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Beadle J, Papadaki A, Toulza F, Santos E, Willicombe M, McLean A, Peters J, Roufosse C. Application of the Banff Human Organ Transplant Panel to kidney transplant biopsies with features suspicious for antibody-mediated rejection. Kidney Int 2023; 104:526-541. [PMID: 37172690 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2023.04.015] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The Banff Classification for Allograft Pathology includes the use of gene expression in the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of kidney transplants, but a predictive set of genes for classifying biopsies with 'incomplete' phenotypes has not yet been studied. Here, we developed and assessed a gene score that, when applied to biopsies with features of AMR, would identify cases with a higher risk of allograft loss. To do this, RNA was extracted from a continuous retrospective cohort of 349 biopsies randomized 2:1 to include 220 biopsies in a discovery cohort and 129 biopsies in a validation cohort. The biopsies were divided into three groups: 31 that fulfilled the 2019 Banff Criteria for active AMR, 50 with histological features of AMR but not meeting the full criteria (Suspicious-AMR), and 269 with no features of active AMR (No-AMR). Gene expression analysis using the 770 gene Banff Human Organ Transplant NanoString panel was carried out with LASSO Regression performed to identify a parsimonious set of genes predictive of AMR. We identified a nine gene score that was highly predictive of active AMR (accuracy 0.92 in the validation cohort) and was strongly correlated with histological features of AMR. In biopsies suspicious for AMR, our gene score was strongly associated with risk of allograft loss and independently associated with allograft loss in multivariable analysis. Thus, we show that a gene expression signature in kidney allograft biopsy samples can help classify biopsies with incomplete AMR phenotypes into groups that correlate strongly with histological features and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Beadle
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK.
| | - Artemis Papadaki
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Eva Santos
- H&I Laboratory, North West London Pathology, London, UK
| | - Michelle Willicombe
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Adam McLean
- Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - James Peters
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Cellular Pathology, North West London Pathology, London, UK
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de Nattes T, Beadle J, Toulza F, Candon E, Ruminy P, François A, Bertrand D, Guerrot D, Drieux F, Roufosse C, Candon S. A Simple Molecular Tool for the Assessment of Kidney Transplant Biopsies. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2023; 18:499-509. [PMID: 36723289 PMCID: PMC10103338 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.0000000000000100] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Banff Classification for Allograft Pathology recommendations for the diagnosis of kidney transplant rejection includes molecular assessment of the transplant biopsy. However, implementation of molecular tools in clinical practice is still limited, partly due to the required expertise and financial investment. The reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (RT-MLPA) assay is a simple, rapid, and inexpensive assay that permits simultaneous evaluation of a restricted gene panel using paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a RT-MLPA assay for diagnosis and classification of rejection. METHODS A retrospective cohort of 220 kidney transplant biopsies from two centers, which included 52 antibody-mediated rejection, 51 T-cell-mediated rejection, and 117 no-rejection controls, was assessed. A 17-gene panel was identified on the basis of relevant pathophysiological pathways. A support vector machine classifier was developed. A subset of 109 biopsies was also assessed using the Nanostring Banff Human Organ Transplant panel to compare the two assays. RESULTS The support vector machine classifier train and test accuracy scores were 0.84 and 0.83, respectively. In the test cohort, the F1 score for antibody-mediated rejection, T-cell-mediated rejection, and control were 0.88, 0.86, and 0.69, respectively. Using receiver-operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve for class predictions was 0.96, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively, with a weighted average at 0.94. Classifiers' performances were highest for antibody-mediated rejection diagnosis with 94% correct predictions, compared with 88% correct predictions for control biopsies and 60% for T-cell-mediated rejection biopsies. Gene expression levels assessed by RT-MLPA and Nanostring were correlated: r = 0.68, P < 0.001. Equivalent gene expression profiles were obtained with both assays in 81% of the samples. CONCLUSIONS The 17-gene panel RT-MLPA assay, developed here for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney transplant biopsies, classified kidney transplant rejection with an overall accurate prediction ratio of 0.83. PODCAST This article contains a podcast at https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2023_04_10_CJN10100822.mp3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan de Nattes
- Nephrology – Kidney Transplant Unit, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSERM U1234, Rouen, France
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Beadle
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edvin Candon
- Nephrology – Kidney Transplant Unit, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Philippe Ruminy
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSERM U1245, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France
| | - Arnaud François
- Pathology Department, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Dominique Bertrand
- Nephrology – Kidney Transplant Unit, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Dominique Guerrot
- Nephrology – Kidney Transplant Unit, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Fanny Drieux
- Univ Rouen Normandie, INSERM U1245, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France
