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Wellford SA, Schwartzberg PL. Help me help you: emerging concepts in T follicular helper cell differentiation, identity, and function. Curr Opin Immunol 2024; 87:102421. [PMID: 38733669 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2024.102421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Effective high-affinity, long-term humoral immunity requires T cell help provided by a subset of differentiated CD4+ T cells known as T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Classically, Tfh cells provide contact-dependent help for the generation of germinal centers (GCs) in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs). Recent studies have expanded the conventional definition of Tfh cells, revealing new functions, new descriptions of Tfh subsets, new factors regulating Tfh differentiation, and new roles outside of SLO GCs. Together, these data suggest that one Tfh is not equivalent to another, helping redefine our understanding of Tfh cells and their biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Wellford
- Cell Signalling and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Pamela L Schwartzberg
- Cell Signalling and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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2
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Scholte LLS, Leggat DJ, Cohen KW, Hoeweler L, Erwin GC, Rahaman F, Lombardo A, Philiponis V, Laufer DS, Siefers H, Ruppel AM, Brand J, Maenza J, Bronson R, Prabhakaran M, Jean-Baptiste J, Kolokythas O, Desrosiers AA, Thoreson CK, Heit A, Khati NJ, Malkin E, McElrath MJ, McDermott AB, Schief WR, Diemert D, Bethony JM. Ultrasound-guided lymph node fine-needle aspiration for evaluating post-vaccination germinal center responses in humans. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102576. [PMID: 37733596 PMCID: PMC10519838 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The lymph node (LN) is a critical biological site for immune maturation after vaccination as it includes several cell populations critical for priming the antibody response. Here, we present a protocol for sampling the LN and isolating cell populations to evaluate immunogens targeting germline cells. We describe steps for media and tube preparation and sample collection using an ultrasound-guided LN fine-needle aspiration procedure. This protocol is safe, quick, low-cost, and less invasive than excisional biopsy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Leggat et al. (2022).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L S Scholte
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
| | - David J Leggat
- The US Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kristen W Cohen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lara Hoeweler
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Guacyara C Erwin
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alexis M Ruppel
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joshua Brand
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Janine Maenza
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rhi Bronson
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Madhu Prabhakaran
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jalen Jean-Baptiste
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Orpheus Kolokythas
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Aimee A Desrosiers
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Caroline K Thoreson
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Antje Heit
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Nadia J Khati
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Elissa Malkin
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - M Juliana McElrath
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - William R Schief
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David Diemert
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Bethony
- Vaccine Research Unit, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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3
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Chen M, Venturi V, Munier CML. Dissecting the Protective Effect of CD8 + T Cells in Response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination and the Potential Link with Lymph Node CD8 + T Cells. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1035. [PMID: 37508464 PMCID: PMC10376827 DOI: 10.3390/biology12071035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have played a crucial role in effectively reducing COVID-19 disease severity, with a new generation of vaccines that use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology being administered globally. Neutralizing antibodies have featured as the heroes of vaccine-induced immunity. However, vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cells may have a significant impact on the early protective effects of the mRNA vaccine, which are evident 12 days after initial vaccination. Vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells have been shown to respond to multiple epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 and exhibit polyfunctionality in the periphery at the early stage, even when neutralizing antibodies are scarce. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines induce diverse subsets of memory CD8+ T cells that persist for more than six months following vaccination. However, the protective role of CD8+ T cells in response to the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines remains a topic of debate. In addition, our understanding of CD8+ T cells in response to vaccination in the lymph nodes, where they first encounter antigen, is still limited. This review delves into the current knowledge regarding the protective role of polyfunctional CD8+ T cells in controlling the virus, the response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, and the contribution to supporting B cell activity and promoting immune protection in the lymph nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Chen
