt3a E2 proteins, respectively. This is a sensitive and robust method for future studies investigating B cell responses against the HCV Envelope protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Ru Wu
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Auda A Eltahla
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Keoshkerian
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Melanie R Walker
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Alex Underwood
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Brasher
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David Agapiou
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew R Lloyd
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rowena A Bull
- School of Medical Sciences and the Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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22
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Shoukry NH. Hepatitis C Vaccines, Antibodies, and T Cells. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1480. [PMID: 30002657 PMCID: PMC6031729 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of vaccines that protect against persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain a public health priority. The broad use of highly effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) is unlikely to achieve HCV elimination without vaccines that can limit viral transmission. Two vaccines targeting either the antibody or the T cell response are currently in preclinical or clinical trials. Next-generation vaccines will likely involve a combination of these two strategies. This review summarizes the state of knowledge about the immune protective role of HCV-specific antibodies and T cells and the current vaccine strategies. In addition, it discusses the potential efficacy of vaccination in DAA-cured individuals. Finally, it summarizes the challenges to vaccine development and the collaborative efforts required to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naglaa H Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de médecine, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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23
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Guo Y, Yu H, Zhong Y, He Y, Qin X, Qin Y, Zhou Y, Zhang P, Zhang Y, Li Z, Jia Z. Lectin microarray and mass spectrometric analysis of hepatitis C proteins reveals N-linked glycosylation. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018; 97:e0208. [PMID: 29642144 PMCID: PMC5908620 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000010208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We used lectin microarray and mass spectrometric analysis to identify the N-linked glycosylation patterns of hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles. HCV J6/JFH-1 chimeric cell culture (HCVcc) in the culture supernatant was concentrated and purified by ultrafiltration and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. Twelve fractions were collected from the top and analyzed for viral infectivity and HCV RNA content after sucrose gradient separation. HCV RNA and proteins were separated by ultracentrifugation in a continuous 10% to 60% sucrose gradient to purify viral particles based on their sedimentation velocities. HCVcc particles were found mainly in fractions 6 to 8, as determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis for HCV RNA and ELISA of the HCV core protein. The N-glycans on HCV proteins were analyzed by lectin microarray and mass spectrometry. We identified that 32 of 37 lectins displayed the positive binding signals and 16 types of N-glycoforms of which the major HCV glycoforms were high mannose-type N-linked oligosaccharides, hybrid N-glycans, and fucosylated N-glycans. Our study provided new detailed information regarding the majority of the glycan-protein profile, complementing to previous findings of glycan-HCV protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghong Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University
| | - Hanjie Yu
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Science, Northwest University
| | - Yaogang Zhong
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Science, Northwest University
| | - Yu He
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinmin Qin
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Science, Northwest University
| | - Yuan Qin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peixin Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Science, Northwest University
| | - Zhansheng Jia
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Baqiao District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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24
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Abdel-Hakeem MS, Boisvert M, Bruneau J, Soudeyns H, Shoukry NH. Selective expansion of high functional avidity memory CD8 T cell clonotypes during hepatitis C virus reinfection and clearance. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006191. [PMID: 28146579 PMCID: PMC5305272 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of the memory CD8 T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire upon virus re-exposure and factors governing the selection of TCR clonotypes conferring protective immunity in real life settings are poorly understood. Here, we examined the dynamics and functionality of the virus-specific memory CD8 TCR repertoire before, during and after hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection in patients who spontaneously resolved two consecutive infections (SR/SR) and patients who resolved a primary but failed to clear a subsequent infection (SR/CI). The TCR repertoire was narrower prior to reinfection in the SR/SR group as compared to the SR/CI group and became more focused upon reinfection. CD8 T cell clonotypes expanding upon re-exposure and associated with protection from viral persistence were recruited from the memory T cell pool. Individual CD8 T cell lines generated from the SR/SR group exhibited higher functional avidity and polyfunctionality as compared to cell lines from the SR/CI group. Our results suggest that protection from viral persistence upon HCV reinfection is associated with focusing of the HCV-specific CD8 memory T cell repertoire from which established cell lines showed high functional avidity. These findings are applicable to vaccination strategies aiming at shaping the protective human T cell repertoire. In this study we examined the diversity and dynamics of the repertoire of receptors of CD8 T cells that are selected and enriched upon real-life multiple exposures to viral infections. Using hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a cohort of high risk people who inject drugs, we demonstrate that protection upon two subsequent infections was associated with a narrow repertoire of virus-specific CD8 T cells and selective expansion of cells with high polyfunctionality (increased TNFα production and cytotoxic potential). Our results have important implications in vaccination programs aiming at shaping the CD8 T cell repertoire against viral infections and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed S. Abdel-Hakeem
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maude Boisvert
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de médecine familiale et de médecine d’urgence, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hugo Soudeyns
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Naglaa H. Shoukry
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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