Novel multiparameter correlates of Coxiella burnetii infection and vaccination identified by longitudinal deep immune profiling

Q-fever is a flu-like illness caused by Coxiella burnetii (Cb), a highly infectious intracellular bacterium. There is an unmet need for a safe and effective vaccine for Q-fever. Correlates of immune protection to Cb infection are limited. We proposed that analysis by longitudinal high dimensional immune (HDI) profiling using mass cytometry combined with other measures of vaccination and protection could be used to identify novel correlates of effective vaccination and control of Cb infection. Using a vaccine-challenge model in HLA-DR transgenic mice, we demonstrated significant alterations in circulating T-cell and innate immune populations that distinguished vaccinated from naïve mice within 10 days, and persisted until at least 35 days post-vaccination. Following challenge, vaccinated mice exhibited reduced bacterial burden and splenomegaly, along with distinct effector T-cell and monocyte profiles. Correlation of HDI data to serological and pathological measurements was performed. Our data indicate a Th1-biased response to Cb, consistent with previous reports, and identify Ly6C, CD73, and T-bet expression in T-cell, NK-cell, and monocytic populations as distinguishing features between vaccinated and naïve mice. This study refines the understanding of the integrated immune response to Cb vaccine and challenge, which can inform the assessment of candidate vaccines for Cb.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a well recognized complication of solid organ transplantation (SOT) or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) associated with therapeutic immunosuppression (IS), first reported in 1968. Risk factors, therapy, and outcomes differ between PTLD observed following BMT and SOT. PTLD is a potentially fatal complication in the clinical course of transplant recipients, representing the most common malignancy after SOT in children and the second in the adult setting. This review presents the predisposing risk factors to the development of PTLD, along with clinical aspects, diagnostic work-up and therapeutic options in order to obtain a durable and complete remission with minimal toxicity. The extreme diversity of clinical presentations, sometimes with rapidly aggressive evolution, together with the heterogeneity of imagistic and histological findings, have proven the importance of the high degree of clinical suspicion. The early recognition and the prompt adequate treatment may improve the outcome.

Coupling sensitive in vitro and in silico techniques to assess cross-reactive CD4(+) T cells against the swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus

The outbreak of the novel swine-origin H1N1 influenza in the spring of 2009 took epidemiologists, immunologists, and vaccinologists by surprise and galvanized a massive worldwide effort to produce millions of vaccine doses to protect against this single virus strain. Of particular concern was the apparent lack of pre-existing antibody capable of eliciting cross-protective immunity against this novel virus, which fueled fears this strain would trigger a particularly far-reaching and lethal pandemic. Given that disease caused by the swine-origin virus was far less severe than expected, we hypothesized cellular immunity to cross-conserved T cell epitopes might have played a significant role in protecting against the pandemic H1N1 in the absence of cross-reactive humoral immunity. In a published study, we used an immunoinformatics approach to predict a number of CD4(+) T cell epitopes are conserved between the 2008-2009 seasonal H1N1 vaccine strain and pandemic H1N1 (A/California/04/2009) hemagglutinin proteins. Here, we provide results from biological studies using PBMCs from human donors not exposed to the pandemic virus to demonstrate that pre-existing CD4(+) T cells can elicit cross-reactive effector responses against the pandemic H1N1 virus. As well, we show our computational tools were 80-90% accurate in predicting CD4(+) T cell epitopes and their HLA-DRB1-dependent response profiles in donors that were chosen at random for HLA haplotype. Combined, these results confirm the power of coupling immunoinformatics to define broadly reactive CD4(+) T cell epitopes with highly sensitive in vitro biological assays to verify these in silico predictions as a means to understand human cellular immunity, including cross-protective responses, and to define CD4(+) T cell epitopes for potential vaccination efforts against future influenza viruses and other pathogens.

