scholarly journals T-Cell Immune Imbalance in Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Associated with Alterations in NK Cells and NK-Like T Cells Expressing CD38

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Hongxing Wang ◽  
Kehua Fang ◽  
Weining Yan ◽  
Xiaotian Chang

<b><i>Background:</i></b> CD38+ NK (CD3− CD16+ CD38+ CD56+) cells were increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which suppressed Treg cell differentiation. This study explored how CD38+ NK cells regulated CD4+ T-cell differentiation into Treg cells in RA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Proportions of CD38+ NK cells and their counterpart CD38+ NK-like T (CD3+ CD16+ CD38+ CD56+) cells were measured in RA and rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). CD38+ NK cells and CD38+ NK-like T cells were cocultured with CD4+ T cells, respectively. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A significantly increased proportion of CD38+ NK cells and a decreased proportion of CD38+ NK-like T cells were detected in RA and CIA blood and synovial fluids. When CD4+ T cells were cocultured with CD38+ NK cells, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling was activated, and Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios were increased. When CD38+ NK cells were pretreated with anti-CD38 antibody, Treg cell proportion was increased, and Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios were decreased. CD38+ NK-like T cells showed the opposite results. CD38+ NK cells and CD38+ NK-like-T cells activated differential gene expressions and pathways in CD4+ T cells and initiated Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation by differential gene nodes. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study suggest that the high CD38+ NK cell proportion and low CD38+ NK-like T cell proportion in RA suppress Treg cell differentiation by stimulating mTOR signaling in CD4+ T cells, which consequentially disturbs the immune tolerance.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongxing Wang ◽  
Kehua Fang ◽  
Xiaotian Chang

Abstract Background Increased CD38 expression and CD38+ cell proportion as well as their importance had been reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods The proportion of lymphocyte subtypes in RA patients and rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) was examined using flow cytometry. CD38+ NK cells, CD38+ NKT cells and CD4+ T cells as well as mononuclear cells (MNCs) depleted of CD38+ cells were isolated from RA synovial fluid using flow cytometry and cocultured in transwell apparatus.Results This study detected a significantly increased CD38+ NK cell proportion and a decreased CD38+ NKT cell proportion in RA peripheral blood and synovial fluid. The CD38+ NK/CD38+ NKT ratio was positively correlated with the disease activity. A similar result was observed in CIA rats. When CD38+ NK cells were cocultured with MNCs, the Treg cell proportion in MNCs and IL-10 level significantly decreased, and Th17 cell proportion and IFN-γ level increased. When the CD38+ NK cells were pretreated with monoclonal anti-CD38 antibody, Treg cell proportion and IL-10 level significantly increased, and the Th17 cell proportion and IFN-γ and IL-6 level decreased. When CD38+ NK cells were cocultured with CD4+ T cells, the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios significantly increased, and mTOR signaling was activated in the cells. When the CD38+ NK cells were pretreated with the anti-CD38 antibody, the opposite result was obtained. Coculturing CD38+ NKT cells with MNCs or CD4+T cells showed opposite results. The anti-CD38 antibody also significantly increased TGF-β expression in the CD38+ NK cells.Conclusions Our results suggest that a high CD38+ NK and low CD38+ NKT proportion in RA elevates Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratio to contribute to the pathogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 235.1-236
Author(s):  
R. Kumar ◽  
N. Yoosuf ◽  
C. Gerstner ◽  
S. Turcinov ◽  
K. Chemin ◽  
...  

