Early IFNγ-Mediated and Late Perforin-Mediated Suppression of Pathogenic CD4 T Cell Responses Are Both Required for Inhibition of Demyelinating Disease by CNS-Specific Autoregulatory CD8 T Cells

Pathogenesis of immune-mediated demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be governed by a complex cellular interplay between immunopathogenic and immunoregulatory responses. We have previously shown that central nervous system (CNS)-specific CD8 T cells have an unexpected protective role in the mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In this study, we interrogated the suppressive potential of PLP178-191-specific CD8 T cells (PLP-CD8). Here, we show that PLP-CD8, when administered post-disease onset, rapidly ameliorated EAE progression, and suppressed PLP178-191-specific CD4 T cell responses as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). To accomplish DTH suppression, PLP-CD8 required differential production of perforin and IFNγ. Perforin was not required for the rapid suppressive action of these cells, but was critical for maintenance of optimal longer term DTH suppression. Conversely, IFNγ production by PLP-CD8 was necessary for swift DTH suppression, but was less significant for maintenance of longer term suppression. These data indicate that CNS-specific CD8 T cells employ an ordered regulatory mechanism program over a number of days in vivo during demyelinating disease and have mechanistic implications for this immunotherapeutic approach

Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 Expression Is Upregulated in Dendritic Cells in Patients with Chronic HCV Who Respond to Therapy

The present studies assessed the level of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) subsets from patients with chronic HCV undergoing interferon α/ribavirin-based therapy (Ifn/R). Methods. TNFR family member mRNA expression was determined using quantitative real-time PCR assays (RTPCRs) in PBMC from 39 HCV+ patients and 21 control HCV− patients. Further subset analysis of HCV + patients (untreated (U), sustained virological responders (SVR), and nonresponders (NR)/relapsers (Rel)) PBMC was performed via staining with anti-CD123, anti-CD33, anti-TNFR1 or via RTPCR for TNFR1 mRNA. Results. A similar level of TNFR1 mRNA in PBMC from untreated HCV+ genotype 1 patients and controls was noted. TNFR1 and TNFR2 mRNA levels in PBMC from HCV+ patients with SVR were statistically different than levels in HCV(−) patients. A significant difference was noted between the peak values of TNFR1 of the CD123+ PBMC isolated from SVR and the NR/Rel. Conclusion. Upregulation of TNFR1 expression, occurring in a specific subset of CD123+ dendritic cells, appeared in HCV+ patients with SVR

Immunophenotypic studies of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a common plasma cell dyscrasia, comprising the most indolent form of monoclonal gammopathy. However, approximately 25% of MGUS cases ultimately progress to plasma cell myeloma (PCM) or related diseases. It is difficult to predict which subset of patients will transform. In this study, we examined the immunophenotypic differences of plasma cells in MGUS and PCM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Bone marrow specimens from 32 MGUS patients and 32 PCM patients were analyzed by 4-color flow cytometry, using cluster analysis of ungated data, for the expression of several markers, including CD10, CD19, CD20, CD38, CD45, CD56 and surface and intracellular immunoglobulin light chains.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All MGUS patients had two subpopulations of plasma cells, one with a "normal" phenotype [CD19(+), CD56(-), CD38(bright +)] and one with an aberrant phenotype [either CD19(-)/CD56(+) or CD19(-)/CD56(-)]. The normal subpopulation ranged from 4.4 to 86% (mean 27%) of total plasma cells. Only 20 of 32 PCM cases showed an identifiable normal subpopulation at significantly lower frequency [range 0–32%, mean 3.3%, p << 0.001]. The plasma cells in PCM were significantly less likely to express CD19 [1/32 (3.1%) vs. 13/29 (45%), p << 0.001] and more likely to express surface immunoglobulin [21/32 (66%) vs. 3/28 (11%), p << 0.001], compared to MGUS. Those expressing CD19 did so at a significantly lower level than in MGUS, with no overlap in mean fluorescence intensities [174 ± 25 vs. 430 ± 34, p << 0.001]. There were no significant differences in CD56 expression [23/32 (72%) vs. 18/29 (62%), p = 0.29], CD45 expression [15/32 (47%) vs. 20/30 (67%), p = 0.10] or CD38 mean fluorescence intensities [6552 ± 451 vs. 6365 ± 420, p = 0.38]. Two of the six MGUS cases (33%) with >90% CD19(-) plasma cells showed progression of disease, whereas none of the cases with >10% CD19(+) plasma cells evolved to PCM.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MGUS cases with potential for disease progression appeared to lack CD19 expression on >90% of their plasma cells, displaying an immunophenotypic profile similar to PCM plasma cells. A higher relative proportion of CD19(+) plasma cells in MGUS may be associated with a lower potential for disease progression.</p

IL-17 cytokines preferentially act on naïve CD4+ T cells with the IL-17AF heterodimer inducing the greatest functional changes.

