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Mathieu C, Wiedeman A, Cerosaletti K, Long SA, Serti E, Cooney L, Vermeiren J, Caluwaerts S, Van Huynegem K, Steidler L, Blomme S, Rottiers P, Nepom GT, Herold KC. A first-in-human, open-label Phase 1b and a randomised, double-blind Phase 2a clinical trial in recent-onset type 1 diabetes with AG019 as monotherapy and in combination with teplizumab. Diabetologia 2024; 67:27-41. [PMID: 37782353 PMCID: PMC10709251 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-023-06014-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS We hypothesised that islet beta cell antigen presentation in the gut along with a tolerising cytokine would lead to antigen-specific tolerance in type 1 diabetes. We evaluated this in a parallel open-label Phase 1b study using oral AG019, food-grade Lactococcus lactis bacteria genetically modified to express human proinsulin and human IL-10, as a monotherapy and in a parallel, randomised, double-blind Phase 2a study using AG019 in combination with teplizumab. METHODS Adults (18-42 years) and adolescents (12-17 years) with type 1 diabetes diagnosed within 150 days were enrolled, with documented evidence of at least one autoantibody and a stimulated peak C-peptide level >0.2 nmol/l. Participants were allocated to interventions using interactive response technology. We treated 42 people aged 12-42 years with recent-onset type 1 diabetes, 24 with Phase 1b monotherapy (open-label) and 18 with Phase 2a combination therapy. In the Phase 2a study, after treatment of the first two open-label participants, all people involved were blinded to group assignment, except for the Data Safety Monitoring Board members and the unblinded statistician. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability based on the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events, collected up to 6 months post treatment initiation. The secondary endpoints were pharmacokinetics, based on AG019 detection in blood and faeces, and pharmacodynamic activity. Metabolic and immune endpoints included stimulated C-peptide levels during a mixed meal tolerance test, HbA1c levels, insulin use, and antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses using an activation-induced marker assay and pooled tetramers, respectively. RESULTS Data from 24 Phase 1b participants and 18 Phase 2a participants were analysed. No serious adverse events were reported and none of the participants discontinued AG019 due to treatment-emergent adverse events. No systemic exposure to AG019 bacteria, proinsulin or human IL-10 was demonstrated. In AG019 monotherapy-treated adults, metabolic variables were stabilised up to 6 months (C-peptide, insulin use) or 12 months (HbA1c) post treatment initiation. In participants treated with AG019/teplizumab combination therapy, all measured metabolic variables stabilised or improved up to 12 months and CD8+ T cells with a partially exhausted phenotype were significantly increased at 6 months. Circulating preproinsulin-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were detected before and after treatment, with a reduction in the frequency of preproinsulin-specific CD8+ T cells after treatment with monotherapy or combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Oral delivery of AG019 was well tolerated and safe as monotherapy and in combination with teplizumab. AG019 was not shown to interfere with the safety profile of teplizumab and may have additional biological effects, including changes in preproinsulin-specific T cells. These preliminary data support continuing studies with this agent alone and in combination with teplizumab or other systemic immunotherapies in type 1 diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03751007, EudraCT 2017-002871-24 FUNDING: This study was funded by Precigen ActoBio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Mathieu
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, University Hospital of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alice Wiedeman
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karen Cerosaletti
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - S Alice Long
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kevan C Herold
- Department of Immunology and Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Narsale A, Almanza F, Tran T, Lam B, Seo D, Vu A, Long SA, Cooney L, Serti E, Davies JD. Th2 cell clonal expansion at diagnosis in human type 1 diabetes. Clin Immunol 2023; 257:109829. [PMID: 37907122 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2023.109829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Soon after diagnosis with type 1 diabetes (T1D), many patients experience a period of partial remission. A longer partial remission is associated with a better response to treatment, but the mechanism is not known. The frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127hi (127-hi) cells, a cell subset with an anti-inflammatory Th2 bias, correlates positively with length of partial remission. The purpose of this study was to further characterize the nature of the Th2 bias in 127-hi cells. Single cell RNA sequencing paired with TCR sequencing of sorted 127-hi memory cells identifies clonally expanded Th2 clusters in 127-hi cells from T1D, but not from healthy donors. The Th2 clusters express GATA3, GATA3-AS1, PTGDR2, IL17RB, IL4R and IL9R. The existence of 127-hi Th2 cell clonal expansion in T1D suggests that disease factors may induce clonal expansion of 127-hi Th2 cells that prolong partial remission and delay disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Narsale
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
| | - Francisco Almanza
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
| | - Theo Tran
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Breanna Lam
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
| | - David Seo
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Alisa Vu
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
| | - S Alice Long
- Benaroya Research Institute, 1201 9(th) Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
| | | | | | - Joanna D Davies
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, 3525 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
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Balmas E, Chen J, Hu AK, DeBerg HA, Rosasco MG, Gersuk VH, Serti E, Speake C, Greenbaum CJ, Nepom GT, Linsley PS, Cerosaletti K. Islet-autoreactive CD4+ T cells are linked with response to alefacept in type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e167881. [PMID: 37751304 PMCID: PMC10721267 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in the preservation of β cell function in clinical trials in type 1 diabetes (T1D) has emphasized the need to define biomarkers to predict treatment response. The T1DAL trial targeted T cells with alefacept (LFA-3-Ig) and demonstrated C-peptide preservation in approximately 30% of new-onset T1D individuals. We analyzed islet antigen-reactive (IAR) CD4+ T cells in PBMC samples collected prior to treatment from alefacept- and placebo-treated individuals using flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. IAR CD4+ T cells at baseline had heterogeneous phenotypes. Transcript profiles formed phenotypic clusters of cells along a trajectory based on increasing maturation and activation, and T cell receptor (TCR) chains showed clonal expansion. Notably, the frequency of IAR CD4+ T cells with a memory phenotype and a unique transcript profile (cluster 3) were inversely correlated with C-peptide preservation in alefacept-treated, but not placebo-treated, individuals. Cluster 3 cells had a proinflammatory phenotype characterized by expression of the transcription factor BHLHE40 and the cytokines GM-CSF and TNF-α, and shared TCR chains with effector memory-like clusters. Our results suggest IAR CD4+ T cells as a potential baseline biomarker of response to therapies targeting the CD2 pathway and warrant investigation for other T cell-related therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alex K. Hu
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Hannah A. DeBerg
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mario G. Rosasco
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Vivian H. Gersuk
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Cate Speake
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Clinical Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Carla J. Greenbaum
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Clinical Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Peter S. Linsley
- Center for Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
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Linsley P, Nakayama M, Balmas E, Chen J, Pour F, Bansal S, Serti E, Speake C, Pugliese A, Cerosaletti K. Self-reactive germline-like TCR alpha chains shared between blood and pancreas. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3446917. [PMID: 37886513 PMCID: PMC10602137 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3446917/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Human islet antigen reactive CD4 + memory T cells (IAR T cells) from peripheral blood have been studied extensively for their role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, IAR T cells are rare, and it remains poorly understood how they affect T1D progression in the pancreas. Using single cell RNA-sequencing coupled with a multiplexed activation induced marker (AIM) enrichment assay, we identified paired TCR alpha/beta (TRA/TRB) T cell receptors (TCRs) in IAR T cells from the blood of healthy, at-risk, new onset, and established T1D donors. Using TCR sequences as barcodes, we measured infiltration of IAR T cells from blood into pancreas of organ donors with and without T1D. We detected extensive TCR sharing between IAR T cells from peripheral blood and pancreatic infiltrating T cells (PIT), with perfectly matched or single mismatched TRA junctions and J gene regions, comprising ~ 34% of unique IAR TCRs. PIT-matching IAR T cells had public TRA chains that showed increased use of germline-encoded residues in epitope engagement and a propensity for cross-reactivity. The link with T cells in the pancreas implicates autoreactive IAR T cells with shared TRA junctions and increased levels in blood with the prediabetic and new onset phases of T1D progression.