- Pathology Department, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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Prendecki M, Gulati K, Pisacano N, Pinheiro D, Bhatt T, Mawhin MA, Toulza F, Masuda ES, Cowburn A, Lodge KM, Tam FWK, Roufosse C, Pusey CD, McAdoo SP. Syk Activation in Circulating and Tissue Innate Immune Cells in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2023; 75:84-97. [PMID: 36428281 PMCID: PMC10099805 DOI: 10.1002/art.42321] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Syk is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase that plays a role in signaling via B cell and Fc receptors (FcR). FcR engagement and signaling via Syk is thought to be important in antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) IgG-mediated neutrophil activation. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of Syk in ANCA-induced myeloid cell activation and vasculitis pathogenesis. METHODS Phosphorylation of Syk in myeloid cells from healthy controls and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients was analyzed using flow cytometry. The effect of Syk inhibition on myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA IgG activation of cells was investigated using functional assays (interleukin-8 and reactive oxygen species production) and targeted gene analysis with NanoString. Total and phosphorylated Syk at sites of tissue inflammation in patients with AAV was assessed using immunohistochemistry and RNAscope in situ hybridization. RESULTS We identified increased phosphorylated Syk at critical activatory tyrosine residues in blood neutrophils and monocytes from patients with active AAV compared to patients with disease in remission or healthy controls. Syk was phosphorylated in vitro following MPO-ANCA IgG stimulation, and Syk inhibition was able to prevent ANCA-mediated cellular responses. Using targeted gene expression analysis, we identified up-regulation of FcR- and Syk-dependent signaling pathways following MPO-ANCA IgG stimulation. Finally, we showed that Syk is expressed and phosphorylated in tissue leukocytes at sites of organ inflammation in AAV. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that Syk plays a critical role in MPO-ANCA IgG-induced myeloid cell responses and that Syk is activated in circulating immune cells and tissue immune cells in AAV; therefore, Syk inhibition may be a potential therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Prendecki
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, and Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kavita Gulati
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, and Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Noelle Pisacano
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Damilola Pinheiro
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Tejal Bhatt
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Marie-Anne Mawhin
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | | | - Andrew Cowburn
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK
| | | | - Frederick W K Tam
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, and Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Charles D Pusey
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, and Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Stephen P McAdoo
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, and Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
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De Nattes T, Beadle J, Toulza F, Candon E, François A, Bertrand D, Guerrot D, Drieux F, Candon S, Roufosse C. La reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dépendent probe amplification (RT-MLPA) pour le diagnostic et la classification des rejets en transplantation rénale. Nephrol Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nephro.2022.07.265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Toulza F, Dominy K, Willicombe M, Beadle J, Santos E, Cook HT, Szydlo RM, McLean A, Roufosse C. Diagnostic application of transcripts associated with antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant biopsies. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2021; 37:1576-1584. [PMID: 34320215 PMCID: PMC9317169 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfab231] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is reached using the Banff Classification for Allograft Pathology, which now includes gene expression analysis. In this study, we investigate the application of ‘increased expression of thoroughly validated gene transcripts/classifiers strongly associated with AMR’ as diagnostic criteria. Method We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for 10 genes associated with AMR in a retrospective cohort of 297 transplant biopsies, including biopsies that met the full diagnostic criteria for AMR, even without molecular data (AMR, n = 27), biopsies that showed features of AMR, but that would only meet criteria for AMR with increased transcripts [suspicious for AMR (AMRsusp), n = 49] and biopsies that would never meet criteria for AMR (No-AMR, n = 221). Results A 10-gene AMR score trained by a receiver-operating characteristic to identify AMR found 16 cases with a high score among the AMRsusp cases (AMRsusp-high) that had significantly worse graft survival than those with a low score (AMRsusp-low; n = 33). In both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, the AMR 10-gene score was significantly associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) for graft loss (GL) in the AMRsusp group (HR = 1.109, P = 0.004 and HR = 1.138, P = 0.012, respectively), but not in the whole cohort. Net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement analyses demonstrated improved risk classification and superior discrimination, respectively, for GL when considering the gene score in addition to histological and serological data, but only in the AMRsusp group, not the whole cohort. Conclusions This study provides evidence that a gene score strongly associated with AMR helps identify cases at higher risk of GL in biopsies that are suspicious for AMR but do not meet full criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Toulza
- Imperial College, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kathy Dominy
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, North West London Pathology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Willicombe
- Imperial College, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom.,Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Beadle
- Imperial College, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Santos
- Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, North West London Pathology, London, United Kingdom
| | - H Terence Cook
- Imperial College, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard M Szydlo
- Imperial College, Medical Statistician, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam McLean
- Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Imperial College, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, London, United Kingdom
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Gisby J, Clarke CL, Medjeral-Thomas N, Malik TH, Papadaki A, Mortimer PM, Buang NB, Lewis S, Pereira M, Toulza F, Fagnano E, Mawhin MA, Dutton EE, Tapeng L, Richard AC, Kirk PDW, Behmoaras J, Sandhu E, McAdoo SP, Prendecki MF, Pickering MC, Botto M, Willicombe M, Thomas DC, Peters JE. Longitudinal proteomic profiling of dialysis patients with COVID-19 reveals markers of severity and predictors of death. eLife 2021; 10:e64827. [PMID: 33704068 PMCID: PMC8064756 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [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: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are at high risk of severe COVID-19. We measured 436 circulating proteins in serial blood samples from hospitalised and non-hospitalised ESKD patients with COVID-19 (n = 256 samples from 55 patients). Comparison to 51 non-infected patients revealed 221 differentially expressed proteins, with consistent results in a separate subcohort of 46 COVID-19 patients. Two hundred and three proteins were associated with clinical severity, including IL6, markers of monocyte recruitment (e.g. CCL2, CCL7), neutrophil activation (e.g. proteinase-3), and epithelial injury (e.g. KRT19). Machine-learning identified predictors of severity including IL18BP, CTSD, GDF15, and KRT19. Survival analysis with joint models revealed 69 predictors of death. Longitudinal modelling with linear mixed models uncovered 32 proteins displaying different temporal profiles in severe versus non-severe disease, including integrins and adhesion molecules. These data implicate epithelial damage, innate immune activation, and leucocyte-endothelial interactions in the pathology of severe COVID-19 and provide a resource for identifying drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Gisby
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Candice L Clarke
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Medjeral-Thomas
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Talat H Malik
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Artemis Papadaki
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Paige M Mortimer
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Norzawani B Buang
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Shanice Lewis
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Marie Pereira
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Ester Fagnano
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Marie-Anne Mawhin
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Emma E Dutton
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lunnathaya Tapeng
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Arianne C Richard
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- CRUK Cambridge Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul DW Kirk
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, Forvie Way, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Jacques Behmoaras
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Sandhu
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Stephen P McAdoo
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Maria F Prendecki
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Matthew C Pickering
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Marina Botto
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Michelle Willicombe
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - David C Thomas
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Renal and Transplant Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - James E Peters
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Health Data Research UKLondonUnited Kingdom
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Toulza F, Dominy K, Cook T, Galliford J, Beadle J, McLean A, Roufosse C. Technical considerations when designing a gene expression panel for renal transplant diagnosis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17909. [PMID: 33087822 PMCID: PMC7578804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74794-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression analysis is emerging as a new diagnostic tool in transplant pathology, in particular for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection. Diagnostic gene expression panels are defined on the basis of their pathophysiological relevance, but also need to be tested for their robustness across different preservatives and analysis platforms. The aim of this study is the investigate the effect of tissue sampling and preservation on candidate genes included in a renal transplant diagnostic panel. Using the NanoString platform, we compared the expression of 219 genes in 51 samples, split for formalin-fixation and paraffin-embedding (FFPE) and RNAlater preservation (RNAlater). We found that overall, gene expression significantly correlated between FFPE and RNAlater samples. However, at the individual gene level, 46 of the 219 genes did not correlate across the 51 matched FFPE and RNAlater samples. Comparing gene expression results using NanoString and qRT-PCR for 18 genes in the same pool of RNA (RNAlater), we found a significant correlation in 17/18 genes. Our study indicates that, in samples from the same routine diagnostic renal transplant biopsy procedure split for FFPE and RNAlater, 21% of 219 genes of potential biological significance do not correlate in expression. Whether this is due to fixatives or tissue sampling, selection of gene panels for routine diagnosis should take this information into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - K Dominy
- Molecular Pathology Laboratory, North West London Pathology, London, UK
| | - T Cook
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - J Galliford
- Imperial Kidney and Transplant Centre, London, UK
| | - J Beadle
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - A McLean
- Imperial Kidney and Transplant Centre, London, UK
| | - C Roufosse
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK.
