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Lett MJ, Mehta H, Keogh A, Jaeger T, Jacquet M, Powell K, Meier MA, Fofana I, Melhem H, Vosbeck J, Cathomas G, Heigl A, Heim MH, Burri E, Mertz KD, Niess JH, Kollmar O, Zech CJ, Ivanek R, Duthaler U, Klenerman P, Stroka D, Filipowicz Sinnreich M. Stimulatory MAIT cell antigens reach the circulation and are efficiently metabolised and presented by human liver cells. Gut 2022; 71:2526-2538. [PMID: 35058274 PMCID: PMC9664123 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are the most abundant T cells in human liver. They respond to bacterial metabolites presented by major histocompatibility complex-like molecule MR1. MAIT cells exert regulatory and antimicrobial functions and are implicated in liver fibrogenesis. It is not well understood which liver cells function as antigen (Ag)-presenting cells for MAIT cells, and under which conditions stimulatory Ags reach the circulation. DESIGN We used different types of primary human liver cells in Ag-presentation assays to blood-derived and liver-derived MAIT cells. We assessed MAIT cell stimulatory potential of serum from healthy subjects and patients with portal hypertension undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt stent, and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). RESULTS MAIT cells were dispersed throughout healthy human liver and all tested liver cell types stimulated MAIT cells, hepatocytes being most efficient. MAIT cell activation by liver cells occurred in response to bacterial lysate and pure Ag, and was prevented by non-activating MR1 ligands. Serum derived from peripheral and portal blood, and from patients with IBD stimulated MAIT cells in MR1-dependent manner. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal previously unrecognised roles of liver cells in Ag metabolism and activation of MAIT cells, repression of which creates an opportunity to design antifibrotic therapies. The presence of MAIT cell stimulatory Ags in serum rationalises the observed activated MAIT cell phenotype in liver. Increased serum levels of gut-derived MAIT cell stimulatory ligands in patients with impaired intestinal barrier function indicate that intrahepatic Ag-presentation may represent an important step in the development of liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Lett
- Department of Biomedicine, Liver Immunology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hema Mehta
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adrian Keogh
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, University of Bern, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tina Jaeger
- Department of Biomedicine, Liver Immunology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Jacquet
- Department of Biomedicine, Liver Immunology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kate Powell
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marie-Anne Meier
- Department of Biomedicine, Hepatology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clarunis University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Fofana
- Department of Biomedicine, Hepatology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hassan Melhem
- Department of Biomedicine, Gastroenterology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Vosbeck
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gieri Cathomas
- Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Andres Heigl
- Department of Surgery, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Markus H Heim
- Department of Biomedicine, Hepatology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clarunis University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Emanuel Burri
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Department of Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten D Mertz
- Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Jan Hendrik Niess
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Clarunis University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Basel, Switzerland,Department of Biomedicine, Gastroenterology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Otto Kollmar
- Division of Visceral Surgery, Clarunis University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph J Zech
- Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Robert Ivanek
- Department of Biomedicine, Bioinformatics Core Facility, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland,DBM Bioinformatics Core Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Duthaler
- Department of Biomedicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research and Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Deborah Stroka
- Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, University of Bern, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Filipowicz Sinnreich
- Department of Biomedicine, Liver Immunology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland .,Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Department of Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
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