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Delgado AL, Preston-Hurlburt P, Lim N, Sumida TS, Long SA, McNamara J, Serti E, Higdon L, Herold KC. Latent EBV impairs immune cell signaling and enhances the efficacy of anti-CD3 mAb in Type 1 Diabetes. medRxiv 2023:2023.07.11.23292344. [PMID: 37502867 PMCID: PMC10370230 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.11.23292344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Teplizumab has been approved for the delay of the onset of type 1 diabetes and may modulate new onset disease. We found that patients who were EBV positive at baseline had a more robust response to drug in two clinical trials and therefore postulated that latent virus has general effects in modifying immune responses. We compared the phenotypes, transcriptomes, and development of peripheral blood cells before and after teplizumab treatment. Higher number of Tregs and partially exhausted CD8 + T cells were found in EBV seropositive individuals at the baseline in the TN10 trial and AbATE trial. Single cell transcriptomics and functional assays identified downregulation of the T cell receptor and other signaling pathways before treatment. Impairments in function of adaptive immune cells were enhanced by teplizumab treatment in EBV seropositive individuals. Our data indicate that EBV can impair signaling pathways generally in immune cells, that broadly redirect cell differentiation.
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Tsalik EL, Rouphael NG, Sadikot RT, Rodriguez-Barradas MC, McClain MT, Wilkins DM, Woods CW, Swamy GK, Walter EB, El Sahly HM, Keitel WA, Mulligan MJ, Tuyishimire B, Serti E, Hamasaki T, Evans SR, Ghazaryan V, Lee MS, Lautenbach E. Efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus placebo to treat lower respiratory tract infections associated with low procalcitonin: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2023; 23:484-495. [PMID: 36525985 PMCID: PMC10040424 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(22)00735-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lower respiratory tract infections are frequently treated with antibiotics, despite a viral cause in many cases. It remains unknown whether low procalcitonin concentrations can identify patients with lower respiratory tract infection who are unlikely to benefit from antibiotics. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus placebo to treat lower respiratory tract infections in patients with low procalcitonin. METHODS We conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial at five health centres in the USA. Adults aged 18 years or older with clinically suspected non-pneumonia lower respiratory tract infection and symptom duration from 24 h to 28 days were eligible for enrolment. Participants with a procalcitonin concentration of 0·25 ng/mL or less were randomly assigned (1:1), in blocks of four with stratification by site, to receive over-encapsulated oral azithromycin 250 mg or matching placebo (two capsules on day 1 followed by one capsule daily for 4 days). Participants, non-study clinical providers, investigators, and study coordinators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was efficacy of azithromycin versus placebo in terms of clinical improvement at day 5 in the intention-to-treat population. The non-inferiority margin was -12·5%. Solicited adverse events (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, allergic reaction, or yeast infections) were recorded as a secondary outcome. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03341273. FINDINGS Between Dec 8, 2017, and March 9, 2020, 691 patients were assessed for eligibility and 499 were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive azithromycin (n=249) or placebo (n=250). Clinical improvement at day 5 was observed in 148 (63%, 95% CI 54 to 71) of 238 participants with full data in the placebo group and 155 (69%, 61 to 77) of 227 participants with full data in the azithromycin group in the intention-to-treat analysis (between-group difference -6%, 95% CI -15 to 2). The 95% CI for the difference did not meet the non-inferiority margin. Solicited adverse events and the severity of solicited adverse events were not significantly different between groups at day 5, except for increased abdominal pain associated with azithromycin (47 [23%, 95% CI 18 to 29] of 204 participants) compared with placebo (35 [16%, 12 to 21] of 221; between-group difference -7% [95% CI -15 to 0]; p=0·066). INTERPRETATION Placebo was not non-inferior to azithromycin in terms of clinical improvement at day 5 in adults with lower respiratory tract infection and a low procalcitonin concentration. After accounting for both the rates of clinical improvement and solicited adverse events at day 5, it is unclear whether antibiotics are indicated for patients with lower respiratory tract infection and a low procalcitonin concentration. FUNDING National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, bioMérieux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ephraim L Tsalik
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Emergency Medicine Service, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Nadine G Rouphael
- Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ruxana T Sadikot
- Atlanta VA Health Care System, Atlanta, GA, USA; Medical Service, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas
- Infectious Diseases Section, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center and Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Micah T McClain
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Medical Service, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Christopher W Woods
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Medical Service, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Geeta K Swamy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Emmanuel B Walter
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hana M El Sahly
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wendy A Keitel
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark J Mulligan
- Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Toshimitsu Hamasaki
- Biostatistics Center, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Scott R Evans
- Biostatistics Center, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Rockville, MD, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Varduhi Ghazaryan
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Marina S Lee
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ebbing Lautenbach
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Wiedeman AE, Vega CA, Serti E, Nepom J, Long A. Differential therapeutic modulation of exhaustion among autoreactive and global CD8 T cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The Journal of Immunology 2022. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.208.supp.108.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Islet-specific CD8 T cell exhaustion (TEX) is linked to slower progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, in the therapeutic setting, only global TEX has been studied. Here we address whether TEX among autoreactive cells in clinical trials relates to better outcome. We assessed PBMCs from select T1D subjects who had variable preservation of pancreatic function two years after treatment with teplizumab (anti-CD3, n=7) or alefacept (LFA3-Ig, n=12). We applied a CyTOF panel incorporating pooled pancreatic islet autoantigen peptide-loaded MHC Class I tetramer and 18 phenotyping markers. CD8 T cell subsets were identified by DISCOV-R multidimensional clustering analysis and were applied to samples with >5 autoreactive cells. Better clinical outcome was linked to greater frequencies of global CD8 TEX (subsets expressing PD1, EOMES, TIGIT, and KLRG1): a PD1hi subset 2 months after teplizumab (p=0.049) and a CD57hi subset 2 years following alefacept (p=0.044) treatment. Overall, increases in islet-specific TEX were rarely detected in poor responders (1 of 8 subjects with detectable islet-specific cells) consistent with a lack of change in global TEX, However, in subjects with better preservation of beta cell function, islet-specific TEX increased in fewer subjects (2 of 6) than global CD8 T cells (4 of 8). Together these results indicate that islet-specific CD8 T cells only partially mirror global CD8 responses, and further research is needed to clarify the role of exhaustion and its relation to autoreactive T cells in determining outcome in therapeutic settings.
Supported by grants from NIH (R01 AI141952) and Immune Tolerance Network (UM1AI109565).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alice Long
- 1Translational Immunology, Benaroya Res. Inst
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Linsley PS, Barahmand-Pour-Whitman F, Balmas E, DeBerg HA, Flynn KJ, Hu AK, Rosasco MG, Chen J, O'Rourke C, Serti E, Gersuk VH, Motwani K, Seay HR, Brusko TM, Kwok WW, Speake C, Greenbaum CJ, Nepom GT, Cerosaletti K. Autoreactive T cell receptors with shared germline-like α chains in type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight 2021; 6:151349. [PMID: 34806648 PMCID: PMC8663791 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.151349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Human islet antigen reactive CD4+ memory T cells (IAR T cells) play a key role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) to identify T cell receptors (TCRs) in IAR T cells, we have identified a class of TCRs that share TCRα chains between individuals (“public” chains). We isolated IAR T cells from blood of healthy, new-onset T1D and established T1D donors using multiplexed CD154 enrichment and identified paired TCRαβ sequences from 2767 individual cells. More than a quarter of cells shared TCR junctions between 2 or more cells (“expanded”), and 29/47 (~62%) of expanded TCRs tested showed specificity for islet antigen epitopes. Public TCRs sharing TCRα junctions were most prominent in new-onset T1D. Public TCR sequences were more germline like than expanded unique, or “private,” TCRs, and had shorter junction sequences, suggestive of fewer random nucleotide insertions. Public TCRα junctions were often paired with mismatched TCRβ junctions in TCRs; remarkably, a subset of these TCRs exhibited cross-reactivity toward distinct islet antigen peptides. Our findings demonstrate a prevalent population of IAR T cells with diverse specificities determined by TCRs with restricted TCRα junctions and germline-constrained antigen recognition properties. Since these “innate-like” TCRs differ from previously described immunodominant TCRβ chains in autoimmunity, they have implications for fundamental studies of disease mechanisms. Self-reactive restricted TCRα chains and their associated epitopes should be considered in fundamental and translational investigations of TCRs in T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Colin O'Rourke
- Center for Interventional Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | - Keshav Motwani
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,University of Florida Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Howard R Seay
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,University of Florida Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,FlowJo, LLC, Ashland, Oregon, USA
| | - Todd M Brusko
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,University of Florida Diabetes Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Cate Speake
- Center for Interventional Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Carla J Greenbaum
- Center for Interventional Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Greenbaum CJ, Serti E, Lambert K, Weiner LJ, Kanaparthi S, Lord S, Gitelman SE, Wilson DM, Gaglia JL, Griffin KJ, Russell WE, Raskin P, Moran A, Willi SM, Tsalikian E, DiMeglio LA, Herold KC, Moore WV, Goland R, Harris M, Craig ME, Schatz DA, Baidal DA, Rodriguez H, Utzschneider KM, Nel HJ, Soppe CL, Boyle KD, Cerosaletti K, Keyes-Elstein L, Long SA, Thomas R, McNamara JG, Buckner JH, Sanda S. IL-6 receptor blockade does not slow β cell loss in new-onset type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight 2021; 6:150074. [PMID: 34747368 PMCID: PMC8663550 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundIL-6 receptor (IL-6R) signaling drives development of T cell populations important to type 1 diabetes pathogenesis. We evaluated whether blockade of IL-6R with monoclonal antibody tocilizumab would slow loss of residual β cell function in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with tocilizumab in new-onset type 1 diabetes. Participants were screened within 100 days of diagnosis. Eligible participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 7 monthly doses of tocilizumab or placebo. The primary outcome was the change from screening in the mean AUC of C-peptide collected during the first 2 hours of a mixed meal tolerance test at week 52 in pediatric participants (ages 6-17 years).ResultsThere was no statistical difference in the primary outcome between tocilizumab and placebo. Immunophenotyping showed reductions in downstream signaling of the IL-6R in T cells but no changes in CD4 memory subsets, Th17 cells, Tregs, or CD4+ T effector cell resistance to Treg suppression. A DC subset decreased during therapy but regressed to baseline once therapy stopped. Tocilizumab was well tolerated.ConclusionTocilizumab reduced T cell IL-6R signaling but did not modulate CD4+ T cell phenotypes or slow loss of residual β cell function in newly diagnosed individuals with type 1 diabetes.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02293837.FundingNIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) UM1AI109565, UL1TR000004 from NIH/National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), NIH/NIDDK P30DK036836, NIH/NIDDK U01DK103266, NIH/NIDDK U01DK103266, 1UL1TR000064 from NIH/NCRR CTSA, NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) UL1TR001878, UL1TR002537 from NIH/CTSA; National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellowship (APP1136735), NIH/NIDDK U01-DK085476, NIH/CTSA UL1-TR002494, Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute Award UL1TR002529, Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research UL1TR000445. NIH/NCATS UL1TR003142, NIH/CTSA program UL1-TR002494, Veteran Affairs Administration, and 1R01AI132774.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla J Greenbaum
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Katharina Lambert
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | - Sandra Lord
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | - Jason L Gaglia
- Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Philip Raskin
- University of Texas, Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Steven M Willi
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Linda A DiMeglio
- Riley Children's Hospital, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Wayne V Moore
- University of Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Mark Harris
- Children's Health Queensland Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.,University of Queensland, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Maria E Craig
- University of Sydney, Sydney New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Hendrik J Nel
- University of Queensland, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Karen Cerosaletti
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - S Alice Long
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ranjeny Thomas
- University of Queensland, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - James G McNamara
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jane H Buckner
- Center for Interventional Immunology and Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Srinath Sanda
- Immune Tolerance Network, Seattle, Washington, USA.,University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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10
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Sims EK, Bundy BN, Stier K, Serti E, Lim N, Long SA, Geyer SM, Moran A, Greenbaum CJ, Evans-Molina C, Herold KC. Teplizumab improves and stabilizes beta cell function in antibody-positive high-risk individuals. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabc8980. [PMID: 33658358 PMCID: PMC8610022 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc8980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We analyzed the effects of a single 14-day course of teplizumab treatment on metabolic function and immune cells among participants in a previously reported randomized controlled trial of nondiabetic relatives at high risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D). In an extended follow-up (923-day median) of a previous report of teplizumab treatment, we found that the median times to diagnosis were 59.6 and 27.1 months for teplizumab- and placebo-treated participants, respectively (HR = 0.457, P = 0.01). Fifty percent of teplizumab-treated but only 22% of the placebo-treated remained diabetes-free. Glucose tolerance, C-peptide area under the curve (AUC), and insulin secretory rates were calculated, and relationships to T cell subsets and function were analyzed. Teplizumab treatment improved beta cell function, reflected by average on-study C-peptide AUC (1.94 versus 1.72 pmol/ml; P = 0.006). Drug treatment reversed a decline in insulin secretion before enrollment, followed by stabilization of the declining C-peptide AUC seen with placebo treatment. Proinsulin:C-peptide ratios after drug treatment were similar between the treatment groups. The changes in C-peptide with teplizumab treatment were associated with increases in partially exhausted memory KLRG1+TIGIT+CD8+ T cells (r = 0.44, P = 0.014) that showed reduced secretion of IFNγ and TNFα. A single course of teplizumab had lasting effects on delay of T1D diagnosis and improved beta cell function in high-risk individuals. Changes in CD8+ T cell subsets indicated that partially exhausted effector cells were associated with clinical response. Thus, this trial showed improvement in metabolic responses and delay of diabetes with immune therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Sims
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Brian N Bundy
- Department of Epidemiology, and Pediatrics University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Kenneth Stier
- Departments of Immunobiology and Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - Noha Lim
- Immune Tolerance Network, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - S Alice Long
- Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle WA 98101, USA
| | | | - Antoinette Moran
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Carmella Evans-Molina
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Kevan C Herold
- Departments of Immunobiology and Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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11
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Diggins KE, Serti E, Muir V, Rosasco M, Lu T, Balmas E, Nepom G, Long SA, Linsley PS. Exhausted-like CD8+ T cell phenotypes linked to C-peptide preservation in alefacept-treated T1D subjects. JCI Insight 2021; 6:142680. [PMID: 33351781 PMCID: PMC7934874 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.142680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials of biologic therapies in type 1 diabetes (T1D) aim to mitigate autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells through immune perturbation and serve as resources to elucidate immunological mechanisms in health and disease. In the T1DAL trial of alefacept (LFA3-Ig) in recent-onset T1D, endogenous insulin production was preserved in 30% of subjects for 2 years after therapy. Given our previous findings linking exhausted-like CD8+ T cells to beneficial response in T1D trials, we applied unbiased analyses to sorted CD8+ T cells to evaluate their potential role in T1DAL. Using RNA sequencing, we found that greater insulin C-peptide preservation was associated with a module of activation- and exhaustion-associated genes. This signature was dissected into 2 CD8 memory phenotypes through correlation with cytometry data. These cells were hypoproliferative, shared expanded rearranged TCR junctions, and expressed exhaustion-associated markers including TIGIT and KLRG1. The 2 phenotypes could be distinguished by reciprocal expression of CD8+ T and NK cell markers (GZMB, CD57, and inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor [iKIR] genes), versus T cell activation and differentiation markers (PD-1 and CD28). These findings support previous evidence linking exhausted-like CD8+ T cells to successful immune interventions for T1D, while suggesting that multiple inhibitory mechanisms can promote this beneficial cell state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten E. Diggins
- Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Virginia Muir
- Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mario Rosasco
- Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - TingTing Lu
- Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elisa Balmas
- Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Gerald Nepom
- Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - S. Alice Long
- Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Peter S. Linsley
- Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
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12
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Narsale A, Lam B, Moya R, Lu T, Mandelli A, Gotuzzo I, Pessina B, Giamporcaro G, Geoffrey R, Buchanan K, Harris M, Bergot AS, Thomas R, Hessner MJ, Battaglia M, Serti E, Davies JD. CD4+CD25+CD127hi cell frequency predicts disease progression in type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight 2021; 6:136114. [PMID: 33301420 PMCID: PMC7934872 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient partial remission, a period of low insulin requirement experienced by most patients soon after diagnosis, has been associated with mechanisms of immune regulation. A better understanding of such natural mechanisms of immune regulation might identify new targets for immunotherapies that reverse type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, using Cox model multivariate analysis, we validated our previous findings that patients with the highest frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127hi (127-hi) cells at diagnosis experience the longest partial remission, and we showed that the 127-hi cell population is a mix of Th1- and Th2-type cells, with a significant bias toward antiinflammatory Th2-type cells. In addition, we extended these findings to show that patients with the highest frequency of 127-hi cells at diagnosis were significantly more likely to maintain β cell function. Moreover, in patients treated with alefacept in the T1DAL clinical trial, the probability of responding favorably to the antiinflammatory drug was significantly higher in those with a higher frequency of 127-hi cells at diagnosis than those with a lower 127-hi cell frequency. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that 127-hi cells maintain an antiinflammatory environment that is permissive for partial remission, β cell survival, and response to antiinflammatory immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Narsale
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Breanna Lam
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Rosa Moya
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA
| | - TingTing Lu
- Immune Tolerance Network, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alessandra Mandelli
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Gotuzzo
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Benedetta Pessina
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Giamporcaro
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Rhonda Geoffrey
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kerry Buchanan
- Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mark Harris
- Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anne-Sophie Bergot
- Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ranjeny Thomas
- Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Martin J Hessner
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Manuela Battaglia
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Joanna D Davies
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA
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13
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Abdelsamed HA, Zebley CC, Nguyen H, Rutishauser RL, Fan Y, Ghoneim HE, Crawford JC, Alfei F, Alli S, Ribeiro SP, Castellaw AH, McGargill MA, Jin H, Boi SK, Speake C, Serti E, Turka LA, Busch ME, Stone M, Deeks SG, Sekaly RP, Zehn D, James EA, Nepom GT, Youngblood B. Beta cell-specific CD8 + T cells maintain stem cell memory-associated epigenetic programs during type 1 diabetes. Nat Immunol 2020; 21:578-587. [PMID: 32231298 PMCID: PMC7183435 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-020-0633-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The pool of beta cell-specific CD8+ T-cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D) sustains an autoreactive potential despite having access to a constant source of antigen. To investigate the long-lived nature of these cells, we established a DNA methylation-based T cell “multipotency index” and found that beta cell-specific CD8+ T-cells retained a stem-like epigenetic multipotency score. Single cell ATAC-seq analysis confirmed the co-existence of naive and effector-associated epigenetic programs in individual beta cell-specific CD8+ T-cells. Assessment of beta cell-specific CD8+ T-cell anatomical distribution and the establishment of stem-associated epigenetic programs revealed that self-reactive CD8+ T-cells isolated from murine lymphoid tissue retained developmentally plastic phenotypic and epigenetic profiles relative to the same cells isolated from the pancreas. Collectively, these data provide new insight into the longevity of beta cell-specific CD8+ T cell responses, and document the utility of this novel methylation-based multipotency index for investigating human and mouse CD8+ T-cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossam A Abdelsamed
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.,Department of Surgery, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Caitlin C Zebley
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hai Nguyen
- Translational Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel L Rutishauser
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hazem E Ghoneim
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.,Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Francesca Alfei
- Division of Animal Physiology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Shanta Alli
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Ashley H Castellaw
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Maureen A McGargill
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongjian Jin
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shannon K Boi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Cate Speake
- Diabetes Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Laurence A Turka
- Immune Tolerance Network, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Center for Translational Sciences, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Mars Stone
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Dietmar Zehn
- Division of Animal Physiology and Immunology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Eddie A James
- Translational Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gerald T Nepom
- Translational Research Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Immune Tolerance Network, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ben Youngblood
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. .,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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14
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Wiedeman AE, Muir VS, Rosasco MG, DeBerg HA, Presnell S, Haas B, Dufort MJ, Speake C, Greenbaum CJ, Serti E, Nepom GT, Blahnik G, Kus AM, James EA, Linsley PS, Long SA. Autoreactive CD8+ T cell exhaustion distinguishes subjects with slow type 1 diabetes progression. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:480-490. [PMID: 31815738 PMCID: PMC6934185 DOI: 10.1172/jci126595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although most patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) retain some functional insulin-producing islet β cells at the time of diagnosis, the rate of further β cell loss varies across individuals. It is not clear what drives this differential progression rate. CD8+ T cells have been implicated in the autoimmune destruction of β cells. Here, we addressed whether the phenotype and function of autoreactive CD8+ T cells influence disease progression. We identified islet-specific CD8+ T cells using high-content, single-cell mass cytometry in combination with peptide-loaded MHC tetramer staining. We applied a new analytical method, DISCOV-R, to characterize these rare subsets. Autoreactive T cells were phenotypically heterogeneous, and their phenotype differed by rate of disease progression. Activated islet-specific CD8+ memory T cells were prevalent in subjects with T1D who experienced rapid loss of C-peptide; in contrast, slow disease progression was associated with an exhaustion-like profile, with expression of multiple inhibitory receptors, limited cytokine production, and reduced proliferative capacity. This relationship between properties of autoreactive CD8+ T cells and the rate of T1D disease progression after onset make these phenotypes attractive putative biomarkers of disease trajectory and treatment response and reveal potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Cate Speake
- Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Carla J. Greenbaum
- Diabetes Program, Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Gerald T. Nepom
- Translational Research Program
- Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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15
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Alao H, Cam M, Keembiyehetty C, Zhang F, Serti E, Suarez D, Park H, Fourie NH, Wright EC, Henderson WA, Li Q, Liang TJ, Rehermann B, Ghany MG. Baseline Intrahepatic and Peripheral Innate Immunity are Associated with Hepatitis C Virus Clearance During Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy. Hepatology 2018; 68:2078-2088. [PMID: 29704252 PMCID: PMC6204120 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) and downstream innate immune responses. This study investigated whether baseline and on-treatment differences in these responses predict response versus virological breakthrough during therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Thirteen HCV genotype 1b-infected patients who had previously failed a course of pegylated IFN/ribavirin were retreated with asunaprevir/daclatasvir for 24 weeks. After pretreatment biopsy, patients were randomized to undergo a second biopsy at week 2 or 4 on therapy. Microarray and NanoString analyses were performed on paired liver biopsies and analyzed using linear mixed models. As biomarkers for peripheral IFN responses, peripheral blood natural killer cells were assessed for phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expression and degranulation. Nine of 13 (69%) patients achieved sustained virological response at 12 weeks off therapy (SVR12), and 4 experienced virological breakthroughs between weeks 4 and 12. Patients who achieved SVR12 displayed higher ISG expression levels in baseline liver biopsies and a higher frequency of pSTAT1 and TRAIL-expressing, degranulating natural killer cells in baseline blood samples than those who experienced virological breakthrough. Comparing gene expression levels from baseline and on-therapy biopsies, 408 genes (±1.2-fold, P < 0.01) were differentially expressed. Genes down-regulated on treatment were predominantly ISGs. Down-regulation of ISGs was rapid and correlated with HCV RNA suppression. Conclusion: An enhanced IFN signature is observed at baseline in liver and blood of patients who achieve SVR12 compared to those who experience a virological breakthrough; the findings suggest that innate immunity may contribute to clearance of HCV during DAA therapy by preventing the emergence of resistance-associated substitutions that lead to viral breakthrough during DAA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hawwa Alao
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Maggie Cam
- Office of Science and Technology Resources, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chithra Keembiyehetty
- Genomic Core facility, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Fang Zhang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Daniel Suarez
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Heiyoung Park
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nicolaas H. Fourie
