Enhanced contact hypersensitivity and antiviral immune responsesin vivo by keratinocyte-targeted overexpression of IL-15

The molecular mechanisms supporting the homeostasis and activation of dendritic epidermal T cell and its role in promoting wound healing

The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin and the first barrier against invasion. Dendritic epidermal T cells (DETCs) are a subset of γδ T cells and an important component of the epidermal immune microenvironment. DETCs are involved in skin wound healing, malignancy and autoimmune diseases. DETCs secrete insulin-like growth factor-1 and keratinocyte growth factor for skin homeostasis and re-epithelization and release inflammatory factors to adjust the inflammatory microenvironment of wound healing. Therefore, an understanding of their development, activation and correlative signalling pathways is indispensable for the regulation of DETCs to accelerate wound healing. Our review focuses on the above-mentioned molecular mechanisms to provide a general research framework to regulate and control the function of DETCs.

CD49a Expression Defines Tissue-Resident CD8+ T Cells Poised for Cytotoxic Function in Human Skin

Tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells form a heterogeneous population that provides localized protection against pathogens. Here, we identify CD49a as a marker that differentiates CD8⁺ Trm cells on a compartmental and functional basis. In human skin epithelia, CD8⁺CD49a⁺ Trm cells produced interferon-γ, whereas CD8⁺CD49a⁻ Trm cells produced interleukin-17 (IL-17). In addition, CD8⁺CD49a⁺ Trm cells from healthy skin rapidly induced the expression of the effector molecules perforin and granzyme B when stimulated with IL-15, thereby promoting a strong cytotoxic response. In skin from patients with vitiligo, where melanocytes are eradicated locally, CD8⁺CD49a⁺ Trm cells that constitutively expressed perforin and granzyme B accumulated both in the epidermis and dermis. Conversely, CD8⁺CD49a^– Trm cells from psoriasis lesions predominantly generated IL-17 responses that promote local inflammation in this skin disease. Overall, CD49a expression delineates CD8⁺ Trm cell specialization in human epithelial barriers and correlates with the effector cell balance found in distinct inflammatory skin diseases.

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CD49a expression marks CD8⁺ Trm cells poised for IFN-γ production in human skin

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IL-15 drives potent cytotoxic capacity in CD49a⁺ Trm cells

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IL-17 is preferentially produced by CD49a⁻ CD8⁺ Trm cells in the skin

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CD49a⁺ versus CD49^- Trm cell functional dichotomy is preserved in vitiligo and psoriasis

TLR-9 and IL-15 Synergy Promotes the In Vitro Clonal Expansion of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells

Clinical progression of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) reflects the clone's Ag receptor (BCR) and involves stroma-dependent B-CLL growth within lymphoid tissue. Uniformly elevated expression of TLR-9, occasional MYD88 mutations, and BCR specificity for DNA or Ags physically linked to DNA together suggest that TLR-9 signaling is important in driving B-CLL growth in patients. Nevertheless, reports of apoptosis after B-CLL exposure to CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) raised questions about a central role for TLR-9. Because normal memory B cells proliferate vigorously to ODN+IL-15, a cytokine found in stromal cells of bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen, we examined whether this was true for B-CLL cells. Through a CFSE-based assay for quantitatively monitoring in vitro clonal proliferation/survival, we show that IL-15 precludes TLR-9-induced apoptosis and permits significant B-CLL clonal expansion regardless of the clone's BCR mutation status. A robust response to ODN+IL-15 was positively linked to presence of chromosomal anomalies (trisomy-12 or ataxia telangiectasia mutated anomaly + del13q14) and negatively linked to a very high proportion of CD38(+) cells within the blood-derived B-CLL population. Furthermore, a clone's intrinsic potential for in vitro growth correlated directly with doubling time in blood, in the case of B-CLL with Ig H chain V region-unmutated BCR and <30% CD38(+) cells in blood. Finally, in vitro high-proliferator status was statistically linked to diminished patient survival. These findings, together with immunohistochemical evidence of apoptotic cells and IL-15-producing cells proximal to B-CLL pseudofollicles in patient spleens, suggest that collaborative ODN and IL-15 signaling may promote in vivo B-CLL growth.