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Roufosse C, Drachenberg C, Renaudin K, Willicombe M, Toulza F, Dominy K, McLean A, Simmonds N, de Kort H, Cantarovitch D, Scalea J, Mengel M, Adam B. Molecular assessment of antibody-mediated rejection in human pancreas allograft biopsies. Clin Transplant 2020; 34:e14065. [PMID: 32805760 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Pancreas transplant longevity is limited by immune rejection, which is diagnosed by graft biopsy using the Banff Classification. The histological criteria for antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) are poorly reproducible and inconsistently associated with outcome. We hypothesized that a 34-gene set associated with antibody-mediated rejection in other solid organ transplants could improve diagnosis in pancreas grafts. The AMR 34-gene set, comprising endothelial, natural killer cell and inflammatory genes, was quantified using the NanoString platform in 52 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pancreas transplant biopsies from 41 patients: 15 with pure AMR or mixed rejection, 22 with T cell-mediated rejection/borderline and 15 without rejection. The AMR 34-gene set was significantly increased in pure AMR and mixed rejection (P = .001) vs no rejection. The gene set predicted histological AMR with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of 0.714 (P = .004). The AMR 34-gene set was the only biopsy feature significantly predictive of allograft failure in univariate analysis (P = .048). Adding gene expression to DSA and histology increased ROC AUC for the prediction of failure from 0.736 to 0.770, but this difference did not meet statistical significance. In conclusion, assessment of transcripts has the potential to improve diagnosis and outcome prediction in pancreas graft biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Roufosse
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Cinthia Drachenberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Michelle Willicombe
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Dept Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Kathy Dominy
- Molecular Pathology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Adam McLean
- Imperial Renal and Transplant Centre, London, UK
| | - Naomi Simmonds
- Dept Cellular Pathology, Guys' and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Diego Cantarovitch
- Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Joseph Scalea
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Mengel
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Benjamin Adam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Toulza F, Tsang L, Ottenhoff THM, Brown M, Dockrell HM. Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD4+ T-cell response is increased, and Treg cells decreased, in anthelmintic-treated patients with latent TB. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:752-61. [PMID: 26638865 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201545843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In many settings, adults with active or latent tuberculosis will also be coinfected with helminths. Our study aimed to investigate how anthelmintic treatment modulates antimycobacterial immunity, in a setting where helminth reinfection should not occur. We investigated the potential impact of helminth infection on immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in patients with latent Mtb infection with or without helminth infection (Strongyloides or Schistosoma), and tested T-cell responses before and after anthelmintic treatment. The study was performed in migrants resident in the United Kingdom, where reexposure and reinfection following anthelmintic treatment would not occur. The frequency of CD4(+) IFN-γ(+) T cells was measured following stimulation with Mtb Purified Protein Derivative or ESAT-6/CFP-10 antigen, and concentrations of IFN-γ in culture supernatants measured by ELISA and multiplex bead array. Helminth infection was associated with a lower frequency of CD4(+) IFN-γ(+) T cells, which increased following treatment. Patients with helminth infection showed a significant increase in CD4(+) FoxP3(+) T cells (Treg) compared to those without helminth infection. There was a decrease in the frequency of Treg cells, and an associated increase in CD4(+) IFN-γ(+) T cells after the anthelmintic treatment. Here, we show a potential role of Treg cells in reducing the frequency and function of antimycobacterial CD4(+) IFN-γ(+) T cells, and that these effects are reversed after anthelmintic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Lillian Tsang
- Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College Hospital, and Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tom H M Ottenhoff
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Brown
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College Hospital, and Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Hazel M Dockrell