The solution structure of the complex formed between alpha-bungarotoxin and an 18-mer cognate peptide derived from the alpha 1 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica

The region encompassing residues 181-98 on the alpha1 subunit of the muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor forms a major determinant for the binding of alpha-neurotoxins. We have prepared an (15)N-enriched 18-amino acid peptide corresponding to the sequence in this region to facilitate structural elucidation by multidimensional NMR. Our aim was to determine the structural basis for the high affinity, stoichiometric complex formed between this cognate peptide and alpha-bungarotoxin, a long alpha-neurotoxin. Resonances in the complex were assigned through heteronuclear and homonuclear NMR experiments, and the resulting interproton distance constraints were used to generate ensemble structures of the complex. Thr(8), Pro(10), Lys(38), Val(39), Val(40), and Pro(69) in alpha-bungarotoxin and Tyr(189), Tyr(190), Thr(191), Cys(192), Asp(195), and Thr(196) in the peptide participate in major intermolecular contacts. A comparison of the free and bound alpha-bungarotoxin structures reveals significant conformational rearrangements in flexible regions of alpha-bungarotoxin, mainly loops I, II, and the C-terminal tail. Furthermore, several of the calculated structures suggest that cation-pi interactions may be involved in binding. The root mean square deviation of the polypeptide backbone in the complex is 2.07 A. This structure provides, to date, the highest resolution description of the contacts between a prototypic alpha-neurotoxin and its cognate recognition sequence.

Chimeric analysis of a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor reveals amino acids conferring sensitivity to alpha-bungarotoxin

We have investigated the molecular determinants responsible for alpha-bungarotoxin (alphaBgtx) binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors through chimeric analysis of two homologous alpha subunits, one highly sensitive to alphaBgtx block (alpha1) and the other, alphaBgtx-insensitive (alpha3). By replacing rat alpha3 residues 184-191 with the corresponding region from the Torpedo alpha1 subunit, we introduced a cluster of five alpha1 residues (Trp-184, Trp-187, Val-188, Tyr-189, and Thr-191) into the alpha3 subunit. Functional activity and alphaBgtx sensitivity were assessed following co-expression in Xenopus oocytes of the chimeric alpha3 subunit (alpha3/alpha1[5]) with either rat beta2 or beta4 subunits. Agonist-evoked responses of alpha3/alpha1[5]-containing receptors were blocked by alphaBgtx with nanomolar affinity (IC(50) values: 41 nM for alpha3/alpha1[5]beta2 and 19 nM for alpha3/alpha1[5]beta4). Furthermore, receptors containing the single point mutation alpha3K189Y acquire significant sensitivity to alphaBgtx block (IC(50) values: 186 nM for alpha3K189Ybeta2 and 179 nM for alpha3K189Ybeta4). Another alpha3 chimeric subunit, alpha3/alpha7[6], similar to alpha3/alpha1[5] but incorporating the corresponding residues from the alphaBgtx-sensitive alpha7 subunit, also conferred potent alphaBgtx sensitivity to chimeric receptors when co-expressed with the beta4 subunit (IC(50) value = 31 nM). Our findings demonstrate that the residues between positions 184 and 191 of the alphaBgtx-sensitive subunits alpha1 and alpha7 play a critical functional role in the interaction of alphaBgtx with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors sensitive to this toxin.

Binding and action of insulin-like growth factor I in pituitary tumor cells

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), a target hormone mediating most of the growth effects of GH, suppresses GH gene expression in a feedback regulatory loop, which may be either endocrine or paracrine in nature. Although IGF-I has been shown to directly attenuate GH gene transcription, the relationship of IGF-I binding and action in the somatotroph cell remains unclear. Therefore, IGF-I binding and action were compared in two different pituitary cell lines both secreting GH. Recombinant human IGF-I attenuated GH secretion in GC cells by up to 70% after 48 h in a dose-dependent manner. Surprisingly, IGF-I failed to suppress GH secretion in GH3 cells, a clonally related pituitary cell line. Binding studies showed that although the KD for IGF-I was similar in both cell types, GC cells contain 3-fold more IGF-I binding sites compared to GH3 cells, possibly explaining their resistance to IGF-I action. Nevertheless, both cell lines possessed abundant and similar binding sites for insulin. These results imply that the IGF-I signal for GH gene regulation is receptor-mediated and directly correlated with the number of pituitary IGF-I binding sites. Availability of pituitary IGF-I binding sites may therefore be important in determining the level of GH expression by the somatotroph.