An alternatively spliced IL-15 isoform modulates abrasion-induced keratinocyte activation

In a routine phenotype-driven screen, we identified a point mutation in exon 7 of the IL-15 gene in Pedigree 191 (deficient memory (DM)) of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenized mice. The DM epidermis expressed an alternatively spliced IL-15 mRNA isoform, IL-15ΔE7, and a wild-type (WT) IL-15 isoform at comparable levels. Mechanical stimulation of DM skin or DM skin graft transplanted onto the WT host resulted in reduced keratinocyte activation and inhibition of neutrophil infiltration into the dermis, demonstrating that DM keratinocytes produced less inflammatory response to external stimulation. Ectopic expression of IL-15ΔE7 in WT skin prevented abrasion-induced epidermal thickening, blocked the accumulation of nuclear antigen Ki67(+) cells in the basal and the suprabasal cell layers, increased loricrin expression, and also increased keratinocyte CXCL1 and G-CSF production. IL-15ΔE7 also profoundly blocked neutrophil infiltration in SDS- or immiquimod (IMQ)-treated WT skin. Recombinant IL-15ΔE7 failed to activate STAT-5 and its downstream target bcl-2 expression. Our study points to IL-15ΔE7 as a potential therapeutic agent for treating neutrophilia-associated inflammatory skin disorders.

Keratinocyte antiviral response to Poly(dA:dT) stimulation and papillomavirus infection in a canine model of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) is caused by a genetic mutation within the common gamma chain (γ_c), an essential component of the cytokine receptors for interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21. XSCID patients are most commonly treated with bone marrow transplants (BMT) to restore systemic immune function. However, BMT-XSCID humans and dogs remain at an increased risk for development of cutaneous papillomavirus (PV) infections and their associated neoplasms, most typically cutaneous papillomas. Since basal keratinocytes are the target cell for the initial PV infection, we wanted to determine if canine XSCID keratinocytes have a diminished antiviral cytokine response to poly(dA:dT) and canine papillomavirus-2 (CPV-2) upon initial infection. We performed quantitative RT-PCR for antiviral cytokines and downstream interferon stimulated genes (ISG) on poly(dA:dT) stimulated and CPV-2 infected monolayer keratinocyte cultures derived from XSCID and normal control dogs. We found that XSCID keratinocytes responded similarly to poly(dA:dT) as normal keratinocytes by upregulating antiviral cytokines and ISGs. CPV-2 infection of both XSCID and normal keratinocytes did not result in upregulation of antiviral cytokines or ISGs at 2, 4, or 6 days post infection. These data suggest that the antiviral response to initial PV infection of basal keratinocytes is similar between XSCID and normal patients, and is not the likely source for the remaining immunodeficiency in XSCID patients.

Treg depletion attenuates the severity of skin disease from ganglionic spread after HSV-2 flank infection

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) attenuate lesion severity and disease after HSV ocular or genital infection, but their role in cutaneous infection remains unclear. Treg depletion (anti-CD25 mAb in C57BL/6 mice or diphtheria toxin (DT) in DEREG mice) prior to tk-deficient HSV-2 flank infection significantly decreased skin lesion severity, granulocyte receptor-1(Gr-1(+)) cell number, and chemokine (KC) expression in the secondary skin, but significantly increased immune effectors and chemokine expression (MCP-1, KC, VEGF-A) in the draining LN, and activated, interferon-γ producing CD8(+)T cells in the ganglia. Treg depletion also significantly reduced HSV-2 DNA in the ganglia. Thus, Tregs increase the severity of recurrent skin lesions, and differentially alter chemokine expression and immune effector homing in the skin and LN after cutaneous infection, and limit CD8(+) T cell responses in the ganglia. Our data suggests that effects of Treg manipulation on recurrent herpes lesions should be considered when developing Treg mediated therapeutics.