- Digestive Disorder Unit, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elizabeth C. Wright
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Wendy A. Henderson
- Digestive Disorder Unit, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Qisheng Li
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Marc G. Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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16
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Giannelou A, Wang H, Zhou Q, Park YH, Abu-Asab MS, Ylaya K, Stone DL, Sediva A, Sleiman R, Sramkova L, Bhatla D, Serti E, Tsai WL, Yang D, Bishop K, Carrington B, Pei W, Deuitch N, Brooks S, Edwan JH, Joshi S, Prader S, Kaiser D, Owen WC, Sonbul AA, Zhang Y, Niemela JE, Burgess SM, Boehm M, Rehermann B, Chae J, Quezado MM, Ombrello AK, Buckley RH, Grom AA, Remmers EF, Pachlopnik JM, Su HC, Gutierrez-Cruz G, Hewitt SM, Sood R, Risma K, Calvo KR, Rosenzweig SD, Gadina M, Hafner M, Sun HW, Kastner DL, Aksentijevich I. Aberrant tRNA processing causes an autoinflammatory syndrome responsive to TNF inhibitors. Ann Rheum Dis 2018; 77:612-619. [PMID: 29358286 PMCID: PMC5890629 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To characterise the clinical features, immune manifestations and molecular mechanisms in a recently described autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in TRNT1, a tRNA processing enzyme, and to explore the use of cytokine inhibitors in suppressing the inflammatory phenotype. METHODS We studied nine patients with biallelic mutations in TRNT1 and the syndrome of congenital sideroblastic anaemia with immunodeficiency, fevers and developmental delay (SIFD). Genetic studies included whole exome sequencing (WES) and candidate gene screening. Patients' primary cells were used for deep RNA and tRNA sequencing, cytokine profiling, immunophenotyping, immunoblotting and electron microscopy (EM). RESULTS We identified eight mutations in these nine patients, three of which have not been previously associated with SIFD. Three patients died in early childhood. Inflammatory cytokines, mainly interleukin (IL)-6, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IFN-induced cytokines were elevated in the serum, whereas tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-1β were present in tissue biopsies of patients with active inflammatory disease. Deep tRNA sequencing of patients' fibroblasts showed significant deficiency of mature cytosolic tRNAs. EM of bone marrow and skin biopsy samples revealed striking abnormalities across all cell types and a mix of necrotic and normal-appearing cells. By immunoprecipitation, we found evidence for dysregulation in protein clearance pathways. In 4/4 patients, treatment with a TNF inhibitor suppressed inflammation, reduced the need for blood transfusions and improved growth. CONCLUSIONS Mutations of TRNT1 lead to a severe and often fatal syndrome, linking protein homeostasis and autoinflammation. Molecular diagnosis in early life will be crucial for initiating anti-TNF therapy, which might prevent some of the severe disease consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeliki Giannelou
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Rheumatology Fellowship and Training Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongying Wang
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Qing Zhou
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yong Hwan Park
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mones S Abu-Asab
- Section of Histopathology, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kris Ylaya
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Deborah L Stone
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna Sediva
- Department of Immunology Charles, University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rola Sleiman
- Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Al Rayan Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lucie Sramkova
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Deepika Bhatla
- SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wanxia Li Tsai
- Translational Immunology Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dan Yang
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Zebrafish Core, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Blake Carrington
- Zebrafish Core, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wuhong Pei
- Zebrafish Core, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Natalie Deuitch
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephen Brooks
- Biodata Mining and Discovery Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jehad H Edwan
- Pediatric Translational Research Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarita Joshi
- Department of Pathology, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Seraina Prader
- Department of Immunology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Kaiser
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Children's Hospital, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - William C Owen
- Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Yu Zhang
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Julie E Niemela
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Zebrafish Core, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Manfred Boehm
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - JaeJin Chae
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Martha M Quezado
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Amanda K Ombrello
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca H Buckley
- Departments of Pediatrics and Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexi A Grom
- Division of Rheumatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Elaine F Remmers
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jana M Pachlopnik
- Department of Immunology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Helen C Su
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gustavo Gutierrez-Cruz
- Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephen M Hewitt
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Raman Sood
- Zebrafish Core, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kimberly Risma
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine R Calvo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sergio D Rosenzweig
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Massimo Gadina
- Translational Immunology Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Markus Hafner
- Division of Rheumatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Hong-Wei Sun
- Biodata Mining and Discovery Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel L Kastner
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ivona Aksentijevich
- Inflammatory Disease Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Cheng X, Xia Y, Serti E, Block PD, Chung M, Chayama K, Rehermann B, Liang TJ. Hepatitis B virus evades innate immunity of hepatocytes but activates cytokine production by macrophages. Hepatology 2017; 66:1779-1793. [PMID: 28665004 PMCID: PMC5706781 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects hepatocytes specifically and causes immune-mediated liver damage. How HBV interacts with the innate immunity at the early phase of infection, either with hepatocytes or other cells in the liver, remains controversial. To address this question, we utilized various human cell-culture models and humanized Alb-uPA/SCID mice. All these models were unable to mount an interferon (IFN) response despite robust HBV replication. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in the lack of IFN response, we examined whether HBV actively inhibits innate immune functions of hepatocytes. By treating HBV-infected cells with known inducers of the IFN signaling pathway, we observed no alteration of either sensing or downstream IFN response by HBV. We showed that the DNA innate sensing pathways are poorly active in hepatocytes, consistent with muted innate immune recognition of HBV. Upon exposure to high-level HBV, human macrophages could be activated with increased inflammatory cytokine expressions. CONCLUSION HBV behaves like a "stealth" virus and is not sensed by, nor actively interferes with, the intrinsic innate immunity of infected hepatocytes. Macrophages are capable of sensing HBV, but require exposure to high HBV titers, potentially explaining the long "window period" during acute infection and HBV's propensity to chronic infection. (Hepatology 2017;66:1779-1793).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Cheng
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yuchen Xia
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Peter Daniel Block
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michelle Chung
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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18
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Bolte FJ, O’Keefe AC, Webb LM, Serti E, Rivera E, Liang TJ, Ghany M, Rehermann B. Intra-Hepatic Depletion of Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells in Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Liver Inflammation. Gastroenterology 2017; 153:1392-1403.e2. [PMID: 28780074 PMCID: PMC5669813 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic hepatitis affects phenotypes of innate and adaptive immune cells. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are enriched in the liver as compared with the blood, respond to intra-hepatic cytokines, and (via the semi-invariant T-cell receptor) to bacteria translocated from the gut. Little is known about the role of MAIT cells in livers of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and their fate after antiviral therapy. METHODS We collected blood samples from 42 patients with chronic HCV infection who achieved a sustained virologic response after 12 weeks of treatment with sofosbuvir and velpatasvir. Mononuclear cells were isolated from blood before treatment, at weeks 4 and 12 during treatment, and 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Liver biopsies were collected from 37 of the patients prior to and at week 4 of treatment. Mononuclear cells from 56 blood donors and 10 livers that were not suitable for transplantation were used as controls. Liver samples were assessed histologically for inflammation and fibrosis. Mononuclear cells from liver and blood were studied by flow cytometry and analyzed for responses to cytokine and bacterial stimulation. RESULTS The frequency of MAIT cells among T cells was significantly lower in blood and liver samples of patients with HCV infection than of controls (median, 1.31% vs 2.32% for blood samples, P = .0048; and median, 4.34% vs 13.40% for liver samples, P = .001). There was an inverse correlation between the frequency of MAIT cells in the liver and histologically determined levels of liver inflammation (r = -.5437, P = .0006) and fibrosis (r = -.5829, P = .0002). MAIT cells from the liver had higher levels of activation and cytotoxicity than MAIT cells from blood (P < .0001). Production of interferon gamma by MAIT cells was dependent on monocyte-derived interleukin 18, and was reduced in patients with HCV infection in response to T-cell receptor-mediated but not cytokine-mediated stimulation, as compared with controls. Anti-viral therapy rapidly decreased liver inflammation and MAIT cell activation and cytotoxicity, and increased the MAIT cell frequency among intra-hepatic but not blood T cells. The MAIT cell response to T-cell receptor-mediated stimulation did not change during the 12 weeks of antiviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS In analyses of paired blood and liver samples from patients with chronic HCV infection before, during, and after antiviral therapy with sofosbuvir and velpatasvir, we found that intrahepatic MAIT cells are activated by monocyte-derived cytokines and depleted in HCV-induced liver inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian J. Bolte
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ashley C. O’Keefe
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lauren M. Webb
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elenita Rivera
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD; Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD.
