+1 Frameshifting as a Novel Mechanism to Generate a Cryptic Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitope Derived from Human Interleukin 10

Recent data indicate that some cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) recognize so-called cryptic epitopes, encoded by nonprimary open reading frame (ORF) sequences or other nonclassical expression pathways. We describe here a novel mechanism leading to generation of a cryptic CTL epitope. We isolated from the synovial fluid of a patient suffering from a Reiter's syndrome an autoreactive T cell clone that recognized cellular IL-10 in the HLA-B*2705 context. The minimal IL-10 sequence corresponding to nucleotides 379–408 was shown to activate this clone, upon cotransfection into COS cells with the DNA encoding HLA-B*2705, but the synthetic peptide deduced from this sequence did not stimulate the clone. Using a site-directed mutagenesis approach, we found that this clone recognized a transframe epitope generated by an internal +1 frameshifting in the IL-10 sequence and so derived partly from ORF1, partly from ORF2. We defined that +1 frameshifting was induced by a specific heptamer sequence. These observations illustrate the variety of mechanisms leading to generation of cryptic epitopes and suggest that frameshifting in normal cellular genes may be more common than expected

Pattern of DAP12 Expression in Leukocytes from Both Healthy and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

DAP12 is an ITAM-bearing transmembrane adaptor originally identified on the surface of Natural Killer cells. A broad expression among other immune cells was later found in myeloid and lymphoid cells. However, data on DAP12 expression pattern rely only on immunoblot and microarray analysis. Here, we describe the generation and the characterization of an anti-DAP12 monoclonal antibody. Using this novel reagent, we show that DAP12 expression is restricted to innate immune cells in basal condition. Since a decreased expression of DAP12 has been suggested in NK cells of systemic lupus erythematosus patients, we have further investigated the NK cell receptor repertoire and leukocyte expression of DAP12 in these patients and no major changes were detectable when compared to controls

Specificity of T cells in synovial fluid: high frequencies of CD8(+) T cells that are specific for certain viral epitopes

