IL-9 Producing Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Treg Subsets Drive Immune Escape of Tumor Cells in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, the mechanisms how lung cancer cells evade the immune system remain incompletely understood. Here, we discovered IL-9-dependent signaling mechanisms that drive immune evasion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We found increased IL-9 and IL-21 production by T cells in the tumoral region of the lung of patients with NSCLC, suggesting the presence of Th9 cells in the lung tumor microenvironment. Moreover, we noted IL-9 producing Tregs in NSCLC. IL-9 target cells in NSCLC consisted of IL-9R+ tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. In two murine experimental models of NSCLC, and in vitro, IL-9 prevented cell death and controlled growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Targeted deletion of IL-9 resulted in successful lung tumor rejection in vivo associated with an induction of IL-21 and reduction of Treg cells. Finally, anti-IL-9 antibody immunotherapy resulted in suppression of tumor development even in established experimental NSCLC and was associated with reduced IL-10 production in the lung. In conclusion, our findings indicate that IL-9 drives immune escape of lung tumor cells via effects on tumor cell survival and tumor infiltrating T cells. Thus, strategies blocking IL-9 emerge as a new approach for clinical therapy of lung cancer.

Regulated on Activation, Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) drives the resolution of allergic asthma

RANTES is implicated in allergic asthma and in T cell-dependent clearance of infection. RANTES receptor family comprises CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5, which are G-protein-coupled receptors consisting of seven transmembrane helices. Infections with respiratory viruses like Rhinovirus cause induction of RANTES production by epithelial cells. Here, we studied the role of RANTES in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in cohorts of children with and without asthma and validated and extended this study to the airways of adults with and without asthma. We further translated these studies to a murine model of asthma induced by house dust mite allergen in wild-type RANTES and CCR5-deficient mice. Here we show an unpredicted therapeutic role of RANTES in the resolution of allergen-induced asthma by orchestrating the transition of effector GATA-3+CD4+ T cells into immune-regulatory-type T cells and inflammatory eosinophils into resident eosinophils as well as increased IL-10 production in the lung.

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RANTES is associated with allergic asthma and T cell-dependent clearance of infections

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RANTES is upregulated in asthmatic airways reflecting ongoing airway cell activation

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Rhinovirus inhibited and antiviral agonist induced RANTES in PBMCs from asthmatics

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Experimental treatment with RANTES (rRANTES) in the airways reduced local eosinophils

TLR7/8 regulates type I and type III interferon signalling in rhinovirus 1b-induced allergic asthma

INTRODUCTION

Interferon (IFN) responses have been reported to be defective in rhinovirus (RV)-induced asthma. The heterodimeric receptor of type I IFN (IFN-α/β) is composed of IFN-αR1 and IFN-αR2. Ligand binding to the IFN-α/β receptor complex activates signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins STAT1 and STAT2 intracellularly. Although type III IFN (IFN-λ) binds to a different receptor containing IFN-λR1 and interleukin-10R2, its triggering leads to activation of the same downstream transcription factors. Here, we analysed the effects of RV on IFN type I and III receptors, and asked about possible Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist R848-mediated IFN-αR1 and IFN-λR1 regulation.

METHODS

We measured IFN-α, IFN-β and IFN-λ and their receptor levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) supernatants and cell pellets stimulated with RV1b and R848 in two cohorts of children with and without asthma recruited at pre-school age (PreDicta) and at primary school age (AGENDAS) as well as in cell supernatants from total lung cells isolated from mice.

RESULTS

We observed that R848 induced IFN-λR mRNA expression in PBMCs of healthy and asthmatic children, but suppressed IFN-αR mRNA levels. In murine lung cells, RV1b alone and together with R848 suppressed IFN-αR protein in T-cells compared with controls and in total lung IFN-λR mRNA compared with RV1b infection alone.

CONCLUSIONS

In PBMCs from pre-school age children, IFN-αR mRNA was reduced and IFN-λR1 mRNA was induced upon treatment with the TLR7/8 agonist R848, thus suggesting new avenues for induction of antiviral immune responses in paediatric asthma.

OP0132 ALLERGIC ASTHMA INDUCES THE ACCUMULATION OF SYNOVIAL RESIDENT EOSINOPHILS, TRIGGERING THE RESOLUTION OF INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder, involving synovial joints, which affects approximately 1 percent of the world population[1]. Our former work demonstrated that the Th2-eosinophil pathway is a strong anti-inflammatory mediator of inflammatory arthritis[2]. Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airway, triggered by type 2 immune response. Hitherto, clinical observations on the impact of asthma on RA showed controversial results. Herein, we investigated the action of allergic asthma on inflammatory arthritis.