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19
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Karamichali E, Serti E, Gianneli A, Papaefthymiou A, Kakkanas A, Foka P, Seremetakis A, Katsarou K, Trougakos IP, Georgopoulou U. The unexpected function of a highly conserved YXXΦ motif in HCV core protein. Infect Genet Evol 2017; 54:251-262. [PMID: 28687362 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA positive strand virus, member of the Flaviviridae family. The HCV viral particle is composed of a capsid containing the genome, surrounded by an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived lipid bilayer where E1 and E2 are assembled as heterodimers. However, different forms of viral particles have been identified in the serum of HCV-infected patients, including non-enveloped particles. Previous reports have demonstrated that HCV non-enveloped capsid-like particles (HCVne) can be generated by HCV core protein sequence. This sequence possesses a highly conserved ΥΧΧΦ motif and distal di-leucine motifs that confer primary endocytosis signals, enabling HCVne to enter hepatic cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Although HCV core's primary function is to encapsidate the viral genome, it also interacts with a variety of cellular proteins in order to regulate host cell functions such as gene transcription, lipid metabolism, apoptosis and several signaling pathways. In this report, we demonstrate that the YXXΦ motif of HCV core protein is crucial for the architectural integrity of the particulate form of HCVne. Moreover, we show that the YXXΦ motif in the HCV core sequence plays a pivotal role in the signaling events following HCVne clathrin-mediated endocytosis by inducing the AP-2 clathrin adaptor protein, which in turn redirect HCVne trafficking to the lipid droplets (LDs) via the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. HCVne and LDs co-localization affects the HCV life cycle by enhancing viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Greece
| | | | | | | | - Pelagia Foka
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Greece
| | | | | | - Ioannis P Trougakos
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens 15784, Greece
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20
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Bolte FJ, O’Keefe AC, Etzion O, Ali R, Serti E, Liang J, Heller T, Rehermann B. Immune cell phenotype and function in different compartments of the gut-liver-axis in chronic liver disease. The Journal of Immunology 2017. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.198.supp.197.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The liver is exposed to gut-derived products via the portal vein and bacterial translocation is associated with chronic liver disease. Here we analyzed immune cell activation and function in three compartments of the gut-liver axis: systemic blood, portal vein blood and liver.
METHODS
Natural killer (NK) cells, mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and conventional CD8 T cells were studied in liver and blood of 29 patients with chronic hepatitis C prior to and after Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir-induced viral clearance.
RESULTS
NK, MAIT and conventional CD8 T cells were more activated (CD69+, HLA-DR+) and more cytotoxic (CD107a+) in the liver than in systemic and portal blood. Monocytes were also more activated in the liver and plasma levels of monocyte-derived IL-18 correlated with liver inflammation. Consistent with the activation of intrahepatic immune cells, levels of sCD14, sCD163 and sCD27 were higher in systemic than in portal plasma. However, immune cell activation and degranulation were not different in systemic and portal vein blood. Likewise, the in vitro functional responses of monocytes to lipopolysaccharide and of MAIT cells to riboflavin-synthesizing bacteria did not differ between systemic and portal blood. Intrahepatic immune cell activation declined rapidly within four weeks of antiviral therapy and remained stable for up to 36 weeks post treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Immune cell activation and inflammation are compartmentalized to the liver in patients with compensated HCV-related liver disease. Plasma markers of immune cell activation are higher in systemic than in portal plasma. The rapid decline of intrahepatic immune cell activation suggests that it is primarily driven by viral infection.
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Bolte FJ, O’Keefe AC, Webb LM, Serti E, Rivera E, Liang J, Ghany M, Rehermann B. Activation of intrahepatic mucosal associated invariant T cells resolves with antiviral therapy for hepatitis C. The Journal of Immunology 2017. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.198.supp.78.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Chronic hepatitis profoundly affects the phenotype of innate and adaptive immune cells. Mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are innate-like T cells that are enriched in the intestine and the liver. They can be activated by cytokines and by bacteria translocated from the gut. The relative roles of cytokines and bacteria in MAIT cell activation and function are unknown in chronic hepatitis.
METHODS
MAIT cells and monocytes were studied in liver and blood of 37 patients with chronic hepatitis C prior to and after Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir-induced viral clearance.
RESULTS
MAIT cells were more frequent and showed a more activated and cytotoxic phenotype in the liver than in the blood. The frequency of intrahepatic MAIT cells correlated inversely with liver inflammation. The amelioration of liver inflammation by week 4 of antiviral therapy was associated with a significant decrease in MAIT cell activation and cytotoxicity. MAIT cell activation correlated with the frequency of intermediate/pro-inflammatory monocytes and the quality of MAIT cell effector responses was dependent on monocyte-derived IL-18. MAIT cell responses to T cell receptor-dependent (E. coli) and -independent (IL-12/IL-18) stimulation were not different before and after antiviral therapy and were not impaired compared to uninfected controls.
CONCLUSIONS
MAIT cells are activated by monocyte-derived cytokines in chronic HCV infection. They are reduced in number but maintain their response to cytokines and bacteria. MAIT cell activation rapidly declines during antiviral therapy and their frequency increases in the liver.