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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4
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Largent AD, Lambert K, Chiang K, Shumlak N, Liggitt D, Oukka M, Torgerson TR, Buckner JH, Allenspach EJ, Rawlings DJ, Jackson SW. Dysregulated IFN-γ signals promote autoimmunity in STAT1 gain-of-function syndrome. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eade7028. [PMID: 37406138 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade7028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Heterozygous signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) gain-of-function (GOF) mutations promote a clinical syndrome of immune dysregulation characterized by recurrent infections and predisposition to humoral autoimmunity. To gain insights into immune characteristics of STAT1-driven inflammation, we performed deep immunophenotyping of pediatric patients with STAT1 GOF syndrome and age-matched controls. Affected individuals exhibited dysregulated CD4+ T cell and B cell activation, including expansion of TH1-skewed CXCR3+ populations that correlated with serum autoantibody titers. To dissect underlying immune mechanisms, we generated Stat1 GOF transgenic mice (Stat1GOF mice) and confirmed the development of spontaneous humoral autoimmunity that recapitulated the human phenotype. Despite clinical resemblance to human regulatory T cell (Treg) deficiency, Stat1GOF mice and humans with STAT1 GOF syndrome exhibited normal Treg development and function. In contrast, STAT1 GOF autoimmunity was characterized by adaptive immune activation driven by dysregulated STAT1-dependent signals downstream of the type 1 and type 2 interferon (IFN) receptors. However, in contrast to the prevailing type 1 IFN-centric model for STAT1 GOF autoimmunity, Stat1GOF mice lacking the type 1 IFN receptor were only partially protected from STAT1-driven systemic inflammation, whereas loss of type 2 IFN (IFN-γ) signals abrogated autoimmunity. Last, germline STAT1 GOF alleles are thought to enhance transcriptional activity by increasing total STAT1 protein, but the underlying biochemical mechanisms have not been defined. We showed that IFN-γ receptor deletion normalized total STAT1 expression across immune lineages, highlighting IFN-γ as the critical driver of feedforward STAT1 elevation in STAT1 GOF syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristy Chiang
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Natali Shumlak
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Denny Liggitt
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mohammed Oukka
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | | | - Eric J Allenspach
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David J Rawlings
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Shaun W Jackson
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Boyd MAA, Carey Hoppe A, Kelleher AD, Munier CML. T follicular helper cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among healthy and immunocompromised adults. Immunol Cell Biol 2023; 101:504-513. [PMID: 36825370 PMCID: PMC10952589 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide rollout of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations in the last 2 years has produced a multitude of studies investigating T-cell responses in the peripheral blood and a limited number in secondary lymphoid tissues. As a key component to an effective immune response, vaccine-specific T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are localized in the draining lymph node (LN) and assist in the selection of highly specific B-cell clones for the production of neutralizing antibodies. While these cells have been noted in the blood as circulating Tfh (cTfh) cells, they are not often taken into consideration when examining effective CD4+ T-cell responses, particularly in immunocompromised groups. Furthermore, site-specific analyses in locations such as the LN have recently become an attractive area of investigation. This is mainly a result of improved sampling methods via ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (FNB)/fine-needle aspiration (FNA), which are less invasive than LN excision and able to be performed longitudinally. While these studies have been undertaken in healthy individuals, data from immunocompromised groups are lacking. This review will focus on both Tfh and cTfh responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in healthy and immunocompromised individuals. This area of investigation could identify key characteristics of a successful LN response required for the prevention of infection and viral clearance. This furthermore may highlight responses that could be fine-tuned to improve vaccine efficacy within immunocompromised groups that are at a risk of more severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra Carey Hoppe
- Immunovirology and Pathogenesis ProgramThe Kirby InstituteUNSWSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Anthony D Kelleher
- Immunovirology and Pathogenesis ProgramThe Kirby InstituteUNSWSydneyNSW2052Australia
- St Vincent's HospitalSydneyNSW2010Australia
| | - C Mee Ling Munier
- Immunovirology and Pathogenesis ProgramThe Kirby InstituteUNSWSydneyNSW2052Australia
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Phetsouphanh C, Khoo WH, Jackson K, Klemm V, Howe A, Aggarwal A, Akerman A, Milogiannakis V, Stella AO, Rouet R, Schofield P, Faulks ML, Law H, Danwilai T, Starr M, Munier CML, Christ D, Singh M, Croucher PI, Brilot-Turville F, Turville S, Phan TG, Dore GJ, Darley D, Cunningham P, Matthews GV, Kelleher AD, Zaunders JJ. High titre neutralizing antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection require RBD-specific CD4 T cells that include proliferative memory cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1032911. [PMID: 36544780 PMCID: PMC9762180 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1032911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including neutralizing antibodies and T cell-mediated immunity, is required in a very large majority of the population in order to reduce ongoing disease burden. Methods We have investigated the association between memory CD4 and CD8 T cells and levels of neutralizing antibodies in convalescent COVID-19 subjects. Findings Higher titres of convalescent neutralizing antibodies were associated with significantly higher levels of RBD-specific CD4 T cells, including specific memory cells that proliferated vigorously in vitro. Conversely, up to half of convalescent individuals had low neutralizing antibody titres together with a lack of receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific memory CD4 T cells. These low antibody subjects had other, non-RBD, spike-specific CD4 T cells, but with more of an inhibitory Foxp3+ and CTLA-4+ cell phenotype, in contrast to the effector T-bet+, cytotoxic granzymes+ and perforin+ cells seen in RBD-specific memory CD4 T cells from high antibody subjects. Single cell transcriptomics of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells from high antibody subjects similarly revealed heterogenous RBD-specific CD4+ T cells that comprised central memory, transitional memory and Tregs, as well as cytotoxic clusters containing diverse TCR repertoires, in individuals with high antibody levels. However, vaccination of low antibody convalescent individuals led to a slight but significant improvement in RBD-specific memory CD4 T cells and increased neutralizing antibody titres. Interpretation Our results suggest that targeting CD4 T cell epitopes proximal to and within the RBD-region should be prioritized in booster vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Weng Hua Khoo
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia,St. Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Vera Klemm
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Annett Howe
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anupriya Aggarwal
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anouschka Akerman
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Romain Rouet
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter Schofield
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Megan L. Faulks
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah Law
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thidarat Danwilai
- NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV, St. Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mitchell Starr
- NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV, St. Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C. Mee Ling Munier
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Christ
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mandeep Singh
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia,St. Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Fabienne Brilot-Turville
- Brain and Mind Centre, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart Turville
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tri Giang Phan
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia,St. Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gregory J. Dore
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David Darley
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Philip Cunningham
- NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV, St. Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gail V. Matthews
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anthony D. Kelleher
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia,Department of Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John J. Zaunders
- NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV, St. Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia,*Correspondence: John J. Zaunders,
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Kwiatkowska KM, Mkindi CG, Nielsen CM. Human lymphoid tissue sampling for vaccinology. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1045529. [PMID: 36466924 PMCID: PMC9714609 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1045529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) - largely resident in the bone marrow - secrete antibody over months and years, thus maintaining serum antibody concentrations relevant for vaccine-mediated immunity. Little is known regarding factors that can modulate the induction of human LLPC responses in draining lymph node germinal centres, or those that maintain LLPCs in bone marrow niches following vaccination. Here, we review human and non-human primate vaccination studies which incorporate draining lymph node and/or bone marrow aspirate sampling. We emphasise the key contributions these samples can make to improve our understanding of LLPC immunology and guide rational vaccine development. Specifically, we highlight findings related to the impact of vaccine dosing regimens, adjuvant/vaccine platform selection, duration of germinal centre reactions in draining lymph nodes and relevance for timing of tissue sampling, and heterogeneity in bone marrow plasma cell populations. Much of this work has come from recent studies with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates or, with respect to the non-human primate work, HIV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine G. Mkindi
- Department of Intervention and Clinical Trials, Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Carolyn M. Nielsen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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