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Biraro IA, Egesa M, Kimuda S, Smith SG, Toulza F, Levin J, Joloba M, Katamba A, Cose S, Dockrell HM, Elliott AM. Effect of isoniazid preventive therapy on immune responses to mycobacterium tuberculosis: an open label randomised, controlled, exploratory study. BMC Infect Dis 2015; 15:438. [PMID: 26493989 PMCID: PMC4619204 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-015-1201-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the renewed emphasis to implement isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in Sub-Saharan Africa, we investigated the effect of IPT on immunological profiles among household contacts with latent tuberculosis. Methods Household contacts of confirmed tuberculosis patients were tested for latent tuberculosis using the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFN) assay and tuberculin skin test (TST). HIV negative contacts aged above 5 years, positive to both QFN and TST, were randomly assigned to IPT and monthly visits or monthly visits only. QFN culture supernatants from enrolment and six months’ follow-up were analysed for M.tb-specific Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory cytokines by Luminex assay, and for M.tb-specific IgG antibody concentrations by ELISA. Effects of IPT were assessed as the net cytokine and antibody production at the end of six months. Results Sixteen percent of contacts investigated (47/291) were randomised to IPT (n = 24) or no IPT (n = 23). After adjusting for baseline cytokine or antibody responses, and for presence of a BCG scar, IPT (compared to no IPT) resulted in a relative decline in M.tb-specific production of IFN gamma (adjusted mean difference at the end of six months (bootstrap 95 % confidence interval (CI), p-value) -1488.6 pg/ml ((−2682.5, −294.8), p = 0.01), and IL- 2 (−213.1 pg/ml (−419.2, −7.0), p = 0.04). A similar decline was found in anti-CFP-10 antibody levels (adjusted geometric mean ratio (bootstrap 95 % CI), p-value) 0.58 ((0.35, 0.98), p = 0.04). We found no effect on M.tb-specific Th2 or regulatory or Th17 cytokine responses, or on antibody concentrations to PPD and ESAT-6. Conclusions IPT led to a decrease in Th1 cytokine production, and also in the anti CFP-10 antibody concentration. This could be secondary to a reduction in mycobacterial burden or as a possible direct effect of isoniazid induced T cell apoptosis, and may have implications for protective immunity following IPT in tuberculosis-endemic countries. Trial registration ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN15705625. Registered on 30th September 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Andia Biraro
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Moses Egesa
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Simon Kimuda
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Steven G Smith
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Jonathan Levin
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda. .,School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Moses Joloba
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Achilles Katamba
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Stephen Cose
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda. .,Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Hazel M Dockrell
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Alison M Elliott
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda. .,Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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11
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Biraro IA, Egesa M, Toulza F, Levin J, Cose S, Joloba M, Smith S, Dockrell HM, Katamba A, Elliott AM. Impact of co-infections and BCG immunisation on immune responses among household contacts of tuberculosis patients in a Ugandan cohort. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111517. [PMID: 25372043 PMCID: PMC4221037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis incidence in resource poor countries remains high. We hypothesized that immune modulating co-infections such as helminths, malaria, and HIV increase susceptibility to latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), thereby contributing to maintaining the tuberculosis epidemic. METHODS Adults with sputum-positive tuberculosis (index cases) and their eligible household contacts (HHCs) were recruited to a cohort study between May 2011 and January 2012. HHCs were investigated for helminths, malaria, and HIV at enrolment. HHCs were tested using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFN) assay at enrolment and six months later. Overnight whole blood culture supernatants from baseline QFN assays were analyzed for cytokine responses using an 11-plex Luminex assay. Associations between outcomes (LTBI or cytokine responses) and exposures (co-infections and other risk factors) were examined using multivariable logistic and linear regression models. RESULTS We enrolled 101 index cases and 291 HHCs. Among HHCs, baseline prevalence of helminths was 9% (25/291), malaria 16% (47/291), HIV 6% (16/291), and LTBI 65% (179/277). Adjusting for other risk factors and household clustering, there was no association between LTBI and any co-infection at baseline or at six months: adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval (CI); p-value) at baseline for any helminth, 1.01 (0.39-2.66; 0.96); hookworm, 2.81 (0.56-14.14; 0.20); malaria, 1.06 (0.48-2.35; 0.87); HIV, 0.74 (0.22-2.47; 0.63). HHCs with LTBI had elevated cytokine responses to tuberculosis antigens but co-infections had little effect on cytokine responses. Exploring other risk factors, Th1 cytokines among LTBI-positive HHCs with BCG scars were greatly reduced compared to those without scars: (adjusted geometric mean ratio) IFNγ 0.20 (0.09-0.42), <0.0001; IL-2 0.34 (0.20-0.59), <0.0001; and TNFα 0.36 (0.16-0.79), 0.01. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence that co-infections increase the risk of LTBI, or influence the cytokine response profile among those with LTBI. Prior BCG exposure may reduce Th1 cytokine responses in LTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene A. Biraro
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- * E-mail:
| | - Moses Egesa
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Levin
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Stephen Cose
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Moses Joloba
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Steven Smith
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel M. Dockrell