Background:Autoimmunity to citrullinated autoantigens forms a critical component of disease pathogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Presence of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) in patients has high diagnostic value. Recently, several citrullinated antigen specific CD4+T cells have been described. However, detailed studies of their T-cell receptor usage and in-vivo profile suffer from the disadvantage that these cells are present at very low frequencies. In this context, we here present a pipeline for TCR repertoire analysis of antigen-specific CD4+T cells from RA patients, including both citrulline and influenza (control) specificities using in-vitro peptide challenge induced-cell expansion.Objectives:To enable studies of the T cell repertoire of citrullinated antigen-specific CD4+T cells in rheumatoid arthritisMethods:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (n=7) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) (n=5) from HLA-DR*0401-postive RA patients were cultured in the presence of citrullinated Tenascin C peptide cocktails or influenza peptides (positive control). Citrulline reactive cells were further supplemented with recombinant human IL-15 and IL-7 on day 2. All cultures were replenished with fresh medium on day 6 and rIL-2 was added every 2 days from then. Assessment of proportion of peptide-HLA-tetramer positive cells was performed using flow cytometry whereby individual antigen-specific CD4+T cells were sorted into 96-well plates containing cell lysis buffer, followed by PCR-based alpha/beta TCR sequencing. TCR sequencing data was demultiplexed and aligned for TCR gene usage using MiXCR. Some tetramer positive cells were sorted into complete medium containing human IL-2 and PHA for expansion of antigen-specific cells. Cells were supplemented with irradiated allogenic PBMCs (30 times number of antigen specific cells). Clones of antigen specific CD4+T cells were further subjected to tetramer staining to confirm expansion of cells.Results:As evidenced by increase in frequency of tetramer positive CD4+T cells, in vitro peptide stimulation resulted in expansion of both influenza specific (Fig. 1a) and citrullinated antigen specific (Fig. 1b) CD4+T cells. Polyclonal in-vitro expansion of tenascin C tetramer positive sorted cells followed by tetramer staining further confirmed antigen specificity and enrichment for antigen specific CD4+T cells after polyclonal stimulation (Fig.1c). TCR repertoire analysis in PB and SF dataset from the first patient showed clonal expansion of influenza specific cells in both sites. Synovial fluid had more diversity of expanding clones as compared to paired PB, with few expanded clones being shared among SF and PB. We observed a more diverse TCR repertoire in citrulline specific CD4+T cells. We also observed sharing of TCR alpha chains among different citrulline specific CD4+T cell clones.Fig. 1In-vitroexpansion of antigen specific CD4+T cells:Conclusion:This method provides a highly suitable approach for investigating TCR specificities of antigen specific CD4+T cells under conditions of low cell yields. Building on this dataset will allow us to assess specific features of TCR usage of autoreactive T cells in RA.PBMCs were cultured in presence of (a) influenza (HA, MP54) and (b) citrullinated tenascin peptides. The proportion of antigen specific CD4+T cells was assessed using HLA-class II tetramer staining. We observed an increase in frequency of (a) Infleunza specific cells (red dots in upper left and lower right quadrants) and (b) citrullinated tenascin C specific cells (red dots in lower right quadrant), at day 13 post culture as compared to day 3. (c) Sorting of citrullinated tenascin specific CD4+T cells, followed by PHA expansion resulted in visible increase in proportion of citrullinated tenascin specific CD4+T cells.Disclosure of Interests:Ravi kumar: None declared, Niyaz Yoosuf: None declared, Christina Gerstner: None declared, Sara Turcinov: None declared, Karine Chemin: None declared, Vivianne Malmström Grant/research support from: VM has had research grants from Janssen Pharmaceutica


Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (13) ◽  
pp. 4550-4556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederique Ponchel ◽  
Ann W. Morgan ◽  
Sarah J. Bingham ◽  
Mark Quinn ◽  
Maya Buch ◽  
...  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the synovium of uncertain pathogenesis. A number of phenotypic and functional T-cell defects have been described in RA, including abnormal clonal expansions and suppressed proliferative responses, which suggest a defect in T-cell differentiation. Here, we show that RA patients possess fewer naive CD4+ T cells than healthy controls. Furthermore, a smaller proportion of these cells contains a T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC). Patients with RA also have unusual populations of T cells. These include immature cells characterized as CD45RBbrightCD45RA+CD62L− by flow cytometry and a large population that coexpresses CD45RA and CD45RO. These cells are hyperresponsive to mitogen and TCR stimulation when compared to naive cells. Additionally, an unusual putative central memory subset expressing CD62L, but not CD45RA, appears in RA patients at the expense of more typical cells. Levels of C-reactive protein correlate inversely with the TREC content of naive T cells and positively with the sizes of naive and immature atypical T-cell subsets. These data suggest that inflammation drives proliferation of naive T cells in RA and encourages their differentiation into atypical, hyperresponsive progeny. TREC content of individual naive and atypical T-cell subsets suggests an ontogeny consistent with this hypothesis. These studies provide further evidence of a T-cell differentiation defect in RA, which could explain some of the well-characterized immunologic features of the disease.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Mashimo ◽  
Masayo Komori ◽  
Yuriko Y. Matsui ◽  
Mami X. Murase ◽  
Takeshi Fujii ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (5) ◽  
pp. 1217-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. Humphreys ◽  
Carl de Trez ◽  
April Kinkade ◽  
Chris A. Benedict ◽  
Michael Croft ◽  
...  