INTRODUCTION: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is transmitted orally, replicates in the oropharynx and establishes life-long latency in human B lymphocytes. T-cell responses to latent and lytic/replicative cycle proteins are readily detectable in peripheral blood from healthy EBV-seropositive individuals. EBV has also been detected within synovial tissue, and T-cell responses to EBV lytic proteins have been reported in synovial fluid from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This raises the question regarding whether T cells specific for certain viruses might be present at high frequencies within synovial fluid and whether such T cells might be activated or able to secrete cytokines. If so, they might play a 'bystander' role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory joint disease. OBJECTIVES: To quantify and characterize T cells that are specific for epitopes from EBV, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and influenza in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from patients with arthritis. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) were obtained from patients with inflammatory arthritis (including those with RA, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis). Samples from human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A2-positive donors were stained with fluorescent-labelled tetramers of HLA-A2 complexed with the GLCTLVAML peptide epitope from the EBV lytic cycle protein BMLF1, the GILGFVFTL peptide epitope from the influenza A matrix protein, or the NLVPMVATV epitope from the CMV pp65 protein. Samples from HLA-B8-positive donors were stained with fluorescent-labelled tetramers of HLA-B8 complexed with the RAKFKQLL peptide epitope from the EBV lytic protein BZLF1 or the FLRGRAYGL peptide epitope from the EBV latent protein EBNA3A. All samples were costained with an antibody specific for CD8. CD4(+) T cells were not analyzed. Selected samples were costained with antibodies specific for cell-surface glycoproteins, in order to determine the phenotype of the T cells within the joint and the periphery. Functional assays to detect release of IFN-γ or tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were also performed on some samples. RESULTS: The first group of 15 patients included 10 patients with RA, one patient with reactive arthritis, one patient with psoriatic arthritis and three patients with osteoarthritis. Of these, 11 were HLA-A2 positive and five were HLA-B8 positive. We used HLA-peptide tetrameric complexes to analyze the frequency of EBV-specific T cells in PBMCs and SFMCs (Figs 1 and 2). Clear enrichment of CD8(+) T cells specific for epitopes from the EBV lytic cycle proteins was seen within synovial fluid from almost all donors studied, including patients with psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis and those with RA. In donor RhA6, 9.5% of CD8(+ ) SFMCs were specific for the HLA-A2 restricted GLCTLVAML epitope, compared with 0.5% of CD8(+) PBMCs. Likewise in a donor with osteoarthritis (NR4), 15.5% of CD8(+) SFMCs were specific for the HLA-B8-restricted RAKFKQLL epitope, compared with 0.4% of CD8(+) PBMCs. In contrast, we did not find enrichment of T cells specific for the HLA-B8-restricted FLRGRAYGL epitope (from the latent protein EBNA3A) within SFMCs compared with PBMCs in any donors. In selected individuals we performed ELISpot assays to detect IFN-γ secreted by SFMCs and PBMCs after a short incubation in vitro with peptide epitopes from EBV lytic proteins. These assays confirmed enrichment of T cells specific for epitopes from EBV lytic proteins within synovial fluid and showed that subpopulations of these cells were able to secrete proinflammatory cytokines after short-term stimulation. We used a HLA-A2/GILGFVFTL tetramer to stain PBMCs and SFMCs from six HLA-A2-positive patients. The proportion of T cells specific for this influenza epitope was low (<0.2%) in all donors studied, and we did not find any enrichment within SFMCs. We had access to SFMCs only from a second group of four HLA-A2-positive patients with RA. A tetramer of HLA-A2 complexed to the NLVPMVATV epitope from the CMV pp65 protein reacted with subpopulations of CD8(+) SFMCs in all four donors, with frequencies of 0.2, 0.5, 2.3 and 13.9%. SFMCs from all four donors secreted TNF after short-term incubation with COS cells transfected with HLA-A2 and pp65 complementary DNA. We analyzed the phenotype of virus-specific cells within PBMCs and SFMCs in three donors. The SFMC virus-specific T cells were more highly activated than those in PBMCs, as evidenced by expression of high levels of CD69 and HLA-DR. A greater proportion of SFMCs were CD38(+), CD62L low, CD45RO bright, CD45RA dim, CD57(+) and CD28(-) when compared with PBMCs. DISCUSSION: This work shows that T cells specific for certain epitopes from viral proteins are present at very high frequencies (up to 15.5% of CD8(+) T cells) within SFMCs taken from patients with inflammatory joint disease. This enrichment does not reflect a generalized enrichment for the 'memory pool' of T cells; we did not find enrichment of T cells specific for the GILGFVFTL epitope from influenza A or for the FLRGRAYGL epitope from the EBV latent protein EBNA3A, whereas we found clear enrichment of T cells specific for the GLCTLVAML epitope from the EBV lytic protein BMLF1 and for the RAKFKQLL epitope from the EBV lytic protein BZLF1. The enrichment might reflect preferential recruitment of subpopulations of virus-specific T cells, perhaps based on expression of selectins, chemokine receptors or integrins. Alternatively, T cells specific for certain viral epitopes may be stimulated to proliferate within the joint, by viral antigens themselves or by cross-reactive self-antigens. Finally, it is theoretically possible that subpopulations of T cells within the joint are preferentially protected from apoptotic cell death. Whatever the explanation, the virus-specific T cells are present at high frequency, are activated and are able to secrete proinflammatory cytokines. They could potentially interact with synoviocytes and contribute to the maintenance of inflammation within joints in many different forms of inflammatory arthritis

Cross-Reactivity of Herpesvirus-Specific CD8 T Cell Lines Toward Allogeneic Class I MHC Molecules