Transcriptional IL-15-directed in vivo DC targeting DNA vaccine

Dendritic cells (DC) engineered in vitro by DNA encoding OVAhsp70 and IL-15 up-regulated their expressions of CD80, CD86, CCR7 and IL-15Ralpha and promoted their productions of IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-alpha. Transcriptional IL-15-directed in vivo DC targeting DNA vaccine encoding OVAhsp70 elicited long-lasting Th1 and CTL responses and anti-B16OVA activity. CD8T cell-mediated primary tumor protection was abrogated by DC or CD4T cell depletion during the induction phase of immune responses. However, CD4T cell depletion during immunization did not impair CD8T cell-dependent long-lasting tumor protection. Furthermore, in vivo DC-derived IL-15 exerted the enhancements of cellular and humoral immune responses and antitumor immunity elicited by OVAhsp70 DNA vaccine. Importantly, the potency of this novel DNA vaccine strategy was proven using a self/tumor Ag (TRP2) in a clinically relevant B16 melanoma model. These findings have implications for developing next generation DNA vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases in both healthy and CD4 deficient individuals.

Galectin-2 suppresses contact allergy by inducing apoptosis in activated CD8+ T cells

Galectins, a family of structurally related beta-galactoside-binding proteins, are expressed by various cells of the immune systems and seem to be important for the regulation of immune responses and immune cell homeostasis. Since it has been demonstrated that galectin-2 regulates cell-mediated inflammatory bowel disease and colitis in mice, we intended to investigate the role of galectin-2 in inflammatory cutaneous T cell-mediated immune responses. To address this issue, groups of naive mice were sensitized to the contact allergen 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene and systemically treated with galectin-2 to analyze the effects of galectin-2 on contact allergy. Here we show that galectin-2 is expressed in murine skin and is up-regulated upon cutaneous inflammation. Interestingly, treatment of mice with galectin-2 significantly reduced the contact allergy response. This effect was long-lasting since rechallenge of galectin-2-treated mice after a 14-day interval still resulted in a decreased ear swelling. We were able to demonstrate that galectin-2 induced a reduction of MHC class I-restricted immune responses in the treated animals, which was mediated by the induction of apoptosis specifically in activated CD8(+) T cells. Additionally, we report that the galectin-2-binding protein CD29 is up-regulated on the surface of activated CD8(+) T cells compared with naive CD8(+) T cells or CD4(+) T cells, suggesting that increased galectin-2/CD29 signaling might be responsible for the proapoptotic effects of galectin-2 on activated CD8(+) T cells. Taken together, these data indicate that galectin-2 may represent a novel therapeutic alternative for the treatment of CD8-mediated inflammatory disorders such as contact allergy.

IL-15 serves as a costimulator in determining the activity of autoreactive CD8 T cells in an experimental mouse model of graft-versus-host-like disease

To elucidate the mechanisms controlling peripheral tolerance, we established two transgenic (Tg) mouse strains expressing different levels of membrane-bound OVA (mOVA) as a skin-associated self-Ag. When we transferred autoreactive TCR-Tg CD8 T cells (OT-I cells), keratin 14 (K14)-mOVA(high) Tg mice developed autoreactive skin disease (graft-vs-host disease (GVHD)-like skin lesions) while K14-mOVA(low) Tg mice did not. OT-I cells in K14-mOVA(high) Tg mice were fully activated with full development of effector function. In contrast, OT-I cells in K14-mOVA(low) Tg mice proliferated but did not gain effector function. Exogenous IL-15 altered the functional status of OT-I cells and concomitantly induced disease in K14-mOVA(low) Tg mice. Conversely, neutralization of endogenous IL-15 activity in K14-mOVA(high) Tg mice attenuated GVHD-like skin lesions induced by OT-I cell transfer. Futhermore, K14-mOVA(high) Tg mice on IL-15 knockout or IL-15Ralpha knockout backgrounds did not develop skin lesions after adoptive transfer of OT-I cells. These results identify IL-15 as an indispensable costimulator that can determine the functional fate of autoreactive CD8 T cells and whether immunity or tolerance ensues, and they suggest that inhibition of IL-15 function may be efficacious in blocking expression of autoimmunity where a breach in peripheral tolerance is suspected.