Objectives:

We aimed to delineate the molecular and cellular responses induced by allergic asthma on inflammatory arthritis, particularly depicting the role of eosinophil subsets in arthritic synovium.

Methods:

Allergic asthma was induced in wild type and genetically modified mice by ovalbumin (OVA) treatment. After the initiation of allergic asthma, K/BxN serum was transferred into the asthmatic mice or control mice to trigger serum induced arthritis (SIA). Then, arthritis severity, circulating cytokines and the cytology of lung and synovium were analyzed. Eosinophil subsets were studied by flow cytometry, single cell RNA sequencing analysis, and were isolated and transferred into the synovial cavity of eosinophil deficient arthritic mice. Clinical data of patients with both RA and asthma were collected and checked for the relapse of RA after asthma treatment with anti-interleukin (IL)-5 antibody.

Results:

Mice induced with allergic asthma exhibited a rapid resolution of SIA. The OVA-triggered resolution disappeared in eosinophil deficient mice (ΔdblGATA), and was partially blocked by IL-5 neutralization. We could detect that IL-5 was mainly produced by type 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) in the lung. Allergic asthma exclusively induced the proliferation (Ki67+) and accumulation of synovial resident eosinophils (rEos, Siglec-Fint), which switched classical macrophages into alternatively activated macrophages. Synovial induced eosinophils (iEos, Siglec-Fhigh) appeared only in the acute phase of SIA. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis showed that rEos played an anti-inflammatory role, while iEos had pro-inflammatory properties in arthritis. The roles of rEos and iEos in arthritis were confirmed by transferring rEos/iEos into the synovial cavity of arthritic mice. Patiens with both RA and asthma showed a remission relapse of RA after using humanized monoclonal IL-5 antibody for treating sever eosinophilic asthma.

Conclusion:

Allergic asthma induced an IL-5 mediated proliferation and accumulation of synovial rEos. The latter triggered the resolution of inflammatory arthritis. In human, eosinophils induced by asthma were essential for the sustaining of RA remission.

References:

[1]Myasoedova, E., et al., Is the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis rising?: results from Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1955-2007. Arthritis Rheum, 2010.62(6): p. 1576-82.

[2]Chen, Z., et al., Th2 and eosinophil responses suppress inflammatory arthritis. Nat Commun, 2016.7: p. 11596.

Acknowledgments:

Mengdan Liu and Darja Andreev contributed equally to this study

Disclosure of Interests:

Mengdan Liu: None declared, Darja Andreev: None declared, Katerina Kachler: None declared, Julia Koelle: None declared, Simon Rauber: None declared, Andreas Ramming Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Novartis, Consultant of: Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Gilead, Pfizer, Speakers bureau: Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Janssen, Susetta Finotto: None declared, Georg Schett Speakers bureau: AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Roche and UCB, Aline Bozec: None declared

A comparison of experienced clinical observers and statistical tests in detection of progressive visual field loss in glaucoma using automated perimetry

The visual fields of 30 patients (subjects) with glaucoma were sent to six experienced clinicians (observers). Each subject had at least four visual field examinations on the OCTOPUS 201 automated perimeter spanning at least one year. Each observer was asked to review the visual field data of each subject and determine whether the visual fields were stable, improved, or worse over time. The visual field data were then analyzed using six different statistical models. In only 15 of the 30 subjects did at least five of the six human observers agree on the behavior of the visual field. Agreement among the statistical models was better, with at least five of the six models agreeing on 22 of the 30 subjects. It was concluded that there is, at present, no validated technique for detecting progressive visual field loss in glaucoma using automated perimetry when relatively few visual fields are available for analysis.

Intraocular pressure and visual field defects after argon laser trabeculoplasty in chronic open-angle glaucoma

Nineteen patients undergoing argon laser trabeculoplasty for open-angle glaucoma were studied prospectively. All patients had glaucomatous visual field defects with inadequate medical control of intraocular pressure (IOP) before laser treatment. All patients had two automated visual fields immediately before laser treatment. They also had follow-up automated perimetry at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months posttreatment. The serial visual fields were compared using a one-way analysis of variance and trend analysis. After the laser trabeculoplasty, six patients showed visual field improvement, eight showed no change, and five showed progressive visual field deterioration. Patients with little fluctuation of IOP measurements after laser treatment had a better prognosis for visual field retention. The mean IOP level, however, was a poor predictor of visual field progression. Patients with more extensive visual field damage before laser treatment did not do worse than patients with less extensive visual field loss.