Regulatory CD4(-)CD8(-) double negative T cells

Enhancement of the Tolerogenic Phenotype in the Liver by ImmTOR Nanoparticles

ImmTOR biodegradable nanoparticles encapsulating rapamycin have been shown to induce a durable tolerogenic immune response to co-administered biologics and gene therapy vectors. Prior mechanism of action studies have demonstrated selective biodistribution of ImmTOR to the spleen and liver following intravenous (IV) administration. In the spleen, ImmTOR has been shown to induce tolerogenic dendritic cells and antigen-specific regulatory T cells and inhibit antigen-specific B cell activation. Splenectomy of mice resulted in partial but incomplete abrogation of the tolerogenic immune response induced by ImmTOR. Here we investigated the ability of ImmTOR to enhance the tolerogenic environment in the liver. All the major resident populations of liver cells, including liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), Kupffer cells (KC), stellate cells (SC), and hepatocytes, actively took up fluorescent-labeled ImmTOR particles, which resulted in downregulation of MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules and upregulation of the PD-L1 checkpoint molecule. The LSEC, known to play an important role in hepatic tolerance induction, emerged as a key target cell for ImmTOR. LSEC isolated from ImmTOR treated mice inhibited antigen-specific activation of ovalbumin-specific OT-II T cells. The tolerogenic environment led to a multi-pronged modulation of hepatic T cell populations, resulting in an increase in T cells with a regulatory phenotype, upregulation of PD-1 on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, and the emergence of a large population of CD4^–CD8^– (double negative) T cells. ImmTOR treatment protected mice in a concanavalin A-induced model of acute hepatitis, as evidenced by reduced production of inflammatory cytokines, infiltrate of activated leukocytes, and tissue necrosis. Modulation of T cell phenotype was seen to a lesser extent after administration by empty nanoparticles, but not free rapamycin. The upregulation of PD-1, but not the appearance of double negative T cells, was inhibited by antibodies against PD-L1 or CTLA-4. These results suggest that the liver may contribute to the tolerogenic properties of ImmTOR treatment.

DNT cell inhibits the growth of pancreatic carcinoma via abnormal expressions of NKG2D and MICA in vivo

This research aimed to investigate the effects of natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) and its ligands major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related molecules A(MICA) in DNT cell killing pancreatic carcinoma. Antibodies adsorption was used to separate DNT cell from human peripheral blood. Human pancreatic tumor models were established via implanting BXPC-3 cells into nude mice. Then randomly divided mice into blank group, gemcitabine group and DNT group. Mice weights and mice tumor volumes were measured every 5 days. 50 days later mice were euthanized at cervical dislocation method. Tumor weights were measured. Relative tumor volume and tumor inhibition rate were calculated. Western blot and qPCR were used to detect the expressions of NKG2D and MICA in the transplanted tumors of the three groups. DNT cell significantly increased over time. The blank group tumor volume and weight were significantly larger than the other groups (p < 0.001, p < 0.001), but there were no significantly difference between DNT group and gemcitabine group (p > 0.05). Gemcitabine and DNT cell tumor inhibition rate were 40.4% and 35.5%. Western blot and qPCR showed that MICA mRNA and protein levels in blank group were significantly higher than DNT group (p = 0.001, p = 0.003). NKG2D mRNA and protein levels in blank group were significantly lower than DNT cells group (p < 0.001, p = 0.001). In conclusion DNT cell can significantly inhibit the growth of pancreatic carcinoma in vivo, and the mechanism may be involved in abnormal expressions of MICA and NKG2D.