The salivary glands represent a major site of cytomegalovirus replication and transmission to other hosts. Despite control of viral infection by strong T cell responses in visceral organs cytomegalovirus replication continues in the salivary glands of mice, suggesting that the virus exploits the mucosal microenvironment. Here, we show that T cell immunity in the salivary glands is limited by the induction of CD4 T cells expressing the regulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10. Blockade of IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) with an antagonist antibody dramatically reduced viral load in the salivary glands, but not in the spleen. The mucosa-specific protection afforded by IL-10R blockade was associated with an increased accumulation of CD4 T cells expressing interferon γ, suggesting that IL-10R signaling limits effector T cell differentiation. Consistent with this, an agonist antibody targeting the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member OX40 (TNFRSF4) enhanced effector T cell differentiation and increased the number of interferon γ–producing T cells, thus limiting virus replication in the salivary glands. Collectively, the results indicate that modulating effector T cell differentiation can counteract pathogen exploitation of the mucosa, thus limiting persistent virus replication and transmission.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3887-3887
Author(s):  
Arnob Banerjee ◽  
Felix Schambach ◽  
Scott Hammond ◽  
Steven Reiner

Abstract Micro-RNAs comprise a class of small noncoding RNAs which have been found to be important regulators of cellular differentiation in multiple species. Previous analysis of micro-RNA expression in the murine hematopoietic system has suggested a role in cell differentiation and the maintenance of cell identity. Naïve progenitor CD4+ T cells respond to a combination of appropriate antigen and other specific signals by undergoing proliferation and further differentiation into one of at least two subsets. T helper 1 (TH1) cells produce high levels of the cytokine IFN-γ and T helper 2 (TH2) cells produce high levels of IL-4, optimizing them for control of intracellular and extracellular pathogens, respectively. It is currently not known whether micro-RNA molecules influence CD4+ T cell differentiation. We have used oligonucleotide arrays to analyze micro-RNA expression profiles of freshly isolated murine CD4+ T cells compared to cells differentiating into TH1 and TH2 subsets. Expression profiles were found to differ significantly between naïve and stimulated CD4+ cells, with fewer differences between TH1 and TH2 subsets. Promising candidate micro-RNAs are being further evaluated by northern blot and genetic studies. Micro-RNA-155 is upregulated on stimulation of CD4+ T cells in multiple oligonucleotide array assays. Micro-RNA-155 is encoded by the BIC oncogene and has been implicated in lymphomagenesis as well as in other malignancies. We have verified the induction of micro-RNA-155 in stimulated helper T cells by northern blot and are studying the effects of this micro-RNA on CD4+ T cell differentiation. Our observations support a role for micro-RNAs in helper T cell differentiation during the immune response.


Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (12) ◽  
pp. 3851-3859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Krishnan ◽  
Vishal G. Warke ◽  
Madhusoodana P. Nambiar ◽  
Henry K. Wong ◽  
George C. Tsokos ◽  
...  

Human effector T cells have been difficult to isolate and characterize due to their phenotypic and functional similarity to the memory subset. In this study, a biochemical approach was used to analyze human effector CD4 T cells generated in vitro by activation with anti-CD3 and autologous monocytes for 3 to 5 days. The resultant effector cells expressed the appropriate activation/differentiation markers and secreted high levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ) when restimulated. Biochemically, effector CD4 T cells exhibited increases in total intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation and effector-associated phosphorylated species. Paradoxically, these alterations in tyrosine phosphorylation were concomitant with greatly reduced expression of CD3ζ and CD3ε signaling subunits coincident with a reduction in surface T-cell receptor (TCR) expression. Because loss of CD3ζ has also been detected in T cells isolated ex vivo from individuals with cancer, chronic viral infection, and autoimmune diseases, the requirements and kinetics of CD3ζ down-regulation were examined. The loss of CD3ζ expression persisted throughout the course of effector T-cell differentiation, was reversible on removal from the activating stimulus, and was modulated by activation conditions. These biochemical changes occurred in effector T cells generated from naive or memory CD4 T-cell precursors and distinguished effector from memory T cells. The results suggest that human effector T-cell differentiation is accompanied by alterations in the TCR signal transduction and that loss of CD3ζ expression may be a feature of chronic T-cell activation and effector generation in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyu Wang ◽  
Longlong Wang ◽  
Ya Liu

