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Forsyth KS, Jiwrajka N, Lovell CD, Toothacre NE, Anguera MC. The conneXion between sex and immune responses. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-00996-9. [PMID: 38383754 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-00996-9] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
There are notable sex-based differences in immune responses to pathogens and self-antigens, with female individuals exhibiting increased susceptibility to various autoimmune diseases, and male individuals displaying preferential susceptibility to some viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. Although sex hormones clearly contribute to sex differences in immune cell composition and function, the presence of two X chromosomes in female individuals suggests that differential gene expression of numerous X chromosome-linked immune-related genes may also influence sex-biased innate and adaptive immune cell function in health and disease. Here, we review the sex differences in immune system composition and function, examining how hormones and genetics influence the immune system. We focus on the genetic and epigenetic contributions responsible for altered X chromosome-linked gene expression, and how this impacts sex-biased immune responses in the context of pathogen infection and systemic autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S Forsyth
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nikhil Jiwrajka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claudia D Lovell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Natalie E Toothacre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Montserrat C Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Forsyth KS, Toothacre NE, Jiwrajka N, Driscoll AM, Shallberg LA, Cunningham-Rundles C, Barmettler S, Farmer J, Verbsky J, Routes J, Beiting DP, Romberg N, May MJ, Anguera MC. NF-κB Signaling is Required for X-Chromosome Inactivation Maintenance Following T cell Activation. bioRxiv 2024:2024.02.08.579505. [PMID: 38405871 PMCID: PMC10888971 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.08.579505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
X Chromosome Inactivation (XCI) is a female-specific process which balances X-linked gene dosage between sexes. Unstimulated T cells lack cytological enrichment of Xist RNA and heterochromatic modifications on the inactive X chromosome (Xi), and these modifications become enriched at the Xi after cell stimulation. Here, we examined allele-specific gene expression and the epigenomic profiles of the Xi following T cell stimulation. We found that the Xi in unstimulated T cells is largely dosage compensated and is enriched with the repressive H3K27me3 modification, but not the H2AK119-ubiquitin (Ub) mark, even at promoters of XCI escape genes. Upon CD3/CD28-mediated T cell stimulation, the Xi accumulates H2AK119-Ub and H3K27me3 across the Xi. Next, we examined the T cell signaling pathways responsible for Xist RNA localization to the Xi and found that T cell receptor (TCR) engagement, specifically NF-κB signaling downstream of TCR, is required. Disruption of NF-κB signaling, using inhibitors or genetic deletions, in mice and patients with immunodeficiencies prevents Xist/XIST RNA accumulation at the Xi and alters expression of some X-linked genes. Our findings reveal a novel connection between NF-κB signaling pathways which impact XCI maintenance in female T cells.
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Jiwrajka N, Toothacre NE, Beethem ZT, Sting S, Forsyth KS, Dubin AH, Driscoll A, Stohl W, Anguera MC. Impaired dynamic X-chromosome inactivation maintenance in T cells is a feature of spontaneous murine SLE that is exacerbated in female-biased models. J Autoimmun 2023; 139:103084. [PMID: 37399593 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2023.103084] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a highly female-biased systemic autoimmune disease, but the molecular basis for this female bias remains incompletely elucidated. B and T lymphocytes from patients with SLE and female-biased mouse models of SLE exhibit features of epigenetic dysregulation on the X chromosome which may contribute to this strong female bias. We therefore examined the fidelity of dynamic X-chromosome inactivation maintenance (dXCIm) in the pathogenesis of two murine models of spontaneous lupus-NZM2328 and MRL/lpr-with disparate levels of female-bias to determine whether impaired dXCIm contributes to the female bias of disease. METHODS CD23+ B cells and CD3+ T cells were purified from age-matched C57BL/6 (B6), MRL/lpr, and NZM2328 male and female mice, activated in vitro, and processed for Xist RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, H3K27me3 immunofluorescence imaging, qPCR, and RNA sequencing analyses. RESULTS The dynamic relocalization of Xist RNA and the canonical heterochromatin mark, H3K27me3, to the inactive X chromosome was preserved in CD23+ B cells, but impaired in activated CD3+ T cells from the MRL/lpr model (p < 0.01 vs. B6), and even more impaired in the heavily female-biased NZM2328 model (p < 0.001 vs. B6; p < 0.05 vs. MRL/lpr). RNAseq of activated T cells from NZM2328 mice revealed the female-biased upregulation of 32 X-linked genes distributed broadly across the X chromosome, many of which have roles in immune function. Many genes encoding Xist RNA-interacting proteins were also differentially expressed and predominantly downregulated, which may account for the observed mislocalization of Xist RNA to the inactive X chromosome. CONCLUSIONS Although evident in T cells from both the MRL/lpr and NZM2328 models of spontaneous SLE, impaired dXCIm is more severe in the heavily female-biased NZM2328 model. The aberrant X-linked gene dosage in female NZM2328 mice may contribute towards the development of female-biased immune responses in SLE-prone hosts. These findings provide important insights into the epigenetic mechanisms contributing to female-biased autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Jiwrajka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Natalie E Toothacre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zachary T Beethem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah Sting
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katherine S Forsyth
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aimee H Dubin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda Driscoll
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William Stohl