Langerhans cells are required for efficient presentation of topically applied hapten to T cells

Dendritic cells (DC) play a pivotal role in the control of T cell immunity due to their ability to stimulate naive T cells and direct effector function. Murine and human DC are composed of a number of phenotypically, and probably developmentally, distinct subsets, which may play unique roles in the initiation and regulation of T cell responses. The skin is populated by at least two subsets of DC: Langerhans cells (LC), which form a contiguous network throughout the epidermis, and dermal DC. LC have classically been thought vital to initiate T cell responses to cutaneous Ags. However, recent data have highlighted the importance of dermal DC in cutaneous immunity, and the requirement for LC has become unclear. To define the relative roles of LC and dermal DC, we and others generated mouse models in which LC were specifically depleted in vivo. Unexpectedly, these studies yielded conflicting data as to the role of LC in cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Extending our initial finding, we demonstrate that topical Ag is inefficiently transported to draining lymph nodes in the absence of LC, resulting in suboptimal priming of T cells and reduced CHS. However, dermal DC may also prime cutaneous T cell responses, suggesting redundancy between the two different skin DC subsets in this model.

Epidermal RANKL controls regulatory T-cell numbers via activation of dendritic cells

Regulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells are important in suppressing immune responses. The requirements for the maintenance of peripheral CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells remain incompletely understood. Receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) and its ligand (RANKL; also known as CD254, OPGL and TRANCE) are key regulators of bone remodeling, mammary gland formation, lymph node development and T-cell/dendritic cell communication. Here we report that RANKL is expressed in keratinocytes of the inflamed skin. RANKL overexpression in keratinocytes resulted in functional alterations of epidermal dendritic cells and systemic increases of regulatory CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells. Thus, epidermal RANKL expression can change dendritic cell functions to maintain the number of peripheral CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells. Epidermal RANKL mediated ultraviolet-induced immunosuppression and overexpression of epidermal RANKL suppressed allergic contact hypersensitivity responses and the development of systemic autoimmunity. Therefore, environmental stimuli at the skin can rewire the local and systemic immune system by means of RANKL.

Conditioning of Langerhans cells induced by a primary CD8 T cell response to self-antigen in vivo

Using a previously described model of autoimmune skin disease, we addressed the question of how CD8 T cell responsiveness to self-Ag is regulated during chronic inflammation. In this model, CD8 T cells expand and induce tissue pathology directed at an epidermal self-Ag. However, we show here that this primary CD8 T cell response prevented subsequent expansion of a second CD8 T cell population with the same specificity. This lack of T cell accumulation was not due to Ag elimination, nor was it due to competition between the two T cell populations. However, skin-specific dendritic cells that present Ag in this model--Langerhans cells--underwent significant phenotypic changes associated with a compromised ability to stimulate naive T cells. Our study suggests that conditioning of dendritic cells may play a role in maintaining unresponsiveness to self-Ag during chronic inflammation.

Reduced 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity response in IL-15 receptor??-deficient mice correlates with diminished CCL5/RANTES and CXCL10/IP-10 expression

Using a model of 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) we found that, as compared with wild-type mice, IL-15 receptor alpha chain (IL-15Ralpha)-deficient mice showed significantly less ear swelling. This decreased response was associated with diminished expression of CCL5/RANTES and CXCL10/IP-10, chemokines critical for effector cell recruitment, in the inflamed tissue. We determined that both the number of CD8(+) T cells infiltrating the affected skin and the production of CCL5/RANTES by antigen-stimulated CD8(+) T cells were decreased in IL-15Ralpha(-/-) mice. The lower levels of CXCL10/IP-10 suggested that the IL-15Ralpha(-/-) mice had reduced production of IFN-gamma, the primary inducer of CXCL10/IP-10, which was in fact the case. However, by contrast with CCL5/RANTES, the diminished levels of IFN-gamma were likely due to the decreased number of skin-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells, since IFN-gamma production by antigen-stimulated CD8(+) T cells was comparable between wild-type and IL-15Ralpha(-/-) mice. Our data suggest a positive, pro-inflammatory feedback loop involving CCL5/RANTES, IFN-gamma and CXCL10/IP-10 that underlies the CHS reaction and that is disrupted, likely primarily by a defect in CCL5/RANTES production, in mice lacking IL-15Ralpha, resulting in impaired leukocyte recruitment and inflammation. Moreover, it is particularly noteworthy that the defect in CCL5/RANTES expression in CD8(+) T cells is intrinsic to the absence of IL-15Ralpha, indicating that IL-15Ralpha is critical for CCL5/RANTES expression in CD8(+) T cells.