AbstractCD4+ T cells are key components of adaptive immunity. The cell differentiation equips CD4+ T cells with new functions. However, the effect of cell differentiation on T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is not investigated. Here, we examined the features of TCR beta (TCRB) repertoire of the top clones within naïve, memory and regular T cell (Treg) subsets: repertoire structure, gene usage, length distribution and sequence composition. First, we found that memory subsets and Treg would be discriminated from naïve by the features of TCRB repertoire. Second, we found that the correlations between the features of memory subsets and naïve were positively related to differentiation levels of memory subsets. Third, we found that public clones presented a reduced proportion and a skewed sequence composition in differentiated subsets. Furthermore, we found that public clones led naïve to recognize a broader spectrum of antigens than other subsets. Our findings suggest that TCRB repertoire of CD4+ T cell subsets is skewed in a differentiation-depended manner. Our findings show that the variations of public clones contribute to these changes. Our findings indicate that the reduce of public clones in differentiation trim the antigen specificity of CD4+ T cells. The study unveils the physiological effect of memory formation and facilitates the selection of proper CD4+ subset for cellular therapy.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 790
Author(s):  
Grazyna Galazka ◽  
Malgorzata Domowicz ◽  
Alicja Ewiak-Paszynska ◽  
Anna Jurewicz

NK cells (natural killer cells) being a part of the innate immune system have been shown to be involved in immunoregulation of autoimmune diseases. Previously we have shown that HINT1/Hsp70 treatment induced regulatory NK cells ameliorating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) course and CD4+ T cells proliferation. NK cells were isolated from mice treated with HINT1/Hsp70 and co-cultured with proteolipid protein (PLP)-stimulated CD4+ T cells isolated from EAE mice. Cell proliferation was assessed by thymidine uptake, cytotoxicity by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, protein expression by Western blot, mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR. Gene related to anergy in lymphocytes (GRAIL) expression was downregulated by specific siRNA and GRAIL overexpression was induced by pcDNA-GRAIL transfection. HINT1/Hsp70 pretreatment of EAE SJL/J mice ameliorated EAE course, suppressed PLP-induced T cell proliferation by enhancing T cell expression of GRAIL as GRAIL downregulation restored T cell proliferation. HINT1/Hsp70 treatment induced immunoregulatory NK cells which inhibited PLP-stimulated T cell proliferation not depending on T cell necrosis and apoptosis. This immunoregulatory NK cell function depended on NK cell expression of GRAIL as GRAIL downregulation diminished inhibition of NK cell suppression of T cell proliferation. Similarly GRAIL overexpression in NK cells induced their regulatory function. HINT1/Hsp70 treatment generated regulatory NK cells characterized by expression of GRAIL.


Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangeline M Deer ◽  
Kristin Reeve ◽  
Lorena M Amaral ◽  
Venkata Ramana Vaka ◽  
Michael Franks ◽  
...  

Preeclampsia (PE) is new onset hypertension during pregnancy and is associated with elevated inflammatory response such as CD4+ T cells, NK cells, and cytokines. We have previously shown women with PE exhibit increases in circulating and placental CD4+T cells and placental mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction/ROS compared to normal pregnant (NP) women. The Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) rat model produces many characteristics of PE such as hypertension, increases in CD4+ cells, increases in renal and placental NK cells, and mt dysfunction/ROS. We have previously demonstrated that RUPP CD4+T cells cause hypertension in NP rats, however the role of RUPP CD4+ T cells in stimulating NK cells to cause mt dysfunction/ROS are not elucidated. Therefore, we examined the effect of adoptive transfer of RUPP CD4+ T cells to activate NK cells in NP rats. Splenic CD4+ T cells were isolated from RUPP rats, cultured, and injected into NP rats on GD 13. On GD19, MAP values and blood/tissue samples were collected from both RUPP CD4+ T cell recipients and NP controls. Mitochondrial respiration and mtROS were measured in isolated mitochondria using the Oxygraph 2K and fluorescent microplate reader, respectively. A student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis. On GD19, MAP increased to 110±2 mmHg (n=13) in RUPP CD4+ T cell recipients compared to control NP rats 102±2 mmHg (n=7, p<0.05). Circulating cytolytic NK cells increased to 3±0.6% in RUPP CD4+ T cell recipients (n=8) compared to NP controls 0.3±0.2% (n=7, p<0.05). Placental state 3 (209.3±31.3 vs 422.7 ±83.3 pmol/sec/mg, p<0.05) and maximal (152.1±46.2 vs 229.7±58.9 pmol/sec/mg) and renal state 3 (133.4 ±21.4 vs 289.8±43.4 pmol/sec/mg, p<0.05) and maximal (61.8±18 vs 242.4±27.7 pmol/sec/mg, p<0.05) respiration rates, indicative of ATP production and electron transport chain efficacy respectively, were reduced with RUPP CD4+ T cells (n=6; n=9) compared to NP (n=5; n=5). Collectively, the data indicate that the adoptive transfer of RUPP CD4+ T cells stimulates cytolytic NK cells and placental and renal mitochondrial dysfunction/ROS during pregnancy as important mechanisms of hypertension in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Keywords: Preeclamspia, Hypertension, Oxidative stress


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