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Serti E, Park H, Keane M, O’Keefe AC, Rivera E, Liang TJ, Ghany M, Rehermann B. Rapid decrease in hepatitis C viremia by direct acting antivirals improves the natural killer cell response to IFNα. Gut 2017; 66:724-735. [PMID: 26733671 PMCID: PMC6886885 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-310033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic HCV infection is characterised by innate immune activation with increased interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) expression and by an altered phenotype of interferon-responsive natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we asked whether a rapid reduction in viremia by daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) improves the response to pegylated interferon (PegIFN) in patients who had previously failed a standard course of PegIFN/ribavirin (RBV) therapy. DESIGN Twenty-two HCV-infected non-responders to previous PegIFN/RBV therapy were studied for IFN-responsiveness of NK cells during quadruple (QUAD) therapy with DCV, ASV, PegIFN and RBV. A direct comparison of early NK cell responses in PegIFN/RBV therapy and QUAD therapy was performed for seven patients using paired cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from both treatment courses. As a validation cohort, nine DCV/ASV-treated patients were studied for their NK cell response to in vitro stimulation with IFNα. RESULTS The 24 h virological response to QUAD therapy correlated with an increase in signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1) and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expression in NK cells, and the STAT1/pSTAT1/TRAIL induction was greater during QUAD therapy than during previous PegIFN/RBV therapy. Successful QUAD therapy as well as successful IFN-free DCV/ASV regimen resulted in an improved functional NK cell response (degranulation and TRAIL expression) to in vitro stimulation with IFNα. CONCLUSIONS IFN-responsiveness can be improved by inhibiting HCV replication and reducing the HCV-induced activation of the innate immune response. This may provide a rationale for clinical trials of a brief period of direct acting antiviral therapy followed by PegIFN/RBV therapy to reduce the overall treatment costs in low-income and middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS NCT01888900 and NCT00718172.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Heiyoung Park
- Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Meghan Keane
- Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ashley C. O’Keefe
- Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elenita Rivera
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Serti E, Chepa-Lotrea X, Kim YJ, Keane M, Fryzek N, Liang TJ, Ghany M, Rehermann B. Successful Interferon-Free Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Normalizes Natural Killer Cell Function. Gastroenterology 2015; 149:190-200.e2. [PMID: 25754160 PMCID: PMC4523392 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic hepatitis C virus infection activates an intrahepatic immune response, leading to increased expression of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes and activation of natural killer (NK) cells-the most prevalent innate immune cell in the liver. We investigated whether the elimination of hepatitis C virus with direct-acting antiviral normalizes expression of IFN-stimulated genes and NK cell function. METHODS We used multicolor flow cytometry to analyze NK cells from the liver and blood of 13 HCV-infected patients who did not respond to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Samples were collected before and during IFN-free treatment with daclatasvir and asunaprevir and compared with samples from the blood of 13 healthy individuals (controls). Serum levels of chemokine C-X-C motif ligand (CXCL) 10 or CXCL11 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Before treatment, all patients had increased levels of CXCL10 or CXCL11 and a different NK cell phenotype from controls, characterized by increased expression of HLA-DR, NKp46, NKG2A, CD85j, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), phosphorylated STAT1, and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). NK cells from patients also had increased degranulation and decreased production of IFNγ and tumor necrosis factor α compared with NK cells from controls. Nine patients had an end-of-treatment response (undetectable virus) and 4 had virologic breakthrough between weeks 4 and 12 of therapy. A rapid decrease in viremia and level of inflammatory cytokines in all patients was associated with decreased activation of intrahepatic and blood NK cells; it was followed by restoration of a normal NK cell phenotype and function by week 8 in patients with undetectable viremia. This normalized NK cell phenotype was maintained until week 24 (end of treatment). CONCLUSIONS Direct-acting antiviral-mediated clearance of HCV is associated with loss of intrahepatic immune activation by IFNα, which is indicated by decreased levels of CXCL10 and CXCL11 and normalization of NK cell phenotype and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xenia Chepa-Lotrea
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yun Ju Kim
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Meghan Keane
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nancy Fryzek
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland; Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Werner JM, Serti E, Chepa-Lotrea X, Stoltzfus J, Ahlenstiel G, Noureddin M, Feld JJ, Liang TJ, Rotman Y, Rehermann B. Ribavirin improves the IFN-γ response of natural killer cells to IFN-based therapy of hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology 2014; 60:1160-9. [PMID: 24700342 PMCID: PMC4469648 DOI: 10.1002/hep.27092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Ribavirin (RBV) is an important component of interferon (IFN)-based and direct antiviral treatment regimens for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Immunomodulation, in particular improvement of the host IFN response, has been proposed as RBV's mechanism of action. Natural killer (NK) cells are sensitive biomarkers for IFN-α/β receptor signaling, as NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production are regulated by signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1- and STAT4-phosphorylation, respectively. Specifically, pSTAT1-dependent NK cell cytotoxicity increases and pSTAT4-dependent IFN-γ production decreases in response to endogenous, virus-induced IFN-α and during IFN-α-based therapy. To assess whether RBV has a direct effect on NK cells and/or improves the IFN-γ response of NK cells in the presence of IFN-α, we prospectively studied 22 HCV patients with and 32 patients without 4 weeks of RBV pretreatment, who all received subsequent pegylated (Peg)IFN/ribavirin combination therapy. During RBV pretreatment, both the frequency of CD56(dim) NK cells with cytotoxic effector functions and the frequency of CD56(bright) NK cells with the capacity to produce IFN-γ decreased (P = 0.049 and P = 0.001, respectively). In vitro or in vivo exposure of NK cells to RBV improved the pSTAT4 (P < 0.01) but not pSTAT1 response of NK cells to subsequent stimulation with IFN-α. This was associated with an increase in IFN-γ production but not cytotoxicity of NK cells during subsequent IFN-α-based therapy. The frequency of IFN-γ-producing NK cells was greater in fast second-phase virological responders than in slow responders. CONCLUSION RBV enhances the pSTAT4 and IFN-γ response of NK cells to IFN-α-stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens M. Werner
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xenia Chepa-Lotrea
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jonathan Stoltzfus
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Golo Ahlenstiel
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Mazen Noureddin
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jordan J. Feld
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Yaron Rotman
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892,Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Serti E, Werner JM, Chattergoon M, Cox AL, Lohmann V, Rehermann B. Monocytes activate natural killer cells via inflammasome-induced interleukin 18 in response to hepatitis C virus replication. Gastroenterology 2014; 147:209-220.e3. [PMID: 24685721 PMCID: PMC4469643 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Production of interferon (IFN)-γ by natural killer (NK) cells is attenuated during chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We investigated whether this is due to intrinsic or extrinsic mechanisms of NK cells. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from patients with chronic HCV infection or uninfected blood donors (controls); NK cells and monocytes were isolated or eliminated. We cultured hepatoma cells that express luciferase-tagged subgenomic HCV replicons (Huh7/HCV replicon cells) or their HCV-negative counterparts (Huh7) with NK cells in the presence or absence of other populations of PBMCs. Antiviral activity, cytotoxicity, and cytokine production were assessed. RESULTS NK cells produced greater amounts of IFN-γ when PBMC were cocultured with Huh7/HCV replicon cells than with Huh7 cells; NK cells and PBMCs from controls suppressed HCV replication to a greater extent than those from patients with chronic HCV infection. This antiviral effect was predominantly mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IFN-γ. The antiviral activity of NK cells and their production of IFN-γ were reduced when they were used in coculture alone (rather than with PBMC), or after depletion of CD14(+) monocytes, after knockdown of the inflammasome in monocytes, or after neutralization of interleukin-18, which is regulated by the inflammasome. These findings indicate a role for monocytes in NK cell activation. Compared with control monocytes, monocytes from patients with chronic HCV infection had reduced TNF-α-mediated (direct) and reduced NK cell-mediated (indirect) antiviral effects. Control monocytes increased the antiviral effects of NK cells from patients with chronic HCV infection and their production of IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS Monocytes sense cells that contain replicating HCV and respond by producing interleukin-18 via the inflammasome and by activating NK cells. Patients with chronic HCV infection have reduced monocyte function, attenuating NK cell IFN-γ-mediated responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD,
USA
| | - Jens M. Werner
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD,
USA
| | - Michael Chattergoon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrea L. Cox
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Volker Lohmann
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of
Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Serti E, Werner J, Chattergoon M, Cox A, Lohmann V, Rehermann B. Monocytes sense hepatitis C virus-replicating cells and induce natural killer cell antiviral activity in an IL-18-mediated manner (INC8P.437). The Journal of Immunology 2014. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.192.supp.187.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are important effectors in the innate immune defense against many viruses. However, NK cell IFN-γ production is attenuated in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here, we asked whether this is due to an NK cell-intrinsic or extrinsic mechanism. Hepatoma cells expressing luciferase-tagged subgenomic HCV-replicons (Huh7/HCV-replicons) or their HCV-negative counterparts were co-cultured with NK cells in the presence or absence of other PBMC subpopulations. RESULTS: The IFN-γ-mediated antiviral effect of NK cells was reduced when isolated NK cells rather than PBMC were co-cultured with Huh7/HCV-replicons suggesting that other subpopulations contributed to NK cell activation. Increased monokines levels implicated a role of activated monocytes. Indeed, depletion of CD14+ monocytes, siRNA knockdown of the monocyte NALP3 inflammasome and neutralization of the inflammasome product IL-18 decreased the IFN-γ-mediated antiviral activity of NK cells. Interestingly, monocytes from chronic HCV patients were less effective than monocytes from healthy controls in inducing NK cell IFN-γ production. Vice versa, monocytes from healthy controls improved antiviral function and IFN-γ production of NK cells from chronic HCV patients. CONCLUSION: Monocytes sense HCV-replicating cells and induce, via inflammasome-mediated IL-18 production, an NK-cell mediated decrease in HCV replication. Impaired monocyte function in HCV infection attenuates the NK cell IFN-γ response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Serti
- 1Immunlogy Section, Liver Diseases Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jens Werner
- 1Immunlogy Section, Liver Diseases Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD
| | - Michael Chattergoon
- 2Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Andrea Cox
- 2Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Volker Lohmann
- 3Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- 1Immunlogy Section, Liver Diseases Branch, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD
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Doumba PP, Serti E, Boutsikou M, Konstadoulakis MM, Georgopoulou U, Koskinas J. Phenotypic and functional alterations of primary human PBMCs induced by HCV non-enveloped capsid-like particles uptake. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:3463-74. [PMID: 23645326 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1344-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus non-enveloped particles circulate in the serum of HCV-infected patients and are believed to be involved in viral persistence. It was previously demonstrated that recombinant HCVne particles can efficiently enter T cells. In this study we investigated the effect of this entry on the phenotype and function of PBMCs, focused on the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. We have generated recombinant HCVne in the absence of other viral proteins. PBMCs from healthy donors were sampled after incubation either with HCVne or the control at different time points. Levels of expression of CD107a, CD25, CTLA-4, and T regulatory cells were estimated and cytokine expression and secretion were also monitored. Peripheral T cells expressed elevated CD127. The intracellular expression of the inhibitory marker CTLA-4 (CD152) increased significantly on peripheral T cells at late hours post-treatment, compared to the respective non-treated group. Despite the fact that there was an initial immune response due to HCVne uptake, T cells were driven to a partial exhausted phenotype. A significant induction of CD4+CD25+(hi)CD127-regulatory T cells at late hours was observed. Consistently, Foxp3+CD4+ T cells were also increased. In parallel, a significant transcriptional activation and increased secretion of IL-2, IL-10, and IFN-γ, was recorded. Moreover, mRNA transcription of TGF-β was considerably elevated. HCVne particles have the potential to shape the immune response by modifying specific phenotypic and functional markers mainly on CD4+ T cells and driving them to partial exhaustion as well as to Treg expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polyxeni P Doumba
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece
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Park H, Serti E, Eke O, Muchmore B, Prokunina-Olsson L, Capone S, Folgori A, Rehermann B. IL-29 is the dominant type III interferon produced by hepatocytes during acute hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology 2012; 56:2060-70. [PMID: 22706965 PMCID: PMC3581145 DOI: 10.1002/hep.25897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Early, vigorous intrahepatic induction of interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene (ISG) induction is a feature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, even though HCV inhibits the induction of type I IFNs in vitro. To identify the cytokines and cells that drive ISG induction and mediate antiviral activity during acute HCV infection, type I and III IFN responses were studied in (1) serial liver biopsies and plasma samples obtained from 6 chimpanzees throughout acute HCV infection and (2) primary human hepatocyte (PHH) cultures upon HCV infection. Type I IFNs were minimally induced at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level in the liver and were undetectable at the protein level in plasma during acute HCV infection of chimpanzees. In contrast, type III IFNs, in particular, interleukin (IL)-29 mRNA and protein, were strongly induced and these levels correlated with ISG expression and viremia. However, there was no association between intrahepatic or peripheral type III IFN levels and the outcome of acute HCV infection. Infection of PHH with HCV recapitulated strong type III and weak type I IFN responses. Supernatants from HCV-infected PHH cultures mediated antiviral activity upon transfer to HCV-replicon-containing cells. This effect was significantly reduced by neutralization of type III IFNs and less by neutralization of type I IFNs. Furthermore, IL-29 production by HCV-infected PHH occurred independently from type I IFN signaling and was not enhanced by the presence of plasmacytoid dendritic cells. CONCLUSION Hepatocyte-derived type III IFNs contribute to ISG induction and antiviral activity, but are not the principal determinant of the outcome of HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiyoung Park
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD
| | - Onyinyechi Eke
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD
| | - Brian Muchmore
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD
| | | | | | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD
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Edlich B, Ahlenstiel G, Azpiroz AZ, Stoltzfus J, Noureddin M, Serti E, Feld JJ, Liang TJ, Rotman Y, Rehermann B. Early changes in interferon signaling define natural killer cell response and refractoriness to interferon-based therapy of hepatitis C patients. Hepatology 2012; 55:39-48. [PMID: 21898483 PMCID: PMC3353526 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 08/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Natural killer (NK) cells exhibit a polarized phenotype with increased cytotoxicity and decreased interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here, we asked whether this is caused by type I interferon (IFN)-induced expression and phosphorylation levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) molecules in NK cells and whether it affects the response and refractoriness of NK cells to IFN-α-based therapy of HCV. STAT1 levels in NK cells were significantly higher in patients with chronic HCV infection than in uninfected controls. STAT1 levels and induction of phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1) increased further during IFN-α-based therapy with preferential STAT1 over STAT4 phosphorylation. Induction of pSTAT1 correlated with increased NK cytotoxicity (tumor necrosis factor-apoptosis-inducing ligand [TRAIL] expression and degranulation) and decreased IFN-γ production. NK cells from patients with a greater than 2 log(10) first-phase HCV RNA decline to IFN-α-based therapy (>99% IFN effectiveness) displayed strong pSTAT1 induction in vivo and were refractory to further stimulation in vitro. In contrast, NK cells from patients with a less than 2 log(10) first-phase HCV RNA decline exhibited lower pSTAT1 induction in vivo (P = 0.024), but retained greater IFN-α responsiveness in vitro (P = 0.024). NK cells of all patients became refractory to in vivo and in vitro stimulation by IFN-α during the second-phase virological response. CONCLUSION These data show that IFN-α-induced modulation of STAT1/4 phosphorylation underlies the polarization of NK cells toward increased cytotoxicity and decreased IFN-γ production in HCV infection, and that NK cell responsiveness and refractoriness correlate to the antiviral effectiveness of IFN-α-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Edlich
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Golo Ahlenstiel
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Aintzane Zabaleta Azpiroz
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jonathan Stoltzfus
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Mazen Noureddin
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Elisavet Serti
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jordan J. Feld
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - T. Jake Liang
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Yaron Rotman
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Serti E, Doumba PP, Thyphronitis G, Tsitoura P, Katsarou K, Foka P, Konstandoulakis MM, Koskinas J, Mavromara P, Georgopoulou U. Modulation of IL-2 expression after uptake of hepatitis C virus non-enveloped capsid-like particles: the role of p38 kinase. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 68:505-22. [PMID: 20680391 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0466-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Revised: 06/28/2010] [Accepted: 07/09/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to actively replicate in cells of the immune system, altering both their function and cytokine expression. Naked nucleocapsids have been reported in the serum of infected patients. We investigated interference of recombinant non-enveloped capsid-like particles with signaling pathways in T cells. HCV non-enveloped particles (HCVne) internalization was verified in Jurkat and Hut 78 T cells, as well as primary human peripheral blood and intrahepatic mononuclear cells. HCVne uptake leads to activation of the MAPKs-p38 signaling pathway. Using specific phosphoantibodies, signaling pathways inhibitors, and chemical agents, it was demonstrated that p38 activation in T cells correlated with IL-2 transcriptional activation and was accompanied by a parallel increase of IL-2 cytokine secretion. c-fos and egr-1, two transcription factors, essential for IL-2 promoter activity, were also found to be elevated. We propose that HCVne uptake by T lymphocytes results in increased MAPKs-p38 activity and IL-2 expression, thus altering the host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Serti
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
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