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Achilles Katamba
- College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Alison M. Elliott
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Rende F, Cavallari I, Corradin A, Silic-Benussi M, Toulza F, Toffolo GM, Tanaka Y, Jacobson S, Taylor GP, D'Agostino DM, Bangham CRM, Ciminale V. Kinetics and intracellular compartmentalization of HTLV-1 gene expression. Retrovirology 2011. [PMCID: PMC3112681 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-8-s1-a204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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13
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Toulza F, Nosaka K, Tanaka Y, Schioppa T, Balkwill F, Taylor GP, Bangham CRM. Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-induced CC chemokine ligand 22 maintains a high frequency of functional FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. J Immunol 2010; 185:183-9. [PMID: 20525891 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0903846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We recently reported that human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is accompanied by a high frequency of CD4(+)FoxP3(+) cells in the circulation. In asymptomatic carriers of HTLV-1 and in patients with HTLV-1-associated inflammatory and malignant diseases, a high FoxP3(+) cell frequency correlated with inefficient cytotoxic T cell-mediated killing of HTLV-1-infected cells. In adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), the FoxP3(+) population was distinct from the leukemic T cell clones. However, the cause of the increase in FoxP3(+) cell frequency in HTLV-1 infection was unknown. In this study, we report that the plasma concentration of the chemokine CCL22 is abnormally high in HTLV-1-infected subjects and that the concentration is strongly correlated with the frequency of FoxP3(+) cells, which express the CCL22 receptor CCR4. Further, we show that CCL22 is produced by cells that express the HTLV-1 transactivator protein Tax, and that the increased CCL22 enhances the migration and survival of FoxP3(+) cells in vitro. Finally, we show that FoxP3(+) cells inhibit the proliferation of ex vivo, autologous leukemic clones from patients with ATLL. We conclude that HTLV-1-induced CCL22 causes the high frequency of FoxP3(+) cells observed in HTLV-1 infection; these FoxP3(+) cells may both retard the progression of ATLL and HTLV-1-associated inflammatory diseases and contribute to the immune suppression seen in HTLV-1 infection, especially in ATLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom.
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Toulza F, Nosaka K, Takiguchi M, Pagliuca T, Mitsuya H, Tanaka Y, Taylor GP, Bangham CRM. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are distinct from leukemia cells in HTLV-1-associated adult T-cell leukemia. Int J Cancer 2009; 125:2375-82. [PMID: 19544530 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.24664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). It has been postulated that ATLL cells might act as regulatory T cells (T(regs)) which, in common with ATLL cells, express both CD25 and FoxP3, and so contribute to the severe immune suppression typical of ATLL. We report here that the frequency of CD25(+) cells varied independently of the frequency of FoxP3(+) cells in both a cross-sectional study and in a longitudinal study of 2 patients with chronic ATLL. Furthermore, the capacity of ATLL cells to suppress proliferation of heterologous CD4(+)CD25(-) cells correlated with the frequency of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) cells but was independent of CD25 expression. Finally, the frequency of CD4(+)FoxP3(+) cells was inversely correlated with the lytic activity of HTLV-1-specific CTLs in patients with ATLL. We conclude that ATLL is not a tumor of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells, and that a population of FoxP3(+) cells distinct from ATLL cells has regulatory functions and may impair the cell-mediated immune response to HTLV-1 in patients with ATLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Toulza
- Department of Immunology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
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Bangham CRM, Meekings K, Toulza F, Nejmeddine M, Majorovits E, Asquith B, Taylor GP. The immune control of HTLV-1 infection: selection forces and dynamics. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) 2009; 14:2889-903. [PMID: 19273242 DOI: 10.2741/3420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a central role in the protective immune response to human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1). Here we consider two questions. First, what determines the strength of an individual's HTLV-1-specific CTL response? Second, what controls the rate of expression of HTLV-1 in vivo, which is greater in patients with HAM/TSP than in asymptomatic carriers with the same proviral load? Recent evidence shows that FoxP3+CD4+ T cells are abnormally frequent in HTLV-1 infection, and the frequency of these cells is inversely correlated with the rate of CTL lysis of HTLV-1-infected cells, suggesting that FoxP3+CD4+ cell frequency is an important determinant of the outcome of HTLV-1 infection. There is also new evidence that the rate of expression of HTLV-1 in vivo is associated with the transcriptional activity of the flanking host genome. We suggest that the frequencies of HTLV-1-infected T cell clones in vivo are determined by a dynamic balance between positive and negative selection forces that differ among the clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R M Bangham
- Department of Immunology, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK.
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