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Montserrat C Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Jiwrajka N, Loizidis G, Patterson KC, Kreider ME, Johnson CR, Miller WT, Barbosa EJM, Patel N, Beers MF, Litzky LA, George MD, Porteous MK. Identification and Prognosis of Patients With Interstitial Pneumonia With Autoimmune Features. J Clin Rheumatol 2022; 28:257-264. [PMID: 35697042 DOI: 10.1097/rhu.0000000000001847] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Patients classified as interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) have interstitial lung disease (ILD) and features of autoimmunity but do not fulfill criteria for connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Our goal was to identify patients classifiable as IPAF, CTD-ILD, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from a preexisting pulmonary cohort and evaluate the prognosis of patients with IPAF. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 456 patients from a single-center pulmonary ILD cohort whose diagnoses were previously established by a multidisciplinary panel that did not include rheumatologists. We reclassified patients as IPAF, CTD-ILD, or IPF. We compared transplant-free survival using Kaplan-Meier methods and identified prognostic factors using Cox models. RESULTS We identified 60 patients with IPAF, 113 with CTD-ILD, and 126 with IPF. Transplant-free survival of IPAF was not statistically significantly different from that of CTD-ILD or IPF. Among IPAF patients, male sex (hazard ratio, 4.58 [1.77-11.87]) was independently associated with worse transplant-free survival. During follow-up, only 10% of IPAF patients were diagnosed with CTD-ILD, most commonly antisynthetase syndrome. CONCLUSION Despite similar clinical characteristics, most patients with IPAF did not progress to CTD-ILD; those who did often developed antisynthetase syndrome, highlighting the critical importance of comprehensive myositis autoantibody testing in this population. As in other types of ILD, male sex may portend a worse prognosis in IPAF. The routine engagement of rheumatologists in the multidisciplinary evaluation of ILD will help ensure the accurate classification of these patients and help clarify prognostic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Jiwrajka
- From the Division of Rheumatology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Maryl E Kreider
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Cheilonda R Johnson
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Wallace T Miller
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
| | | | - Namrata Patel
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Michael F Beers
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Leslie A Litzky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
| | | | - Mary K Porteous
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in the composition and function of the human immune system has important clinical implications, as males and females differ in their susceptibility to infectious diseases, cancers, and especially systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Both sex hormones and the X chromosome, which bears a number of immune-related genes, play critical roles in establishing the molecular basis for the observed sex differences in immune function and dysfunction. Here, we review our current understanding of sex differences in immune composition and function in health and disease, with a specific focus on the contribution of the X chromosome to the striking female bias of three autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Jiwrajka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Montserrat C. Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Sciurba JC, Gieseck RL, Jiwrajka N, White SD, Karmele EP, Redes J, Vannella KM, Henderson NC, Wynn TA, Hart KM. Fibroblast-specific integrin-alpha V differentially regulates type 17 and type 2 driven inflammation and fibrosis. J Pathol 2019; 248:16-29. [PMID: 30536905 DOI: 10.1002/path.5215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Fibroproliferative diseases affect a significant proportion of the world's population. Despite this, core mechanisms driving organ fibrosis of diverse etiologies remain ill defined. Recent studies suggest that integrin-alpha V serves as a master driver of fibrosis in multiple organs. Although diverse mechanisms contribute to the progression of fibrosis, TGF-β and IL-13 have emerged as central mediators of fibrosis during type 1/type 17, and type 2 polarized inflammatory responses, respectively. To investigate if integrin-alpha V interactions or signaling is critical to the development of type 2 fibrosis, we analyzed fibroblast-specific integrin-alpha V knockout mice in three type 2-driven inflammatory disease models. While we confirmed a role for integrin-alpha V in type 17-associated fibrosis, integrin-alpha V was not critical to the development of type 2-driven fibrosis. Additionally, our studies support a novel mechanism through which fibroblasts, via integrin-alpha V expression, are capable of regulating immune polarization. We show that when integrin-alpha V is deleted on fibroblasts, initiation of type 17 inflammation is inhibited leading to a deregulation of type 2 inflammation. This mechanism is most evident in a model of severe asthma, which is characterized by a mixed type 2/type 17 inflammatory response. Together, these findings suggest dual targeting of integrin-alpha V and type 2 pathways may be needed to ameliorate fibrosis and prevent rebound of opposing pro-fibrotic and inflammatory mechanisms. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Sciurba
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard L Gieseck
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nikhil Jiwrajka
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sandra D White
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erik P Karmele
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jamie Redes
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, and Centre for Immunity Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kevin M Vannella
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neil C Henderson
- Molecular Signal Transduction Section, Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas A Wynn
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kevin M Hart
- Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Liu Z, Cai Y, Young AW, Totsingan F, Jiwrajka N, Shi Z, Kallenbach NR. OH radical production stimulated by (RW)4D, a synthetic antimicrobial agent and indolicidin. Med Chem Commun 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/c2md20272g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Young AW, Liu Z, Zhou C, Totsingan F, Jiwrajka N, Shi Z, Kallenbach NR. Structure and antimicrobial properties of multivalent short peptides. Med Chem Commun 2011. [DOI: 10.1039/c0md00247j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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