Although association between persistent viral infection and allograft rejection is well characterized, few examples of T-cell cross-reactivity between self-MHC/viral and allogeneic HLA molecules have been documented so far. We appraised in this study the alloreactivity of CD8 T cell lines specific for immunodominant epitopes from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). CD8 T cell lines were generated after sorting with immunomagnetic beads coated with either pp65495–503/A*0201, BMLF1259–267/A*0201, or BZLF154–64/B*3501 multimeric complexes. Alloreactivity of the CD8 T cell lines against allogeneic class I MHC alleles was assessed by screening of (i) TNF-α production against COS-7 cells transfected with as many as 39 individual HLA class I-encoding cDNA, and (ii) cytotoxicity activity toward a large panel of HLA-typed EBV-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines. We identified several cross-reactive pp65/A*0201-specific T cell lines toward allogeneic HLA-A*3001, A*3101, or A*3201. Moreover, we described here cross-recognition of HLA-Cw*0602 by BZLF1/B*3501-specific T cells. It is noteworthy that these alloreactive CD8 T cell lines showed efficient recognition of endothelial cells expressing the relevant HLA class I allele, with high level TNF-α production and cytotoxicity activity. Taken together, our data support the notion that herpes virus-specific T cells recognizing allo-HLA alleles may promote solid organ rejection

ETUDE DES CARACTERISTIQUES ET DE LA SIGNIFICATION PHYSIOPATHOGENIQUE DES REPONSES LYMPHOCYTAIRES T DIRIGEES CONTRE DES HERPESVIRUS COMMUNS CHEZ DES PATIENTS ATTEINTS D'ARTHRITE CHRONIQUE

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Analyse de la contribution des réponses lymphocytaires T spécifiques d'herpesvirus au répertoire alloréactif par criblage de lymphocytes T CD4+ ou CD8+ spécifiques du cytomégalovirus ou du virus d'Epstein-Barr

Les lymphocytes T exprimant des récepteurs pour l'antigène de type ab sont sélectionnés dans le thymus et ils sont de ce fait restreints à reconnaître des molécules du Complexe Majeur d'Histocompatibilité (CMH) du soi chargées en peptide. Néanmoins, les lymphocytes T sont fréquemment cross-réactifs vis à vis de molécules du CMH allogéniques. Bien que l'association entre des infections virales persistantes et le rejet d'allogreffes soit connue de longue date, peu d'exemples de cross-réactivités entre un complexe CMH du soi/peptide viral et des molécules du CMH allogéniques ont été décrits à ce jour. Nous avons criblé des populations de lymphocytes T CD4+ ou CD8+, dont la spécificité antigénique vis à vis de deux herpesvirus infectant une large partie de la population humaine, le virus d'Epstein-Barr et le cytomegalovirus, a été bien caractérisée afin d'évaluer la contribution de ces réponses au répertoire alloréactif. La plupart des lignées criblées ont été obtenues par tri immunomagnétique à l'aide de billes recouvertes de complexes CMH/peptide recombinants. Nos résultats montrent que des cellules T spécifiques d'épitopes d'herpesvirus montrent des réactions croisées avec des molécules du CMH allogéniques, manifestant une forte cytotoxicité vis à vis de différentes catégories de cellules cibles, et qu'elles pourraient ainsi contribuer au rejet d'allogreffes. Nous avons d'autre part mis en évidence que des lymphocytes T CD8+ peuvent manifester une alloréactivité médiée par un récepteur activateur de type NKR (récepteur de cellules Natural Killer) de la famille des LIR/ILT, renforçant la notion que des NKR activateurs contribuent à l'alloréactivitéT lymphocytes expressing ab T cell antigen receptors are selected in the thymus, and are thus restricted to recognize self Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules loaded with peptides. Yet, T lymphocytes frequently cross-react with allogeneic MHC molecules. Though association between persistent viral infection and allograft rejection is well admitted, few examples of T-cell cross-reactivity between self-MHC/viral and allogeneic HLA molecules have been documented so far. We appraised in this study the alloreactive potential of CD8+ or CD4+ T cell populations, specific for immunodominant epitopes derived from cytomegalovirus (HCMV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), two herpesviruses that infect a large fraction of the human population. Most T cell lines that were screened were obtained by immunomagnetic sorting, using beads covered with recombinant peptide/MHC multimeric complexes. Our results show that herpesvirus-specific T cells frequently cross-react with allogeneic MHC molecules, exhibiting vigorous cytotoxicity toward different types of target cells. Thus, virus-specific T cells recognizing allo-MHC alleles may play an essential role in solid organ rejection. On the other hand, we bring evidence that CD8+ T lymphocytes can mediate alloresponses through an activating NKR receptor (Natural Killer cell receptor) of the LIR/ILT family, supporting the notion that activating NKR contribute to alloreactivityNANTES-BU Sciences (441092104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Analyse de réponses lymphocytaires T CD8+ dirigées contre le virus de l'hépatite C (corrélation avec le statut clinique)