CD4+ T-helper 17 (Th17) T cells are a key population in protective immunity during infection and in self-tolerance/autoimmunity. Through the secretion of IL-17, Th17 cells act in promotion of inflammation and are thus a major potential therapeutic target in autoimmune disorders. Recent reports have brought to light that the IL-17 family cytokines, IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-17AF, can directly act on CD4+ T-cells, both in murine and human systems, inducing functional changes in these cells. Here we show that this action is preferentially targeted toward naïve, but not memory, CD4+ T-cells. Naïve cells showed transcriptome changes as early as 48 hours post-IL-17 exposure, whereas memory cells remained unaffected as late as 7 days. These functional differences occurred despite similar IL-17 receptor expression on these subsets and were maintained in co-culture/transwell systems, with each subset maintaining its functional response to IL-17. Importantly, there were differences in downstream transcriptional signaling by the three IL-17 cytokines, with the IL-17AF heterodimer conferring both the greatest transcriptional change and most altered functional consequences. Detailed transcriptome analysis provides important insights into the genes and pathways that are modulated as a result of IL-17-mediated signaling and may serve as targets of future therapies

Overlapping and unique expression patterns in IL-17-treated conditions.

Overlapping and unique upregulated genes in bulk CD4+CD25- T-cells in IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17AF conditions compared to media-only cells. B. Heatmap of upregulated genes in at least two of three conditions; clustering based on Euclidean distance with immune-related genes labeled. C. Overlapping and unique downregulated genes in bulk CD4+CD25- T-cells in IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17AF conditions compared to media-only cells. D. Heatmap of downregulated genes in at least two of three conditions; clustering based on Euclidean distance with immune-related genes labeled. E. Dispersion of differentially-regulated genes by condition, grey genes are common between at least two conditions and colored genes are unique to the indicated condition. F. Top 10 unique upregulated genes in each condition ordered by log2-fold change.</p

Distribution of memory and naïve components of <i>ex vivo</i> CD4⁺CD25^- T-cell sorts.

The bulk ex vivo CD4+25- T cell populations were made up of ~57–58% memory and ~42–43% naïve T-cells; N = 5. (TIFF)</p

Detailed analysis of significant IL-17AF mediated changes in cytokines and chemokines.

Volcano plot of differential genes identified comparing IL-17AF to media-only cells. Highlighted cells have q-value 1 or B. Filtered cytokine and chemokine genes with q-value < 0.05.</p

IL-17 cytokines affect naïve and bulk CD4⁺ T-cells but show no effect on memory T-cells.

A. Schematic summary of the ex vivo treatment of bead-sorted bulk or memory CD4+ CD25- T-cells activated in media alone (control/baseline), IL-17A, IL-17F, or IL-17AF heterodimer. After activation, RNA was isolated and underwent mRNA sequencing. B. The number of significant genes upregulated and downregulated with IL-17A (yellow), IL-17F (orange) and IL-17AF (blue) within the indicated populations. Significance was defined as q-value 1 or C. Negatively selected CD4+25- T-cells were further sorted using either CD45RO or CD45RA magnetic beads resulting in bulk, naïve and memory T-cell populations, which were αCD3/αCD28-activated for 7 days in media alone (control) or in the presence of IL-17AF and then used as responder cells in flow cytometric suppression assays with autologous CD8+ T-cells as suppressors. ** p<0.005, *** p<0.001, n.s. = not significant by Paired Student T-test.</p

ELISA measurements of selected cytokines and chemokines validate RNAseq analysis with significant differences between CD4⁺CD25^- bulk T-cells at 48 hours but not between CD4⁺CD25^-45RO⁺ memory T-cells at 48 hours or 7 days.

ELISAs were performed on supernatants frozen at -80 from cellular cultures of 48 hour bulk CD4+25- T-cell, 48-hour and 7-day memory CD4+25-45RO+ T-cells that were sent for RNA sequencing. N = 3. Data are +/- SEM. Statistical analysis is by paired Student t test *p<0.05, ** p<0.005.</p