Abnormal expression levels of sMICA and NKG2D are correlated with poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer

Soluble major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A molecules (sMICA) and natural-killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) not only correlate with tumorigenesis and progression, but also with tumor invasion and metastasis. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to investigate the correlation and prognostic significance of the differential expression of sMICA and NKG2D in pancreatic carcinoma and paracarcinoma tissues from 70 patients with pancreatic carcinomas. The results showed that sMICA expression was significantly (P<0.05) higher in tumor tissues (67.1%) than that in adjacent nontumor tissues (31.4%), whereas NKG2D expression was significantly (P<0.001) lower in tumor tissues (32.9%) than that in adjacent nontumor tissues (60.0%). Spearman’s rank correlation test showed a negative correlation between the expression of sMICA and that of NKG2D (r=−0.676, P<0.001). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that a high sMICA expression was significantly correlated with decreased disease-free survival (DFS) (P<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P<0.001), while a high NKG2D expression was significantly associated with increased DFS (P=0.001) and OS (P=0.001) of the patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a high sMICA expression was an independent predictive factor for poor DFS (P<0.001) and OS (P=0.012); but low NKG2D expression was not an independent prognostic factor for poor DFS (P=0.238) and OS (P=0.574). In conclusion, our findings suggest that the expression levels of sMICA and NKG2D are abnormal and negatively correlated with one another in pancreatic carcinoma tissues; they may be considered as valuable biomarkers for the prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma.

Regulation of IgE production and airway reactivity by CD4⁻CD8⁻ regulatory T cells

The mechanisms of tolerance induction occurring in the course of allergen-specific immunotherapy have not been elucidated in full detail. Our study aimed to characterize high zone tolerance in mouse models of type I allergy and of allergic airway inflammation induced by subcutaneous sensitization of mice with high doses of the model allergen ovalbumin (OVA) without the use of adjuvant. Mice were immunized by subcutaneous injection of high doses (HD) of OVA or, for comparison, low doses (LD) of OVA in saline. HD-mice showed lower specific IgE, but augmented IgG in sera than LD-mice. Pre-treatment of mice with HD-OVA antigen-specifically inhibited IgE production subsequently induced by LD-OVA. OVA-restimulated splenocytes from HD-mice revealed hypoproliferation and impaired production of Th2-associated cytokines. HD-mice exhibited lower airway reactivity, goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production, as well as IL-5 and IL-13 production in the lungs than LD-mice following local provocation. Recruitment of inflammatory cells into the airways was comparable, while the number of eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage was substantially higher in HD-mice. Adoptive transfer of dnTC from HD-mice into naïve mice, which were subsequently sensitized with LD-OVA, suppressed IgE production in the recipients. The number of dnTC was higher in the spleens of HD-mice than LD-mice. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that subcutaneous sensitization of mice with high doses of allergen in the absence of adjuvant results in attenuated airway reactivity as compared with LD-sensitization and induces CD4(-)CD8(-) dnTC with regulatory function on IgE production.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with a regulatory T-cell phenotype: report of a nodal and an extranodal case from Peru

T-cell regulatory lymphocytes (T reg) are identified by their reactivity with CD4, CD25, and FOXP3, and are variably present in the background of various neoplasms including hematopoietic tumors, and function modulating the immune response, including control of autoimmunity. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is an aggressive lymphoma associated with human T-lymphotrophic virus 1 infection characterized by the presence of neoplastic lymphocytes with a T reg phenotype; however, this phenotype is not characteristically found in other lymphomas. Here, we report 2 apparently immunocompetent human T-lymphotrophic virus 1-negative patients with nodal and extranodal peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified with a T reg immunophenotype, based on the strong CD25 and FOXP3 positivity of the neoplastic cells. One patient was a 48-year-old woman with an early stage tumor in the cavum, who despite of chemotherapy subsequently developed systemic disease and died of tumor progression 46 months from diagnosis. The second patient was a 65-year-old male with generalized adenopathy and B symptoms who received chemotherapy achieving a complete remission but had recurrence and died 36 months from diagnosis. The histopathology revealed a diffuse infiltrate with an interfollicular distribution in the second case, with nodal involvement, consisted of large cells with clear cytoplasm associated with vascular proliferation and abundant mitoses. Neoplastic cells of first case showed typical T reg phenotype, whereas the second case had a CD4/CD8 double negative T reg variant. Only a single similar case was found in a review of the literature. We conclude that peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified with a T reg phenotype may represent a distinct category of T-cell lymphoma with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis.