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Ruiz Pérez M, Vandenabeele P, Tougaard P. The thymus road to a T cell: migration, selection, and atrophy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1443910. [PMID: 39257583 PMCID: PMC11384998 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1443910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The thymus plays a pivotal role in generating a highly-diverse repertoire of T lymphocytes while preventing autoimmunity. Thymus seeding progenitors (TSPs) are a heterogeneous group of multipotent progenitors that migrate to the thymus via CCR7 and CCR9 receptors. While NOTCH guides thymus progenitors toward T cell fate, the absence or disruption of NOTCH signaling renders the thymus microenvironment permissive to other cell fates. Following T cell commitment, developing T cells undergo multiple selection checkpoints by engaging with the extracellular matrix, and interacting with thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and other immune subsets across the different compartments of the thymus. The different selection checkpoints assess the T cell receptor (TCR) performance, with failure resulting in either repurposing (agonist selection), or cell death. Additionally, environmental cues such as inflammation and endocrine signaling induce acute thymus atrophy, contributing to the demise of most developing T cells during thymic selection. We discuss the occurrence of acute thymus atrophy in response to systemic inflammation. The thymus demonstrates high plasticity, shaping inflammation by abrogating T cell development and undergoing profound structural changes, and facilitating regeneration and restoration of T cell development once inflammation is resolved. Despite the challenges, thymic selection ensures a highly diverse T cell repertoire capable of discerning between self and non-self antigens, ultimately egressing to secondary lymphoid organs where they complete their maturation and exert their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Ruiz Pérez
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Vandenabeele
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Tougaard
- Molecular Signaling and Cell Death Unit, VIB-UGent, Center for Inflammation Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation and Mucosal Immunology, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Lombard-Vadnais F, Chabot-Roy G, Zahn A, Rodriguez Torres S, Di Noia JM, Melichar HJ, Lesage S. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase expression by thymic B cells promotes T-cell tolerance and limits autoimmunity. iScience 2022; 26:105852. [PMID: 36654860 PMCID: PMC9840937 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Elimination of self-reactive T cells in the thymus is critical to establish T-cell tolerance. A growing body of evidence suggests a role for thymic B cells in the elimination of self-reactive thymocytes. To specifically address the role of thymic B cells in central tolerance, we investigated the phenotype of thymic B cells in various mouse strains, including non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a model of autoimmune diabetes. We noted that isotype switching of NOD thymic B cells is reduced as compared to other, autoimmune-resistant, mouse strains. To determine the impact of B cell isotype switching on thymocyte selection and tolerance, we generated NOD.AID-/- mice. Diabetes incidence was enhanced in these mice. Moreover, we observed reduced clonal deletion and a resulting increase in self-reactive CD4+ T cells in NOD.AID-/- mice relative to NOD controls. Together, this study reveals that AID expression in thymic B cells contributes to T-cell tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Lombard-Vadnais
- Immunologie-oncologie, Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Geneviève Chabot-Roy
- Immunologie-oncologie, Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Astrid Zahn
- Unité de recherche en biologie moléculaire des cellules B, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Sahily Rodriguez Torres
- Immunologie-oncologie, Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada,Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Javier M. Di Noia
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada,Unité de recherche en biologie moléculaire des cellules B, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada,Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada,Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Heather J. Melichar
- Immunologie-oncologie, Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada,Département de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada,Corresponding author
| | - Sylvie Lesage
- Immunologie-oncologie, Centre de recherche de l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada,Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada,Corresponding author
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3
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Alivernini S, Firestein GS, McInnes IB. The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Immunity 2022; 55:2255-2270. [PMID: 36516818 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Significant recent progress in understanding rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis has led to improved treatment and quality of life. The introduction of targeted-biologic and -synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has also transformed clinical outcomes. Despite this, RA remains a life-long disease without a cure. Unmet needs include partial response and non-response to treatment in many patients, failure to achieve immune homeostasis or drug free remission, and inability to repair damaged tissues. RA is now recognized as the end of a multi-year prodromal phase in which systemic immune dysregulation, likely beginning in mucosal surfaces, is followed by a symptomatic clinical phase. Inflammation and immune reactivity are primarily localized to the synovium leading to pain and articular damage, but is also associated with a broader series of comorbidities. Here, we review recently described immunologic mechanisms that drive breach of tolerance, chronic synovitis, and remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Alivernini
- Immunology Research Core Facility, Gemelli Science and Technology Park, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Division of Rheumatology - Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Gary S Firestein
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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4
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Ishigaki K, Lagattuta KA, Luo Y, James EA, Buckner JH, Raychaudhuri S. HLA autoimmune risk alleles restrict the hypervariable region of T cell receptors. Nat Genet 2022; 54:393-402. [PMID: 35332318 PMCID: PMC9010379 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01032-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes strongly influence autoimmune disease risk. HLA risk alleles may influence thymic selection to increase the frequency of T cell receptors (TCRs) reactive to autoantigens (central hypothesis). However, research in human autoimmunity has provided little evidence supporting the central hypothesis. Here we investigated the influence of HLA alleles on TCR composition at the highly diverse complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3), which confers antigen recognition. We observed unexpectedly strong HLA-CDR3 associations. The strongest association was found at HLA-DRB1 amino acid position 13, the position that mediates genetic risk for multiple autoimmune diseases. We identified multiple CDR3 amino acid features enriched by HLA risk alleles. Moreover, the CDR3 features promoted by the HLA risk alleles are more enriched in candidate pathogenic TCRs than control TCRs (for example, citrullinated epitope-specific TCRs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis). Together, these results provide genetic evidence supporting the central hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kaitlyn A Lagattuta
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yang Luo
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eddie A James
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jane H Buckner
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Soumya Raychaudhuri
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Divisions of Genetics and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Centre for Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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5
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Patel V, Jayaraman A, Jayaraman S. Epigenetic drug ameliorated type 1 diabetes via decreased generation of Th1 and Th17 subsets and restoration of self-tolerance in CD4 + T cells. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 103:108490. [PMID: 34954557 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Female NOD mice develop autoimmune diabetes spontaneously without extrinsic manipulation. Previously, we have shown that weekly administration of the prediabetic female NOD mice with the histone modifier Trichostatin A (TSA) prevented diabetes onset. Herein we show that T lymphocytes from diabetic mice transferred diabetes into immunodeficient NOD.scid recipients while those isolated from drug-treated mice displayed reduced disease-causing ability. Drug treatment also repressed T cell receptor-mediated IFN-γ transcription. Splenic CD4+ T-cells purified from prediabetic mice could be polarized into IFN-γ -producing Th1 and IL-17A-expressing Th17 subsets ex vivo. Adoptive transfer of these cells into immunocompromised NOD.scid mice caused diabetes comparably. Polarized Th1 cells were devoid of IL-17A-producing cells and did not transdifferentiate into Th17 cells in the spleen of immunodeficient recipients. However, polarized Th17 cell preparation had a few contaminant Th1 cells. Adoptive transfer of polarized Th17 cells into NOD.scid recipients led to IFN-γ transcription in recipient splenocytes. Notably, TSA treatment of prediabetic mice abolished the ability of CD4+ T-cells to differentiate into diabetogenic Th1 and Th17 cells ex vivo. This was accompanied by the absence of Ifng and Il17a transcription in the spleen of NOD.scid recipients receiving cells, respectively cultured under Th1 and Th17 polarizing conditions. Significantly, the histone modifier restored the ability of CD4+ but not CD8+ T-cells to undergo CD3-mediated apoptosis ex vivo in a caspase-dependent manner. These results indicate that the histone modifier bestowed protection against type 1 diabetes via negative regulation of signature lymphokines and restitution of self-tolerance in CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasu Patel
- Dept. of Surgery, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Arathi Jayaraman
- Dept. of Surgery, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Sundararajan Jayaraman
- Dept. of Surgery, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Current address: Dept. of Surgery, the University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL 60613, USA.
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6
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Krupa A, Kowalska I. The Kynurenine Pathway-New Linkage between Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Autoimmune Endocrinopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9879. [PMID: 34576041 PMCID: PMC8469440 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The kynurenine pathway (KP) is highly regulated in the immune system, where it promotes immunosuppression in response to infection or inflammation. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), the main enzyme of KP, has a broad spectrum of activity on immune cells regulation, controlling the balance between stimulation and suppression of the immune system at sites of local inflammation, relevant to a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Various autoimmune diseases, among them endocrinopathies, have been identified to date, but despite significant progress in their diagnosis and treatment, they are still associated with significant complications, morbidity, and mortality. The precise cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to the onset and development of autoimmune disease remain poorly clarified so far. In breaking of tolerance, the cells of the innate immunity provide a decisive microenvironment that regulates immune cells' differentiation, leading to activation of adaptive immunity. The current review provided a comprehensive presentation of the known role of IDO1 and KP activation in the regulation of the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Significant attention has been paid to the immunoregulatory role of IDO1 in the most prevalent, organ-specific autoimmune endocrinopathies-type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and autoimmune thyroiditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Krupa
- Department of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Sklodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
| | - Irina Kowalska
- Department of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Sklodowskiej-Curie 24A, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
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7
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Alhazmi A, Nekoua MP, Michaux H, Sane F, Halouani A, Engelmann I, Alidjinou EK, Martens H, Jaidane H, Geenen V, Hober D. Effect of Coxsackievirus B4 Infection on the Thymus: Elucidating Its Role in the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061177. [PMID: 34072590 PMCID: PMC8229779 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymus gland is a primary lymphoid organ for T-cell development. Various viral infections can result in disturbance of thymic functions. Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) are important for the negative selection of self-reactive T-cells to ensure central tolerance. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is the dominant self-peptide of the insulin family expressed in mTECs and plays a crucial role in the intra-thymic programing of central tolerance to insulin-secreting islet β-cells. Coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) can infect and persist in the thymus of humans and mice, thus hampering the T-cell maturation and differentiation process. The modulation of IGF2 expression and protein synthesis during a CVB4 infection has been observed in vitro and in vivo in mouse models. The effect of CVB4 infections on human and mouse fetal thymus has been studied in vitro. Moreover, following the inoculation of CVB4 in pregnant mice, the thymic function in the fetus and offspring was disturbed. A defect in the intra-thymic expression of self-peptides by mTECs may be triggered by CVB4. The effects of viral infections, especially CVB4 infection, on thymic cells and functions and their possible role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulaziz Alhazmi
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
- Microbiology and Parasitology Department, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 82911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magloire Pandoua Nekoua
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Hélène Michaux
- GIGA-I3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (H.M.); (H.M.); (V.G.)
| | - Famara Sane
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Aymen Halouani
- Laboratoire des Maladies Transmissibles et Substances Biologiquement Actives LR99ES27, Université de Monastir, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia; (A.H.); (H.J.)
| | - Ilka Engelmann
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Enagnon Kazali Alidjinou
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Henri Martens
- GIGA-I3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (H.M.); (H.M.); (V.G.)
| | - Hela Jaidane
- Laboratoire des Maladies Transmissibles et Substances Biologiquement Actives LR99ES27, Université de Monastir, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia; (A.H.); (H.J.)
| | - Vincent Geenen
- GIGA-I3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium; (H.M.); (H.M.); (V.G.)
| | - Didier Hober
- Laboratoire de Virologie ULR3610, Université de Lille, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.A.); (M.P.N.); (F.S.); (I.E.); (E.K.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-(0)3-20-44-66-88
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8
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Dong M, Audiger C, Adegoke A, Lebel MÈ, Valbon SF, Anderson CC, Melichar HJ, Lesage S. CD5 levels reveal distinct basal T-cell receptor signals in T cells from non-obese diabetic mice. Immunol Cell Biol 2021; 99:656-667. [PMID: 33534942 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice occurs when autoreactive T cells eliminate insulin producing pancreatic β cells. While extensively studied in T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice, the contribution of alterations in thymic selection to the polyclonal T-cell pool in NOD mice is not yet resolved. The magnitude of signals downstream of TCR engagement with self-peptide directs the development of a functional T-cell pool, in part by ensuring tolerance to self. TCR interactions with self-peptide are also necessary for T-cell homeostasis in the peripheral lymphoid organs. To identify differences in TCR signal strength that accompany thymic selection and peripheral T-cell maintenance, we compared CD5 levels, a marker of basal TCR signal strength, on immature and mature T cells from autoimmune diabetes-prone NOD and -resistant B6 mice. The data suggest that there is no preferential selection of NOD thymocytes that perceive stronger TCR signals from self-peptide engagement. Instead, NOD mice have an MHC-dependent increase in CD4+ thymocytes and mature T cells that express lower levels of CD5. In contrast, T cell-intrinsic mechanisms lead to higher levels of CD5 on peripheral CD8+ T cells from NOD relative to B6 mice, suggesting that peripheral CD8+ T cells with higher basal TCR signals may have survival advantages in NOD mice. These differences in the T-cell pool in NOD mice may contribute to the development or progression of autoimmune diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Dong
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Cindy Audiger
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Adeolu Adegoke
- Departments of Surgery, Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Lebel
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Stefanie F Valbon
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Colin C Anderson
- Departments of Surgery and Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Heather J Melichar
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvie Lesage
- Immunology-Oncology Unit, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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9
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Clark M, Kroger CJ, Ke Q, Tisch RM. The Role of T Cell Receptor Signaling in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes. Front Immunol 2021; 11:615371. [PMID: 33603744 PMCID: PMC7884625 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.615371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) signaling influences multiple aspects of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immunobiology including thymic development, peripheral homeostasis, effector subset differentiation/function, and memory formation. Additional T cell signaling cues triggered by co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines also affect TCR signaling duration, as well as accessory pathways that further shape a T cell response. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a T cell-driven autoimmune disease targeting the insulin producing β cells in the pancreas. Evidence indicates that dysregulated TCR signaling events in T1D impact the efficacy of central and peripheral tolerance-inducing mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss how the strength and nature of TCR signaling events influence the development of self-reactive T cells and drive the progression of T1D through effects on T cell gene expression, lineage commitment, and maintenance of pathogenic anti-self T cell effector function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Charles J Kroger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Qi Ke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Roland M Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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10
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Pathak S, Meyer EH. Tregs and Mixed Chimerism as Approaches for Tolerance Induction in Islet Transplantation. Front Immunol 2021; 11:612737. [PMID: 33658995 PMCID: PMC7917336 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.612737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising method for the treatment of type 1 and type 3 diabetes whereby replacement of islets may be curative. However, long-term treatment with immunosuppressive drugs (ISDs) remains essential for islet graft survival. Current ISD regimens carry significant side-effects for transplant recipients, and are also toxic to the transplanted islets. Pre-clinical efforts to induce immune tolerance to islet allografts identify ways in which the recipient immune system may be reeducated to induce a sustained transplant tolerance and even overcome autoimmune islet destruction. The goal of these efforts is to induce tolerance to transplanted islets with minimal to no long-term immunosuppression. Two most promising cell-based therapeutic strategies for inducing immune tolerance include T regulatory cells (Tregs) and donor and recipient hematopoietic mixed chimerism. Here, we review preclinical studies which utilize Tregs for tolerance induction in islet transplantation. We also review myeloablative and non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) strategies in preclinical and clinical studies to induce sustained mixed chimerism and allograft tolerance, in particular in islet transplantation. Since Tregs play a critical role in the establishment of mixed chimerism, it follows that the combination of Treg and HSCT may be synergistic. Since the success of the Edmonton protocol, the feasibility of clinical islet transplantation has been established and nascent clinical trials testing immune tolerance strategies using Tregs and/or hematopoietic mixed chimerism are underway or being formulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Pathak
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Everett H. Meyer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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11
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Madley R, Nauman G, Danzl N, Borsotti C, Khosravi Maharlooei M, Li HW, Chavez E, Creusot RJ, Nakayama M, Roep B, Sykes M. Negative selection of human T cells recognizing a naturally-expressed tissue-restricted antigen in the human thymus. J Transl Autoimmun 2020; 3:100061. [PMID: 32875283 PMCID: PMC7451786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtauto.2020.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During T cell development in mice, thymic negative selection deletes cells with the potential to recognize and react to self-antigens. In human T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, T cells reactive to autoantigens are thought to escape negative selection, traffic to the periphery and attack self-tissues. However, physiological thymic negative selection of autoreactive human T cells has not been previously studied. We now describe a human T-cell receptor-transgenic humanized mouse model that permits the study of autoreactive T-cell development in a human thymus. Our studies demonstrate that thymocytes expressing the autoreactive Clone 5 TCR, which recognizes insulin B:9-23 presented by HLA-DQ8, are efficiently negatively selected at the double and single positive stage in human immune systems derived from HLA-DQ8+ HSCs. In the absence of hematopoietic expression of the HLA restriction element, negative selection of Clone 5 is less efficient and restricted to the single positive stage. To our knowledge, these data provide the first demonstration of negative selection of human T cells recognizing a naturally-expressed tissue-restricted antigen. Intrathymic antigen presenting cells are required to delete less mature thymocytes, while presentation by medullary thymic epithelial cells may be sufficient to delete more mature single positive cells. These observations set the stage for investigation of putative defects in negative selection in human autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Madley
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA,Columbia University Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Grace Nauman
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA,Columbia University Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Nichole Danzl
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Chiara Borsotti
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Mohsen Khosravi Maharlooei
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hao Wei Li
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Estefania Chavez
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Remi J. Creusot
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Maki Nakayama
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Bart Roep
- Department of Immunohaematology & Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC, Leiden, the Netherlands,Department of Diabetes Immunology, Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute at the Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Megan Sykes
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA,Columbia University Department of Microbiology and Immunology, New York, NY, 10032, USA,Columbia University Department of Surgery, New York, NY, 10032, USA,Corresponding author. Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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12
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Godoy GJ, Paira DA, Olivera C, Breser ML, Sanchez LR, Motrich RD, Rivero VE. Differences in T regulatory cells between mouse strains frequently used in immunological research. Immunol Lett 2020; 223:17-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Martinov T, Fife BT. Type 1 diabetes pathogenesis and the role of inhibitory receptors in islet tolerance. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1461:73-103. [PMID: 31025378 PMCID: PMC6994200 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects over a million Americans, and disease incidence is on the rise. Despite decades of research, there is still no cure for this disease. Exciting beta cell replacement strategies are being developed, but in order for such approaches to work, targeted immunotherapies must be designed. To selectively halt the autoimmune response, researchers must first understand how this response is regulated and which tolerance checkpoints fail during T1D development. Herein, we discuss the current understanding of T1D pathogenesis in humans, genetic and environmental risk factors, presumed roles of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as B cells, and implicated autoantigens. We also highlight studies in non-obese diabetic mice that have demonstrated the requirement for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and B cells in driving T1D pathology. We present an overview of central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms and comment on existing controversies in the field regarding central tolerance. Finally, we discuss T cell- and B cell-intrinsic tolerance mechanisms, with an emphasis on the roles of inhibitory receptors in maintaining islet tolerance in humans and in diabetes-prone mice, and strategies employed to date to harness inhibitory receptor signaling to prevent or reverse T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Martinov
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Brian T Fife
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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14
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Sharma S, Pettus J, Gottschalk M, Abe B, Gottlieb P, Teyton L. Single-Cell Analysis of CD4 T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes: From Mouse to Man, How to Perform Mechanistic Studies. Diabetes 2019; 68:1886-1891. [PMID: 31540941 PMCID: PMC6754240 DOI: 10.2337/dbi18-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is the prototypical CD4 T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Its genetic linkage to a single polymorphism at position 57 of the HLA class II DQβ chain makes it unique to study the molecular link between HLA and disease. However, investigating this relationship has been limited by a series of anatomical barriers, the small size and dispersion of the insulin-producing organ, and the scarcity of appropriate techniques and reagents to interrogate antigen-specific CD4 T cells both in man and rodent models. Over the past few years, single-cell technologies, paired with new biostatistical methods, have changed this landscape. Using these tools, we have identified the first molecular link between MHC class II and the onset of type 1 diabetes. The translation of these observations to man is within reach using similar approaches and the lessons learned from rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Sharma
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Jeremy Pettus
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | | | - Brian Abe
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Peter Gottlieb
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Denver, CO
| | - Luc Teyton
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
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15
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Transplantation of MHC-mismatched mouse embryonic stem cell-derived thymic epithelial progenitors and MHC-matched bone marrow prevents autoimmune diabetes. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:239. [PMID: 31387620 PMCID: PMC6685174 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1347-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting from the destruction of insulin-secreting islet β cells by autoreactive T cells. Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice are the widely used animal model for human T1D. Autoimmunity in NOD mice is associated with particular major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci and impaired islet autoantigen expression and/or presentation in the thymus, which results in defects in both central and peripheral tolerance. It has been reported that induction of mixed chimerism with MHC-mismatched, but not MHC-matched donor bone marrow (BM) transplants prevents the development T1D in NOD mice. We have reported that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can be selectively induced in vitro to generate thymic epithelial progenitors (TEPs) that further develop into thymic epithelial cells (TECs) in vivo to support T cell development. Methods To determine whether transplantation of MHC-mismatched mESC-TEPs could prevent the development of insulitis and T1D, NOD mice were conditioned and injected with MHC-mismatched B6 mESC-TEPs and MHC-matched BM from H-2g7 B6 mice. The mice were monitored for T1D development. The pancreas, spleen, BM, and thymus were then harvested from the mice for evaluation of T1D, insulitis, chimerism levels, and T cells. Results Transplantation of MHC-mismatched mESC-TEPs and MHC-matched donor BM prevented insulitis and T1D development in NOD mice. This was associated with higher expression of proinsulin 2, a key islet autoantigen in the mESC-TECs, and an increased number of regulatory T cells. Conclusions Our results suggest that embryonic stem cell-derived TEPs may offer a new approach to control T1D. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-019-1347-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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16
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High Thymic Output of Effector CD4 + Cells May Lead to a Treg : T Effector Imbalance in the Periphery in NOD Mice. J Immunol Res 2019; 2019:8785263. [PMID: 31281853 PMCID: PMC6594269 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8785263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in controlling autoreactive T cells, and quantitative and/or qualitative deficiencies in Tregs are associated with autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes (T1D), in both humans and mice. Both the incidence of T1D and percentages of peripheral Tregs in NOD mice vary considerably between animal facilities. In our animal facility, the incidence of T1D in NOD mice is high at 90-100% and the percentages of peripheral CD4+Foxp3+ cells in ~9-10-week-old female NOD mice are decreased compared to control (B6) mice shortly before high glucose is first detected (~12 weeks). These data suggest that there is an imbalance between Tregs and potentially pathogenic effector T cells at this age that could have significant impact on disease progression to overt diabetes. The goal of the current study was to investigate mechanisms that play a role in peripheral Treg : T effector cell balance in NOD mice, including differences in persistence/survival, peripheral homeostatic proliferation, and thymic production and output of CD4+ T cells. We found no differences in persistence/survival or homeostatic proliferation of either Tregs or effector T cells between NOD and B6 mice. Furthermore, although the percentages and absolute numbers of CD4+Foxp3+ cells in thymus were not decreased in NOD compared to B6 mice, the percentage of CD4+ recent thymic emigrants (RTE) that were Foxp3+ was significantly lower in 9-week-old NOD mice. Interestingly, the thymic output of CD4+Foxp3+ cells was not lower in NOD mice, whereas the thymic output of CD4+Foxp3− cells was significantly higher in NOD mice at that age compared to B6 mice. These data suggest that the higher thymic output of CD4+Foxp3− T cells contributes, at least in part, to the lower percentages of peripheral CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs in NOD mice and an imbalance between Tregs and T effector cells that may contribute to the development of full-blown diabetes.
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17
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Vaitaitis GM, Rihanek M, Alkanani AK, Waid DM, Gottlieb PA, Wagner DH. Biomarker discovery in pre-Type 1 Diabetes; Th40 cells as a predictive risk factor. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:4127-4142. [PMID: 31063181 PMCID: PMC6685715 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2019-00364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide. The quest to understand T1D etiology as well as how to predict diabetes is ongoing and, in many ways, those goals intertwine. While genetic components associate with T1D, not all T1D individuals have those components and not all subjects with those components develop disease. OBJECTIVE More robust methods for prediction of T1D are needed. Can high CD4+CD40+ T cell (Th40) levels be used as a biomarker in addition to other markers? METHODS Th40 levels were assessed along with other parameters in blood collected from prediabetic TrialNet subjects. RESULTS Pre-diabetic subjects, stratified according to their Th40 cell levels, demonstrate patterns that parallel those seen between control and T1D subjects. Cytokine patterns are significantly different between Th40-high and -low subjects and a CD4/CD8 double-positive population is more represented in Th40-high groups. Subjects experiencing impaired glucose tolerance present a significantly higher Th40 level than control subjects do. HLA DR4/DR4 and DQ8/DQ8, HLAs associated with T1D, are more likely found among Th40-high subjects. Interestingly, HLA DR4/DR4 subjects were significantly older compared with all other subjects, suggesting that this haplotype together with a high Th40 level may represent someone who will onset after age 30, which is reported for 42% of T1D cases. CONCLUSION Considering the differences found in relation to prediabetic Th40 cell level, it may be possible to devise methods that more accurately predicts who will proceed toward diabetes and, possibly, at what stage of prediabetes a subject is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela M Vaitaitis
- Webb-Waring Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Marynette Rihanek
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Aimon K Alkanani
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Dan M Waid
- Webb-Waring Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Peter A Gottlieb
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - David H Wagner
- Webb-Waring Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: David H. Wagner, Jr., PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12850 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora, Colorado 80045. E-mail:
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18
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Geenen V, Trussart C, Michaux H, Halouani A, Jaïdane H, Collée C, Renard C, Daukandt M, Ledent P, Martens H. The presentation of neuroendocrine self-peptides in the thymus: an essential event for individual life and vertebrate survival. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1455:113-125. [PMID: 31008523 PMCID: PMC6899491 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Confirming Burnet's early hypothesis, elimination of self‐reactive T cells in the thymus was demonstrated in the late 1980s, and an important question immediately arose about the nature of the self‐peptides expressed in the thymus. Many genes encoding neuroendocrine‐related and tissue‐restricted antigens (TRAs) are transcribed in thymic epithelial cells (TECs). They are then processed for presentation by proteins of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expressed by TECs and thymic dendritic cells. MHC presentation of self‐peptides in the thymus programs self‐tolerance by two complementary mechanisms: (1) negative selection of self‐reactive “forbidden” T cell clones starting already in fetal life, and (2) generation of self‐specific thymic regulatory T lymphocytes (tTreg cells), mainly after birth. Many studies, including the discovery of the transcription factors autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and fasciculation and elongation protein zeta family zinc finger (FEZF2), have shown that a defect in thymus central self‐tolerance is the earliest event promoting autoimmunity. AIRE and FEZF2 control the level of transcription of many neuroendocrine self‐peptides and TRAs in the thymic epithelium. Furthermore, AIRE and FEZF2 mutations are associated with the development of autoimmunity in peripheral organs. The discovery of the intrathymic presentation of self‐peptides has revolutionized our knowledge of immunology and is opening novel avenues for prevention/treatment of autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Geenen
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | | | - Hélène Michaux
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Aymen Halouani
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium.,Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tunis El Manar, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Hela Jaïdane
- Faculty of Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tunis El Manar, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Caroline Collée
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Chantal Renard
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
| | - Marc Daukandt
- X-Press Biologics, Industrial Park of Milmort, Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Ledent
- X-Press Biologics, Industrial Park of Milmort, Liège, Belgium
| | - Henri Martens
- GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium
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19
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Leung-Gurung L, Escalante Cobb P, Mourad F, Zambrano C, Muscato Z, Sanchez V, Godde K, Broussard C. Methoxychlor metabolite HPTE alters viability and differentiation of embryonic thymocytes from C57BL/6 mice. J Immunotoxicol 2018; 15:104-118. [PMID: 29973080 DOI: 10.1080/1547691x.2018.1474978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) are widespread in the built and natural environments. Heightened public awareness of their potential danger has led to concern about whether EDC and their metabolites have significant negative biological effects. Studies have shown that EDC like DDT and other organochlorine pesticides, such as methoxychlor (MXC), have adverse effects on immune cells, but no studies have addressed the impact of HPTE, the primary metabolite of MXC. To elucidate the presence and significance of HPTE adverse effects, this study explored the impact of HPTE on a critical window and component of immune system development, embryonic T-cell development. Lesions at this phase of development can lead to lifelong immune dysfunction and increased incidence of immune disease, such as autoimmunity. Embry-onic thymocytes (GD 16-18) from C57BL/6 mice were subjected to an in vitro differentiation culture that mimicked early steps in thymocyte development in the presence of 0.005, 0.05, 0.5, 5, or 50 μM HPTE, or a model endocrine disruptor, DES. The results indicated that compared to the vehicle control, HPTE- and DES-induced death of thymocytes. Annexin-V staining and Caspase 8, markers of programed cell death, revealed that the loss of cells was due at least in part to induction of apoptosis. Moreover, HPTE-induced cell death not only resulted in selective loss of double positive thymocytes, but also loss of developing CD4 intermediate cells (post-double positive partially differentiated thymocyte population). Phenotypic analysis of thymocyte maturation (T-cell receptor, TCR) and TCR ligation (CD5) surface markers revealed that surviving embryonic thymocytes expressed low levels of both. Taken together these data demonstrate that immature embryonic thymocytes are sensitive to HPTE exposure and that HPTE exposure targets thymocyte populations undergoing critical differentiation steps. These findings suggest HPTE may play a pivotal role in MXC exposure-induced immune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Leung-Gurung
- a School of Community and Global Health , Claremont Graduate University , Claremont , CA , USA
| | | | - Faraj Mourad
- c Irvine Health, University of California , Orange , CA , USA
| | - Cristina Zambrano
- d Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine , University of California San Diego , La Jolla , CA , USA
| | - Zachary Muscato
- e Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine , Oregon Health and Science University , Portland , OR , USA
| | - Victoria Sanchez
- b Department of Biology , University of La Verne , La Verne , CA , USA
| | - Kanya Godde
- f Department of Sociology/Anthropology , University of La Verne , La Verne , CA , USA
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20
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Previte DM, Piganelli JD. Reactive Oxygen Species and Their Implications on CD4 + T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes. Antioxid Redox Signal 2018; 29:1399-1414. [PMID: 28990401 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2017.7357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Previous work has indicated that type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathology is highly driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS). One way in which ROS shape the autoimmune response demonstrated in T1D is by promoting CD4+ T cell activation and differentiation. As CD4+ T cells are a significant contributor to pancreatic β cell destruction in T1D, understanding how ROS impact their development, activation, and differentiation is critical. Recent Advances: CD4+ T cells themselves generate ROS via nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase expression and electron transport chain activity. Moreover, T cells can also be exposed to exogenous ROS generated by other immune cells (e.g., macrophages and dendritic cells) and β cells. Genetically modified animals and ROS inhibitors have demonstrated that ROS blockade during activation results in CD4+ T cell hyporesponsiveness and reduced diabetes incidence. Critical Issues and Future Directions: Although the majority of studies with regard to T1D and CD4+ T cells have been done to examine the influence of redox on CD4+ T cell activation, this is not the only circumstance in which a T cell can be impacted by redox. ROS and redox have also been shown to play roles in CD4+ T cell-related tolerogenic mechanisms, including thymic selection and regulatory T cell-mediated suppression. However, the effect of these mechanisms with respect to T1D pathogenesis remains elusive. Therefore, pursuing these avenues may provide valuable insight into the global role of ROS and redox in autoreactive CD4+ T cell formation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M Previte
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jon D Piganelli
- Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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21
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Presa M, Racine JJ, Dwyer JR, Lamont DJ, Ratiu JJ, Sarsani VK, Chen YG, Geurts A, Schmitz I, Stearns T, Allocco J, Chapman HD, Serreze DV. A Hypermorphic Nfkbid Allele Contributes to Impaired Thymic Deletion of Autoreactive Diabetogenic CD8 + T Cells in NOD Mice. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2018; 201:1907-1917. [PMID: 30127089 PMCID: PMC6143397 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In both NOD mice and humans, the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is dependent in part on autoreactive CD8+ T cells recognizing pancreatic β cell peptides presented by often quite common MHC class I variants. Studies in NOD mice previously revealed that the common H2-Kd and/or H2-Db class I molecules expressed by this strain aberrantly lose the ability to mediate the thymic deletion of pathogenic CD8+ T cell responses through interactions with T1D susceptibility genes outside the MHC. A gene(s) mapping to proximal chromosome 7 was previously shown to be an important contributor to the failure of the common class I molecules expressed by NOD mice to mediate the normal thymic negative selection of diabetogenic CD8+ T cells. Using an inducible model of thymic negative selection and mRNA transcript analyses, we initially identified an elevated Nfkbid expression variant as a likely NOD-proximal chromosome 7 region gene contributing to impaired thymic deletion of diabetogenic CD8+ T cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetic attenuation of Nfkbid expression in NOD mice resulted in improved negative selection of autoreactive diabetogenic AI4 and NY8.3 CD8+ T cells. These results indicated that allelic variants of Nfkbid contribute to the efficiency of intrathymic deletion of diabetogenic CD8+ T cells. However, although enhancing thymic deletion of pathogenic CD8+ T cells, ablating Nfkbid expression surprisingly accelerated T1D onset that was associated with numeric decreases in both regulatory T and B lymphocytes in NOD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Aron Geurts
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226
| | - Ingo Schmitz
- Systems-Oriented Immunology and Inflammation Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; and
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
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22
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Clark M, Kroger CJ, Tisch RM. Type 1 Diabetes: A Chronic Anti-Self-Inflammatory Response. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1898. [PMID: 29312356 PMCID: PMC5743904 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is typically induced in response to a microbial infection. The release of proinflammatory cytokines enhances the stimulatory capacity of antigen-presenting cells, as well as recruits adaptive and innate immune effectors to the site of infection. Once the microbe is cleared, inflammation is resolved by various mechanisms to avoid unnecessary tissue damage. Autoimmunity arises when aberrant immune responses target self-tissues causing inflammation. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), T cells attack the insulin producing β cells in the pancreatic islets. Genetic and environmental factors increase T1D risk by in part altering central and peripheral tolerance inducing events. This results in the development and expansion of β cell-specific effector T cells (Teff) which mediate islet inflammation. Unlike protective immunity where inflammation is terminated, autoimmunity is sustained by chronic inflammation. In this review, we will highlight the key events which initiate and sustain T cell-driven pancreatic islet inflammation in nonobese diabetic mice and in human T1D. Specifically, we will discuss: (i) dysregulation of thymic selection events, (ii) the role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that enhance the expansion and pathogenicity of Teff, (iii) defects which impair homeostasis and suppressor activity of FoxP3-expressing regulatory T cells, and (iv) properties of β cells which contribute to islet inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Charles J Kroger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Roland M Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Fousteri G, Ippolito E, Ahmed R, Hamad ARA. Beta-cell Specific Autoantibodies: Are they Just an Indicator of Type 1 Diabetes? Curr Diabetes Rev 2017; 13:322-329. [PMID: 27117244 PMCID: PMC5266674 DOI: 10.2174/1573399812666160427104157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autoantibodies (AAbs) against islet autoantigens (AAgs) are used for type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis and prediction. Islet-specific AAbs usually appear early in life and may fluctuate in terms of number and titer sometimes for over 20 years before T1D develops. Whereas their predictive power is high for pediatric subjects with high genetic risk who rapidly progress to multiple AAb positivity, they are less reliable for children with low genetic risk, single AAb positivity and slow disease progression. OBJECTIVE It is unknown how AAbs develop and whether they are involved in T1D pathogenesis. So far an increase in AAb number seems to only indicate AAg spreading and progression towards clinical T1D. The goal of this review is to shed light on the possible involvement of AAbs in T1D development. METHOD We thoroughly review the current literature and discuss possible mechanisms of AAb development and the roles they may play in disease pathogenesis. RESULTS Genetic and environmental factors instigate changes at the molecular and cellular levels that promote AAb development. Although direct involvement of AAbs in T1D is less clear, autoreactive B cells are clearly involved in various immune and autoimmune responses via antigen presentation, immunoregulation and cytokine production. CONCLUSION Our analysis suggests that understanding the mechanisms that lead to islet-specific AAb development and the diabetogenic processes that autoreactive B cells promote may uncover additional biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Fousteri
- Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Address correspondence to: Georgia Fousteri; ; tel: +39 02 2643 3184; Fax: +39 02 2643 7759
| | - Elio Ippolito
- Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Rizwan Ahmed
- Department of Pathology and of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Abdel Rahim A. Hamad
- Department of Pathology and of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
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24
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Askenasy N. Mechanisms of diabetic autoimmunity: I--the inductive interface between islets and the immune system at onset of inflammation. Immunol Res 2016; 64:360-8. [PMID: 26639356 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-015-8753-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms of autoimmune reactivity onset in type 1 diabetes (T1D) remain elusive despite extensive experimentation and discussion. We reconsider several key aspects of the early stages of autoimmunity at four levels: islets, pancreatic lymph nodes, thymic function and peripheral immune homeostasis. Antigen presentation is the islets and has the capacity to provoke immune sensitization, either in the process of physiological neonatal β cell apoptosis or as a consequence of cytolytic activity of self-reactive thymocytes that escaped negative regulation. Diabetogenic effectors are efficiently expanded in both the islets and the lymph nodes under conditions of empty lymphoid niches during a period of time coinciding with a synchronized wave of β cell apoptosis surrounding weaning. A major drive of effector cell activation and expansion is inherent peripheral lymphopenia characteristic of neonates, though it remains unclear when is autoimmunity triggered in subjects displaying hyperglycemia in late adolescence. Our analysis suggests that T1D evolves through coordinated activity of multiple physiological mechanisms of stimulation within specific characteristics of the neonate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadir Askenasy
- The Leah and Edward M. Frankel Laboratory of Experimental Bone Marrow Transplantation, 14 Kaplan Street, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.
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25
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Askenasy N. Mechanisms of diabetic autoimmunity: II--Is diabetes a central or peripheral disorder of effector and regulatory cells? Immunol Res 2016; 64:36-43. [PMID: 26482052 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-015-8725-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Two competing hypotheses aiming to explain the onset of autoimmune reactions are discussed in the context of genetic and environmental predisposition to type 1 diabetes (T1D). The first hypothesis has evolved along characterization of the mechanisms of self-discrimination and attributes diabetic autoimmunity to escape of reactive T cells from central regulation in the thymus. The second considers frequent occurrence of autoimmune reactions within the immune homunculus, which are adequately suppressed by regulatory T cells originating from the thymus, and occasionally, insufficient suppression results in autoimmunity. Besides thymic dysfunction, deregulation of both effector and suppressor cells can in fact result from homeostatic aberrations at the peripheral level during initial stages of evolution of adaptive immunity. Pathogenic cells sensitized in the islets are efficiently expanded in the target tissue and pancreatic lymph nodes of lymphopenic neonates. In parallel, the same mechanisms of peripheral sensitization contribute to tolerization through education of naïve/effector T cells and expansion of regulatory T cells. Experimental evidence presented for each individual mechanism implies that T1D may result from a primary effector or suppressor immune abnormality. Disturbed self-tolerance leading to T1D may well result from peripheral deregulation of innate and adaptive immunity, with variable contribution of central thymic dysfunction.
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26
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Kroger CJ, Wang B, Tisch R. Temporal increase in thymocyte negative selection parallels enhanced thymic SIRPα + DC function. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:2352-2362. [PMID: 27501268 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201646354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of negative selection contributes to T-cell-mediated autoimmunity, such as type 1 diabetes. The events regulating thymic negative selection, however, are ill defined. Work by our group and others suggest that negative selection is inefficient early in ontogeny and increases with age. This study examines temporal changes in negative selection and the thymic DC compartment. Peptide-induced thymocyte deletion in vivo was reduced in newborn versus 4-week-old NOD mice, despite a similar sensitivity of the respective thymocytes to apoptosis induction. The temporal increase in negative selection corresponded with an elevated capacity of thymic antigen-presenting cells to stimulate T cells, along with altered subset composition and function of resident DC. The frequency of signal regulatory protein α+ (SIRPα+ ) and plasmacytoid DCs was increased concomitant with a decrease in CD8α+ DC in 4-week-old NOD thymi. Importantly, 4-week-old versus newborn thymic SIRPα+ DC exhibited increased antigen processing and presentation via the MHC class II but not class I pathway, coupled with an enhanced T-cell stimulatory capacity not seen in thymic plasmacytoid DC and CD8α+ DC. These findings indicate that the efficiency of thymic DC-mediated negative selection is limited early after birth, and increases with age paralleling expansion of functionally superior thymic SIRPα+ DC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles J Kroger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Roland Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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27
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Stadinski BD, Shekhar K, Gómez-Touriño I, Jung J, Sasaki K, Sewell AK, Peakman M, Chakraborty AK, Huseby ES. Hydrophobic CDR3 residues promote the development of self-reactive T cells. Nat Immunol 2016; 17:946-55. [PMID: 27348411 PMCID: PMC4955740 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Studies of individual T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) have shed some light on structural features that underlie self-reactivity. However, the general rules that can be used to predict whether TCRs are self-reactive have not been fully elucidated. Here we found that the interfacial hydrophobicity of amino acids at positions 6 and 7 of the complementarity-determining region CDR3β robustly promoted the development of self-reactive TCRs. This property was found irrespective of the member of the β-chain variable region (Vβ) family present in the TCR or the length of the CDR3β. An index based on these findings distinguished Vβ2(+), Vβ6(+) and Vβ8.2(+) regulatory T cells from conventional T cells and also distinguished CD4(+) T cells selected by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule I-A(g7) (associated with the development of type 1 diabetes in NOD mice) from those selected by a non-autoimmunity-promoting MHC class II molecule I-A(b). Our results provide a means for distinguishing normal T cell repertoires versus autoimmunity-prone T cell repertoires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Stadinski
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Jonathan Jung
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Katsuhiro Sasaki
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Andrew K. Sewell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Mark Peakman
- Department of Immunobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Arup K. Chakraborty
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139., USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eric S. Huseby
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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28
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Wagner DH. Of the multiple mechanisms leading to type 1 diabetes, T cell receptor revision may play a prominent role (is type 1 diabetes more than a single disease?). Clin Exp Immunol 2016; 185:271-80. [PMID: 27271348 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A single determinant factor for autoimmunity does not exist; disease development probably involves contributions from genetics, the environment and immune dysfunction. Type 1 diabetes is no exception. Genomewide-associated studies (GWAS) analysis in T1D has proved disappointing in revealing contributors to disease prediction; the only reliable marker has been human leucocyte antigen (HLA). Specific HLAs include DR3/DR4/DQ2/DQ8, for example. Because HLA molecules present antigen to T cells, it is reasonable that certain HLA molecules have a higher affinity to present self-antigen. Recent studies have shown that additional polymorphisms in HLA that are restricted to autoimmune conditions are further contributory. A caveat is that not all individuals with the appropriate 'pro-autoimmune' HLA develop an autoimmune disease. Another crucial component is autoaggressive T cells. Finding a biomarker to discriminate autoaggressive T cells has been elusive. However, a subset of CD4 helper cells that express the CD40 receptor have been described as becoming pathogenic. An interesting function of CD40 on T cells is to induce the recombination-activating gene (RAG)1/RAG2 T cell receptor recombination machinery. This observation is contrary to immunology paradigms that changes in TCR molecules cannot take place outside the thymic microenvironment. Alteration in TCR, called TCR revision, not only occurs, but may help to account for the development of autoaggressive T cells. Another interesting facet is that type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be more than a single disease; that is, multiple cellular components contribute uniquely, but result ultimately in the same clinical outcome, T1D. This review considers the process of T cell maturation and how that could favor auto-aggressive T cell development in T1D. The potential contribution of TCR revision to autoimmunity is also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Wagner
- Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Webb-Waring Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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29
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Gounko NV, Martens E, Opdenakker G, Rybakin V. Thymocyte development in the absence of matrix metalloproteinase-9/gelatinase B. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29852. [PMID: 27432536 PMCID: PMC4949482 DOI: 10.1038/srep29852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play critical roles in a variety of immune reactions by facilitating cell migration, and affect cell communication by processing both cytokines and cell surface receptors. Based on published data indicating that MMP-9 is upregulated upon T cell activation and also in the thymus upon the induction of negative selection, we investigated the contribution of MMP-9 into mouse T cell development and differentiation in the thymus. Our data suggest that MMP-9 deficiency does not result in major abnormalities in the development of any conventionally selected or agonist selected subsets and does not interfere with thymocyte apoptosis and clearance, and that MMP-9 expression is not induced in immature T cells at any stage of their thymic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Gounko
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Electron Microscopy Platform, Center for the Biology of Disease VIB and Center for Human Genetics KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erik Martens
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ghislain Opdenakker
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Vasily Rybakin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, REGA Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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30
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Julián MT, Alonso N, Colobran R, Sánchez A, Miñarro A, Pujol-Autonell I, Carrascal J, Rodríguez-Fernández S, Ampudia RM, Vives-Pi M, Puig-Domingo M. CD26/DPPIV inhibition alters the expression of immune response-related genes in the thymi of NOD mice. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 426:101-12. [PMID: 26911933 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The transmembrane glycoprotein CD26 or dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) is a multifunctional protein. In immune system, CD26 plays a role in T-cell function and is also involved in thymic maturation and emigration patterns. In preclinical studies, treatment with DPPIV inhibitors reduces insulitis and delays or even reverses the new -onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. However, the specific mechanisms involved in these effects remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate how DPPIV inhibition modifies the expression of genes in the thymus of NOD mice by microarray analysis. Changes in the gene expression of β-cell autoantigens and Aire in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) were also evaluated by using qRT-PCR. A DPPIV inhibitor, MK626, was orally administered in the diet for 4 and 6 weeks starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Thymic glands from treated and control mice were obtained for each study checkpoint. Thymus transcriptome analysis revealed that 58 genes were significantly over-expressed in MK626-treated mice after 6 weeks of treatment. Changes in gene expression in the thymus were confined mainly to the immune system, including innate immunity, chemotaxis, antigen presentation and immunoregulation. Most of the genes are implicated in central tolerance mechanisms through several pathways. No differences were observed in the expression of Aire and β-cell autoantigens in TECs. In the current study, we demonstrate that treatment with the DPPIV inhibitor MK626 in NOD mice alters the expression of the immune response-related genes in the thymus, especially those related to immunological central tolerance, and may contribute to the prevention of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Julián
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Alonso
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roger Colobran
- Immunology Division, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Sánchez
- Statistics Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Miñarro
- Statistics Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irma Pujol-Autonell
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Carrascal
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Rodríguez-Fernández
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa María Ampudia
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Vives-Pi
- Immunology Department, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manel Puig-Domingo
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Germans Trias i Pujol Health Sciences Research Institute and Hospital, 08916, Badalona, Spain; Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Askenasy N. Mechanisms of autoimmunity in the non-obese diabetic mouse: effector/regulatory cell equilibrium during peak inflammation. Immunology 2016; 147:377-88. [PMID: 26749404 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune imbalance in autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes may originate from aberrant activities of effector cells or dysfunction of suppressor cells. All possible defective mechanisms have been proposed for diabetes-prone species: (i) quantitative dominance of diabetogenic cells and decreased numbers of regulatory T cells, (ii) excessive aggression of effectors and defective function of suppressors, (iii) perturbed interaction between effector and suppressor cells, and (iv) variations in sensitivity to negative regulation. The experimental evidence available to date presents conflicting information on these mechanisms, with identification of perturbed equilibrium on the one hand and negation of critical role of each mechanism in propagation of diabetic autoimmunity on the other hand. In our analysis, there is no evidence that inherent abnormalities in numbers and function of effector and suppressor T cells are responsible for the immune imbalance responsible for propagation of type 1 diabetes as a chronic inflammatory process. Possibly, the experimental tools for investigation of these features of immune activity are still underdeveloped and lack sufficient resolution, in the presence of the extensive biological viability and functional versatility of effector and suppressor elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadir Askenasy
- The Leah and Edward M. Frankel Laboratory of Experimental Bone Marrow Transplantation, Petach Tikva, Israel
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32
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Nishijima H, Kitano S, Miyachi H, Morimoto J, Kawano H, Hirota F, Morita R, Mouri Y, Masuda K, Imoto I, Ikuta K, Matsumoto M. Ectopic Aire Expression in the Thymic Cortex Reveals Inherent Properties of Aire as a Tolerogenic Factor within the Medulla. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2015; 195:4641-9. [PMID: 26453754 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) and medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play essential roles in the positive and negative selection of developing thymocytes, respectively. Aire in mTECs plays an essential role in the latter process through expression of broad arrays of tissue-restricted Ags. To determine whether the location of Aire within the medulla is absolutely essential or whether Aire could also function within the cortex for establishment of self-tolerance, we used bacterial artificial chromosome technology to establish a semiknockin strain of NOD-background (β5t/Aire-transgenic) mice expressing Aire under control of the promoter of β5t, a thymoproteasome expressed exclusively in the cortex. Although Aire was expressed in cTECs as typical nuclear dot protein in β5t/Aire-Tg mice, cTECs expressing Aire ectopically did not confer transcriptional expression of either Aire-dependent or Aire-independent tissue-restricted Ag genes. We then crossed β5t/Aire-Tg mice with Aire-deficient NOD mice, generating a strain in which Aire expression was confined to cTECs. Despite the presence of Aire(+) cTECs, these mice succumbed to autoimmunity, as did Aire-deficient NOD mice. The thymic microenvironment harboring Aire(+) cTECs, within which many Aire-activated genes were present, also showed no obvious alteration of positive selection, suggesting that Aire's unique property of generating a self-tolerant T cell repertoire is functional only in mTECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Nishijima
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Satsuki Kitano
- Reproductive Engineering Team, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyachi
- Reproductive Engineering Team, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Junko Morimoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawano
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Fumiko Hirota
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Ryoko Morita
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Mouri
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Masuda
- Department of Human Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; and
| | - Issei Imoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; and
| | - Koichi Ikuta
- Laboratory of Biological Protection, Department of Biological Responses, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Matsumoto
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Institute for Enzyme Research, Tokushima University, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan;
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Mbongue JC, Nicholas DA, Torrez TW, Kim NS, Firek AF, Langridge WHR. The Role of Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase in Immune Suppression and Autoimmunity. Vaccines (Basel) 2015; 3:703-29. [PMID: 26378585 PMCID: PMC4586474 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines3030703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) is the first and rate limiting catabolic enzyme in the degradation pathway of the essential amino acid tryptophan. By cleaving the aromatic indole ring of tryptophan, IDO initiates the production of a variety of tryptophan degradation products called "kynurenines" that are known to exert important immuno-regulatory functions. Because tryptophan must be supplied in the diet, regulation of tryptophan catabolism may exert profound effects by activating or inhibiting metabolism and immune responses. Important for survival, the regulation of IDO biosynthesis and its activity in cells of the immune system can critically alter their responses to immunological insults, such as infection, autoimmunity and cancer. In this review, we assess how IDO-mediated catabolism of tryptophan can modulate the immune system to arrest inflammation, suppress immunity to cancer and inhibit allergy, autoimmunity and the rejection of transplanted tissues. Finally, we examine how vaccines may enhance immune suppression of autoimmunity through the upregulation of IDO biosynthesis in human dendritic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques C Mbongue
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
| | - Dequina A Nicholas
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
| | | | - Nan-Sun Kim
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Chonbuk National University, Jeon-Ju 54896, Korea.
| | - Anthony F Firek
- Endocrinology Section, JL Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA 92357, USA.
| | - William H R Langridge
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
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34
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Viret C, Mahiddine K, Baker RL, Haskins K, Guerder S. The T Cell Repertoire-Diversifying Enzyme TSSP Contributes to Thymic Selection of Diabetogenic CD4 T Cell Specificities Reactive to ChgA and IAPP Autoantigens. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015. [PMID: 26209627 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Multiple studies highlighted the overtly self-reactive T cell repertoire in the diabetes-prone NOD mouse. This autoreactivity has primarily been linked to defects in apoptosis induction during central tolerance. Previous studies suggested that thymus-specific serine protease (TSSP), a putative serine protease expressed by cortical thymic epithelial cells and thymic dendritic cells, may edit the repertoire of self-peptides presented by MHC class II molecules and shapes the self-reactive CD4 T cell repertoire. To gain further insight into the role of TSSP in the selection of self-reactive CD4 T cells by endogenous self-Ags, we examined the development of thymocytes expressing distinct diabetogenic TCRs sharing common specificity in a thymic environment lacking TSSP. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras, we evaluated the effect of TSSP deficiency confined to different thymic stromal cells on the differentiation of thymocytes expressing the chromogranin A-reactive BDC-2.5 and BDC-10.1 TCRs or the islet amyloid polypeptide-reactive TCR BDC-6.9 and BDC-5.2.9. We found that TSSP deficiency resulted in deficient positive selection and induced deletion of the BDC-6.9 and BDC-10.1 TCRs, but it did not affect the differentiation of the BDC-2.5 and BDC-5.2.9 TCRs. Hence, TSSP has a subtle role in the generation of self-peptide ligands directing diabetogenic CD4 T cell development. These results provide additional evidence for TSSP activity as a novel mechanism promoting autoreactive CD4 T cell development/accumulation in the NOD mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Viret
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse F-31300, France; INSERM, U1043, Toulouse F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte Recherche 5282, Toulouse F-31300, France; Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse F-31300, France; and
| | - Karim Mahiddine
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse F-31300, France; INSERM, U1043, Toulouse F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte Recherche 5282, Toulouse F-31300, France; Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse F-31300, France; and
| | - Rocky Lee Baker
- Integrated Department of Immunology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206
| | - Kathryn Haskins
- Integrated Department of Immunology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206
| | - Sylvie Guerder
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse F-31300, France; INSERM, U1043, Toulouse F-31300, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte Recherche 5282, Toulouse F-31300, France; Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse F-31300, France; and
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Michaux H, Martens H, Jaïdane H, Halouani A, Hober D, Geenen V. How Does Thymus Infection by Coxsackievirus Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes? Front Immunol 2015; 6:338. [PMID: 26175734 PMCID: PMC4485212 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Through synthesis and presentation of neuroendocrine self-antigens by major histocompatibility complex proteins, thymic epithelial cells (TECs) play a crucial role in programing central immune self-tolerance to neuroendocrine functions. Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) is the dominant gene/polypeptide of the insulin family that is expressed in TECs from different animal species and humans. Igf2 transcription is defective in the thymus of diabetes-prone bio-breeding rats, and tolerance to insulin is severely decreased in Igf2 (-/-) mice. For more than 15 years now, our group is investigating the hypothesis that, besides a pancreotropic action, infection by coxsackievirus B4 (CV-B4) could implicate the thymus as well, and interfere with the intrathymic programing of central tolerance to the insulin family and secondarily to insulin-secreting islet β cells. In this perspective, we have demonstrated that a productive infection of the thymus occurs after oral CV-B4 inoculation of mice. Moreover, our most recent data have demonstrated that CV-B4 infection of a murine medullary (m) TEC line induces a significant decrease in Igf2 expression and IGF-2 production. In these conditions, Igf1 expression was much less affected by CV-B4 infection, while Ins2 transcription was not detected in this cell line. Through the inhibition of Igf2 expression in TECs, CV-B4 infection could lead to a breakdown of central immune tolerance to the insulin family and promote an autoimmune response against insulin-secreting islet β cells. Our major research objective now is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which CV-B4 infection of TECs leads to a major decrease in Igf2 expression in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Michaux
- Department of Biomedical and Preclinical Sciences, GIGA-I 3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liege , Liege , Belgium
| | - Henri Martens
- Department of Biomedical and Preclinical Sciences, GIGA-I 3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liege , Liege , Belgium
| | - Hela Jaïdane
- Laboratory of Virology LR99ES27, School of Pharmacy, University of Monastir , Monastir , Tunisia ; Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Aymen Halouani
- Laboratory of Virology LR99ES27, School of Pharmacy, University of Monastir , Monastir , Tunisia ; Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar , Tunis , Tunisia
| | - Didier Hober
- Laboratory of Virology EA3610, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, University of Lille 2 , Lille , France
| | - Vincent Geenen
- Department of Biomedical and Preclinical Sciences, GIGA-I 3 Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, University of Liege , Liege , Belgium
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Morillon YM, Manzoor F, Wang B, Tisch R. Isolation and transplantation of different aged murine thymic grafts. J Vis Exp 2015:e52709. [PMID: 25992870 DOI: 10.3791/52709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that regulate the efficacy of thymic selection remain ill-defined. The method presented here allows in vivo analyses of the development and selection of T cells specific for self and foreign antigens. The approach entails implantation of thymic grafts derived from various aged mice into immunodeficient scid recipients. Over a relatively short period of time the recipients are fully reconstituted with T cells derived from the implanted thymus graft. Only thymocytes seeding the thymus at the time of isolation undergo selection and develop into mature T cells. As such, changes in the nature and specificity of the engrafted T cells as a function of age-dependent thymic events can be assessed. Although technical expertise is required for successful thymic transplantation, this method provides a unique strategy to study in vivo a wide range of pathologies that are due to or a result of aberrant thymic function and/or homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Maurice Morillon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Fatima Manzoor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Roland Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
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Serre L, Fazilleau N, Guerder S. Central tolerance spares the private high-avidity CD4(+) T-cell repertoire specific for an islet antigen in NOD mice. Eur J Immunol 2015; 45:1946-56. [PMID: 25884569 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201445290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although central tolerance induces the deletion of most autoreactive T cells, some autoreactive T cells escape thymic censorship. Whether potentially harmful autoreactive T cells present distinct TCRαβ features remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the TCRαβ repertoire of CD4(+) T cells specific for the S100β protein, an islet antigen associated with type 1 diabetes. We found that diabetes-resistant NOD mice deficient for thymus specific serine protease (TSSP), a protease that impairs class II antigen presentation by thymic stromal cells, were hyporesponsive to the immunodominant S100β1-15 epitope, as compared to wild-type NOD mice, due to intrathymic negative selection. In both TSSP-deficient and wild-type NOD mice, the TCRαβ repertoire of S100β-specific CD4(+) T cells though diverse showed a specific bias for dominant TCRα rearrangements with limited CDR3α diversity. These dominant TCRα chains were public since they were found in all mice. They were of intermediate- to low-avidity. In contrast, high-avidity T cells expressed unique TCRs specific to each individual (private TCRs) and were only found in wild-type NOD mice. Hence, in NOD mice, the autoreactive CD4(+) T-cell compartment has two major components, a dominant and public low-avidity TCRα repertoire and a private high-avidity CD4(+) T-cell repertoire; the latter is deleted by re-enforced negative selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Serre
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France.,INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, France.,CNRS, UMR5282, Toulouse, France.,Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Fazilleau
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France.,INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, France.,CNRS, UMR5282, Toulouse, France.,Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Sylvie Guerder
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse Purpan, Toulouse, France.,INSERM, U1043, Toulouse, France.,CNRS, UMR5282, Toulouse, France.,Université Toulouse III Paul-Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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38
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Kern J, Drutel R, Leanhart S, Bogacz M, Pacholczyk R. Reduction of T cell receptor diversity in NOD mice prevents development of type 1 diabetes but not Sjögren's syndrome. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112467. [PMID: 25379761 PMCID: PMC4224485 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice are well-established models of independently developing spontaneous autoimmune diseases, Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). The key determining factor for T1D is the strong association with particular MHCII molecule and recognition by diabetogenic T cell receptor (TCR) of an insulin peptide presented in the context of I-Ag7 molecule. For SS the association with MHCII polymorphism is weaker and TCR diversity involved in the onset of the autoimmune phase of SS remains poorly understood. To compare the impact of TCR diversity reduction on the development of both diseases we generated two lines of TCR transgenic NOD mice. One line expresses transgenic TCRβ chain originated from a pathogenically irrelevant TCR, and the second line additionally expresses transgenic TCRαmini locus. Analysis of TCR sequences on NOD background reveals lower TCR diversity on Treg cells not only in the thymus, but also in the periphery. This reduction in diversity does not affect conventional CD4+ T cells, as compared to the TCRmini repertoire on B6 background. Interestingly, neither transgenic TCRβ nor TCRmini mice develop diabetes, which we show is due to lack of insulin B:9–23 specific T cells in the periphery. Conversely SS develops in both lines, with full glandular infiltration, production of autoantibodies and hyposalivation. It shows that SS development is not as sensitive to limited availability of TCR specificities as T1D, which suggests wider range of possible TCR/peptide/MHC interactions driving autoimmunity in SS.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Autoantibodies/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/genetics
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/immunology
- Flow Cytometry
- Genetic Variation/immunology
- Insulin/genetics
- Insulin/immunology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Peptide Fragments/genetics
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta/immunology
- Salivary Glands/immunology
- Salivary Glands/metabolism
- Sjogren's Syndrome/genetics
- Sjogren's Syndrome/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Xerostomia/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kern
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert Drutel
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Silvia Leanhart
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Marek Bogacz
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Rafal Pacholczyk
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
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Pallotta MT, Orabona C, Bianchi R, Vacca C, Fallarino F, Belladonna ML, Volpi C, Mondanelli G, Gargaro M, Allegrucci M, Talesa VN, Puccetti P, Grohmann U. Forced IDO1 expression in dendritic cells restores immunoregulatory signalling in autoimmune diabetes. J Cell Mol Med 2014; 18:2082-91. [PMID: 25215657 PMCID: PMC4193887 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1), a tryptophan catabolizing enzyme, is recognized as an authentic regulator of immunity in several physiopathologic conditions. We have recently demonstrated that IDO1 does not merely degrade tryptophan and produce immunoregulatory kynurenines, but it also acts as a signal-transducing molecule, independently of its enzymic function. IDO1 signalling activity is triggered in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), an event that requires the non-canonical NF-κB pathway and induces long-lasting IDO1 expression and autocrine TGF-β production in a positive feedback loop, thus sustaining a stably regulatory phenotype in pDCs. IDO1 expression and catalytic function are defective in pDCs from non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a prototypic model of autoimmune diabetes. In the present study, we found that TGF-β failed to activate IDO1 signalling function as well as up-regulate IDO1 expression in NOD pDCs. Moreover, TGF-β-treated pDCs failed to exert immunosuppressive properties in vivo. Nevertheless, transfection of NOD pDCs with Ido1 prior to TGF-β treatment resulted in activation of the Ido1 promoter and induction of non-canonical NF-κB and TGF-β, as well as decreased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Overexpression of IDO1 in TGF-β-treated NOD pDCs also resulted in pDC ability to suppress the in vivo presentation of a pancreatic β-cell auto-antigen. Thus, our data suggest that a correction of IDO1 expression may restore its dual function and thus represent a proper therapeutic manoeuvre in this autoimmune setting.
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Swee LK, Nusser A, Curti M, Kreuzaler M, Rolink H, Terracciano L, Melchers F, Andersson J, Rolink A. The amount of self-antigen determines the effector function of murine T cells escaping negative selection. Eur J Immunol 2014; 44:1299-312. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.201343840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee K. Swee
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Anja Nusser
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Maurus Curti
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Matthias Kreuzaler
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Hannie Rolink
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Luigi Terracciano
- Department of Pathology; University Hospital of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Fritz Melchers
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology; Berlin Germany
| | - Jan Andersson
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Antonius Rolink
- Developmental and Molecular Immunology; Department of Biomedicine; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
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41
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Lee CN, Lew AM, Wu L. The potential role of dendritic cells in the therapy of Type 1 diabetes. Immunotherapy 2014; 5:591-606. [PMID: 23725283 DOI: 10.2217/imt.13.48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the result of T-cell mediated autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet β-cells. The two current treatments for T1D are based on insulin or islet-cell replacement rather than the pathogenesis of T1D and remain problematic. Islet/pancreas transplantation does not cater for the majority of sufferers due to the lack of supply of organs and the need for continuous immunosuppression regimens. The mainstay treatment is insulin replacement, but this is disruptive to lifestyle and does not protect against severe long-term complications. An early vaccination and long-term restoration of immune tolerance to self-antigens in T1D patients (reversing the immunopathogenesis of the disease) would be preferable. Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent APCs and play an important role in inducing and maintaining immune tolerance. Targeting DCs through different DC surface molecules shows effective modulation of immune responses. Their feasibility for immunotherapy to prolong transplant survival and cancer immunotherapy has been demonstrated. Therefore, DCs could potentially be used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This review summarizes new insights into DCs as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Nien Lee
- Molecular Immunology Division, The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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42
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He Q, Morillon YM, Spidale NA, Kroger CJ, Liu B, Sartor RB, Wang B, Tisch R. Thymic development of autoreactive T cells in NOD mice is regulated in an age-dependent manner. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2013; 191:5858-66. [PMID: 24198282 PMCID: PMC3858497 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1302273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Inefficient thymic negative selection of self-specific T cells is associated with several autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. The factors that influence the efficacy of thymic negative selection, as well as the kinetics of thymic output of autoreactive T cells remain ill-defined. We investigated thymic production of β cell-specific T cells using a thymus-transplantation model. Thymi from different aged NOD mice, representing distinct stages of type 1 diabetes, were implanted into NOD.scid recipients, and the diabetogenicity of the resulting T cell pool was examined. Strikingly, the development of diabetes-inducing β cell-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was regulated in an age-dependent manner. NOD.scid recipients of newborn NOD thymi developed diabetes. However, recipients of thymi from 7- and 10-d-old NOD donor mice remained diabetes-free and exhibited a progressive decline in islet infiltration and β cell-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. A similar temporal decrease in autoimmune infiltration was detected in some, but not all, tissues of recipient mice implanted with thymi from NOD mice lacking expression of the autoimmune regulator transcription factor, which develop multiorgan T cell-mediated autoimmunity. In contrast, recipients of 10 d or older thymi lacked diabetogenic T cells but developed severe colitis marked by increased effector T cells reactive to intestinal microbiota. These results demonstrate that thymic development of autoreactive T cells is limited to a narrow time window and occurs in a reciprocal manner compared with colonic microbiota-responsive T cells in NOD mice.
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MESH Headings
- Adoptive Transfer
- Aging/immunology
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Animals, Suckling
- Autoantigens/immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases/etiology
- Autoimmune Diseases/immunology
- Autoimmunity/physiology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Clonal Selection, Antigen-Mediated
- Colitis/etiology
- Colitis/immunology
- Colon/immunology
- Colon/microbiology
- Colon/pathology
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/etiology
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/immunology
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/pathology
- Female
- Islets of Langerhans/immunology
- Islets of Langerhans/pathology
- Lymphoid Tissue/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD/immunology
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, SCID
- Organ Specificity
- Pancreas/immunology
- Pancreas/pathology
- Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune/immunology
- Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune/pathology
- Salivary Glands/immunology
- Salivary Glands/pathology
- Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/pathology
- Thymus Gland/growth & development
- Thymus Gland/immunology
- Thymus Gland/pathology
- Thymus Gland/transplantation
- Transcription Factors/deficiency
- Transcription Factors/physiology
- AIRE Protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuming He
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Y. Maurice Morillon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Spidale
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charles J. Kroger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - R. Balfour Sartor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Roland Tisch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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43
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Role of caspase-8 in thymus function. Cell Death Differ 2013; 21:226-33. [PMID: 24270406 DOI: 10.1038/cdd.2013.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The thymus is the primary organ responsible for de novo generation of immunocompetent T cells that have a diverse repertoire of antigen recognition. During the developmental process, 98% of thymocytes die by apoptosis. Thus apoptosis is a dominant process in the thymus and occurs through either death by neglect or negative selection or through induction by stress/aging. Caspase activation is an essential part of the general apoptosis mechanism, and data suggest that caspases may have a role in negative selection; however, it seems more probable that caspase-8 activation is involved in death by neglect, particularly in glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis. Caspase-8 is active in double-positive (DP) thymocytes in vivo and can be activated in vitro in DP thymocytes by T-cell receptor (TCR) crosslinking to induce apoptosis. Caspase-8 is a proapoptotic member of the caspase family and is considered an initiator caspase, which is activated upon stimulation of a death receptor (e.g., Fas), recruitment of the adaptor molecule FADD, and recruitment and subsequent processing of procaspase-8. The main role of caspase-8 seems to be pro-apoptotic and, in this review, we will discuss about the involvement of caspase-8 in (1) TCR-triggered thymic apoptosis; (2) death receptor-mediated thymic apoptosis; and (3) glucocorticoid-induced thymic apoptosis. Regarding TCR triggering, caspase-8 is active in medullary, semi-mature heat-stable antigen(hi) (HAS(hi) SP) thymocytes as a consequence of strong TCR stimulation. The death receptors Fas, FADD, and FLIP are involved upstream of caspase-8 activation in apoptosis; whereas, Bid and HDAC7 are involved downstream of caspase-8. Finally, caspase-8 is involved in glucocortocoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis through an activation loop with the protein GILZ. GILZ activates caspase-8, promoting GILZ sumoylation and its protection from proteasomal degradation.
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44
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Geenen V, Bodart G, Henry S, Michaux H, Dardenne O, Charlet-Renard C, Martens H, Hober D. Programming of neuroendocrine self in the thymus and its defect in the development of neuroendocrine autoimmunity. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:187. [PMID: 24137108 PMCID: PMC3797387 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
For centuries after its first description by Galen, the thymus was considered as only a vestigial endocrine organ until the discovery in 1961 by Jacques FAP Miller of its essential role in the development of T (thymo-dependent) lymphocytes. A unique thymus first appeared in cartilaginous fishes some 500 million years ago, at the same time or shortly after the emergence of the adaptive (acquired) immune system. The thymus may be compared to a small brain or a computer highly specialized in the orchestration of central immunological self-tolerance. This was a necessity for the survival of species, given the potent evolutionary pressure imposed by the high risk of autotoxicity inherent in the stochastic generation of the diversity of immune cell receptors that characterize the adaptive immune response. A new paradigm of “neuroendocrine self-peptides” has been proposed, together with the definition of “neuroendocrine self.” Neuroendocrine self-peptides are secreted by thymic epithelial cells (TECs) not according to the classic model of neuroendocrine signaling, but are processed for presentation by, or in association with, the thymic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene/protein controls the transcription of neuroendocrine genes in TECs. The presentation of self-peptides in the thymus is responsible for the clonal deletion of self-reactive T cells, which emerge during the random recombination of gene segments that encode variable parts of the T cell receptor for the antigen (TCR). At the same time, self-antigen presentation in the thymus generates regulatory T (Treg) cells that can inhibit, in the periphery, those self-reactive T cells that escaped negative selection in the thymus. Several arguments indicate that the origin of autoimmunity directed against neuroendocrine glands results primarily from a defect in the intrathymic programming of self-tolerance to neuroendocrine functions. This defect may be genetic or acquired, for example during an enteroviral infection. This novel knowledge of normal and pathologic functions of the thymus constitutes a solid basis for the development of a novel type of tolerogenic/negative self-vaccination against type 1 diabetes (T1D).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Geenen
- Department of Biomedical and Preclinical Sciences, Center of Immunoendocrinology, GIGA Research Institute, Fund of Scientific Research, University of Liege Liege-Sart Tilman, Belgium
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45
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Gastrointestinal Tract and Endocrine System. Regen Med 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5690-8_39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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Is autoimmune diabetes caused by aberrant immune activity or defective suppression of physiological self-reactivity? Autoimmun Rev 2012; 12:633-7. [PMID: 23277162 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2012.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Two competing hypotheses are proposed to cause autoimmunity: evasion of a sporadic self-reactive clone from immune surveillance and ineffective suppression of autoreactive clones that arise physiologically. We question the relevance of these hypotheses to the study of type 1 diabetes, where autoreactivity may accompany the cycles of physiological adjustment of β-cell mass to body weight and nutrition. Experimental evidence presents variable and conflicting data concerning the activities of both effector and regulatory T cells, arguing in favor and against: quantitative dominance and deficit, aberrant reactivity and expansion, sensitivity to negative regulation and apoptosis. The presence of autoantibodies in umbilical cord blood of healthy subjects and low incidence of the disease following early induction suggest that suppression of self-reactivity is the major determinant factor.
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Al-Adra DP, Pawlick R, Shapiro AMJ, Anderson CC. Targeting cells causing split tolerance allows fully allogeneic islet survival with minimal conditioning in NOD mixed chimeras. Am J Transplant 2012; 12:3235-45. [PMID: 22974315 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04260.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Donor-specific tolerance induced by mixed chimerism is one approach that may eliminate the need for long-term immunosuppressive therapy, while preventing chronic rejection of an islet transplant. However, even in the presence of chimerism it is possible for certain donor tissues or cells to be rejected whereas others from the same donor are accepted (split tolerance). We previously developed a nonmyeloablative protocol that generated mixed chimerism across full major histocompatability complex plus minor mismatches in NOD (nonobese diabetic) mice, however, these chimeras demonstrated split tolerance. In this study, we used radiation chimeras and found that the radiosensitive component of NOD has a greater role in the split tolerance NOD mice develop. We then show that split tolerance is mediated primarily by preexisting NOD lymphocytes and have identified T cells, but not NK cells or B cells, as cells that both resist chimerism induction and mediate split tolerance. Finally, after recognizing the barrier that preexisting T cells impose on the generation of fully tolerant chimeras, the chimerism induction protocol was refined to include nonmyeloablative recipient NOD T cell depletion which generated long-term mixed chimerism across fully allogeneic barriers. Furthermore, these chimeric NOD mice are immunocompetent, diabetes free and accept donor islet allografts.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Al-Adra
- Department of Surgery and Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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48
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Molecular phenotyping of immune cells from young NOD mice reveals abnormal metabolic pathways in the early induction phase of autoimmune diabetes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46941. [PMID: 23071669 PMCID: PMC3469658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Islet leukocytic infiltration (insulitis) is first obvious at around 4 weeks of age in the NOD mouse – a model for human type 1 diabetes (T1D). The molecular events that lead to insulitis and initiate autoimmune diabetes are poorly understood. Since TID is caused by numerous genes, we hypothesized that multiple molecular pathways are altered and interact to initiate this disease. We evaluated the molecular phenotype (mRNA and protein expression) and molecular networks of ex vivo unfractionated spleen leukocytes from 2 and 4 week-old NOD mice in comparison to two control strains. Analysis of the global gene expression profiles and hierarchical clustering revealed that the majority (∼90%) of the differentially expressed genes in NOD mice were repressed. Furthermore, analysis using a modern suite of multiple bioinformatics approaches identified abnormal molecular pathways that can be divided broadly into 2 categories: metabolic pathways, which were predominant at 2 weeks, and immune response pathways, which were predominant at 4 weeks. Network analysis by Ingenuity pathway analysis identified key genes/molecules that may play a role in regulating these pathways. These included five that were common to both ages (TNF, HNF4A, IL15, Progesterone, and YWHAZ), and others that were unique to 2 weeks (e.g. MYC/MYCN, TGFB1, and IL2) and to 4 weeks (e.g. IFNG, beta-estradiol, p53, NFKB, AKT, PRKCA, IL12, and HLA-C). Based on the literature, genes that may play a role in regulating metabolic pathways at 2 weeks include Myc and HNF4A, and at 4 weeks, beta-estradiol, p53, Akt, HNF4A and AR. Our data suggest that abnormalities in regulation of metabolic pathways in the immune cells of young NOD mice lead to abnormalities in the immune response pathways and as such may play a role in the initiation of autoimmune diabetes. Thus, targeting metabolism may provide novel approaches to preventing and/or treating autoimmune diabetes.
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Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease resulting from the selective autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet β cells. The absence and/or breakdown of immune self-tolerance to islet β cells is now recognized as the essential cause for the development of the diabetogenic autoimmune response. For a long time, a failure in peripheral tolerogenic mechanisms was regarded as the main source of an inappropriate immune process directed against insulin-secreting β cells. While defective peripheral self-tolerance still deserves to be further investigated, the demonstration that all members of the insulin gene family are transcribed in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) of different species under the control of the AutoImmune REgulator (AIRE) gene/protein has highlighted the importance of central self-tolerance to insulin-secreting islet β cells. Moreover, there is now evidence that a primary or acquired failure in thymus-dependent central self-tolerance to β cells plays a primary role in T1D pathogenesis. This novel knowledge is currently translated into the development of innovative tolerogenic/regulatory approaches designed to reprogram the specific immune self-tolerance to islet β cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Geenen
- University of Liege, GIGA-I3 Center of Immunology, CHU-B34, B-4000 Liege-Sart Tilman, Belgium.
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de Oliveira GLV, Malmegrim KCR, Ferreira AF, Tognon R, Kashima S, Couri CEB, Covas DT, Voltarelli JC, de Castro FA. Up-regulation of fas and fasL pro-apoptotic genes expression in type 1 diabetes patients after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Clin Exp Immunol 2012; 168:291-302. [PMID: 22519592 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2012.04583.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, resulting in insulin deficiency and hyperglycaemia. Recent studies have described that apoptosis impairment during central and peripheral tolerance is involved in T1D pathogenesis. In this study, the apoptosis-related gene expression in T1D patients was evaluated before and after treatment with high-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HDI-AHSCT). We also correlated gene expression results with clinical response to HDI-AHSCT. We observed a decreased expression of bad, bax and fasL pro-apoptotic genes and an increased expression of a1, bcl-x(L) and cIAP-2 anti-apoptotic genes in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared to controls. After HDI-AHSCT, we found an up-regulation of fas and fasL and a down-regulation of anti-apoptotic bcl-x(L) genes expression in post-HDI-AHSCT periods compared to pre-transplantation. Additionally, the levels of bad, bax, bok, fasL, bcl-x(L) and cIAP-1 genes expression were found similar to controls 2 years after HDI-AHSCT. Furthermore, over-expression of pro-apoptotic noxa at 540 days post-HDI-AHSCT correlated positively with insulin-free patients and conversely with glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GAD65) autoantibody levels. Taken together, the results suggest that apoptosis-related genes deregulation in patients' PBMCs might be involved in breakdown of immune tolerance and consequently contribute to T1D pathogenesis. Furthermore, HDI-AHSCT modulated the expression of some apoptotic genes towards the levels similar to controls. Possibly, the expression of these apoptotic molecules could be applied as biomarkers of clinical remission of T1D patients treated with HDI-AHSCT therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L V de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Department of Clinical Analysis, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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