La majorité des individus infectés par le virus de l'hépatite C (VHC) restent chroniquement infectés et sont prédisposés à une cirrhose ou à un hépatocarcinome. Pour mieux comprendre les mécanismes qui influencent la progression vers l'infection chronique, nous avons fait une analyse fonctionnelle et moléculaire de lymphocytes T (LT) VHC-spécifiques chez des individus séropositifs, ayant ou non résolu leur infection, ainsi que chez des individus séronégatifs. Nous avons isolé par tri immunomagnétique, des LT CD8+ dirigés contre trois épitopes VHC immunodominants restreints par HLA-A*0201. Des LT spécifiques de ces complexes antigéniques ont pu être isolés pour tous les individus. Les patients chroniquement infectés ont montré des réponses T VHC-spécifiques plus faibles que les patients qui avaient résolu leur infection, en termes de production d'IFN-gamma, de cytotoxicité et de tests de dégranulation. Ces différences fonctionnelles seraient liées à une moindre fréquence de LT spécifiques exprimant un TCR de forte affinité chez les patients chroniquement infectés, plutôt qu à des défauts fonctionnels intrinsèques ou à une down-modulation par des récepteurs inhibiteurs. Les individus sains ont montré majoritairement des réponses de faible avidité, analogues à celles observées chez des patients en infection chronique, bien que des populations de forte avidité aient été observées chez certains individus. Nos résultats indiquent qu'un enrichissement en LT de forte avidité est associé à une clairance virale efficace et suggèrent un lien entre la qualité du répertoire lymphocytaire T VHC-spécifique initial et la susceptibilité à l'infection chroniqueUp to 170 million people are infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV), among whom 4/5 remain chronically infected and are predisposed to cirrhosis and/or hepatocarcinoma. To better understand the mechanisms that influence progression to HCV chronic infection versus viral control, we performed an in-depth functional and molecular analysis of highly purified HCV-specific T cells in seropositive donors, having resolved their infection or not, and in HCV-seronegative healthy donors. We managed to isolate from blood samples HCV-specific CD8+ T cells directed against three immunodominant HCV epitopes restricted by HLA-A*0201, using magnetic beads coated with HLA class I/peptide complexes. T cell populations specific to those antigens were isolated from almost all donors, irrespective of their serological status. Chronically infected patients yielded weaker HCV-specific CD8+ responses than those having cleared their infection, as assessed by IFN- production, cytotoxicity and degranulation assays. These functional differences were primarily accounted for by decreased frequency of specific T cells expressing high-affinity TCR in chronically infected patients rather than by intrinsic T cell functional defects or by active downmodulation by inhibitory receptors. Healthy donors yielded mainly low avidity HCV-specific T cell responses, very similar to chronic patients, although high avidity subsets were detected in some individuals. Our results indicate that enrichment for high avidity T cells is associated with successful viral clearance and suggest a link between the quality of the initial HCV-specific T cell repertoire and susceptibility to chronic infectionNANTES-BU Sciences (441092104) / SudocSudocFranceF