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Li JY, Feng TS, Gao J, Yang XX, Li XC, Deng ZH, Xia YX, Wu ZS. Differentiation and immunosuppressive function of CD19 +CD24 hiCD27 + regulatory B cells are regulated through the miR-29a-3p/NFAT5 pathway. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2024; 23:472-480. [PMID: 38724321 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2024.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulatory B cells (Bregs) is an indispensable element in inducing immune tolerance after liver transplantation. As one of the microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-29a-3p also inhibits translation by degrading the target mRNA, and yet the relationship between Bregs and miR-29a-3p has not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to investigate the impact of miR-29a-3p on the regulation of differentiation and immunosuppressive functions of memory Bregs (mBregs) and ultimately provide potentially effective therapies in inducing immune tolerance after liver transplantation. METHODS Flow cytometry was employed to determine the levels of Bregs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. TaqMan low-density array miRNA assays were used to identify the expression of different miRNAs, electroporation transfection was used to induce miR-29a-3p overexpression and knockdown, and dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the target gene of miR-29a-3p. RESULTS In patients experiencing acute rejection after liver transplantation, the proportions and immunosuppressive function of mBregs in the circulating blood were significantly impaired. miR-29a-3p was found to be a regulator of mBregs differentiation. Inhibition of miR-29a-3p, which targeted nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5), resulted in a conspicuous boost in the differentiation and immunosuppressive function of mBregs. The inhibition of miR-29a-3p in CD19+ B cells was capable of raising the expression levels of NFAT5, thereby promoting B cells to differentiate into mBregs. In addition, the observed enhancement of differentiation and immunosuppressive function of mBregs upon miR-29a-3p inhibition was abolished by the knockdown of NFAT5 in B cells. CONCLUSIONS miR-29a-3p was found to be a crucial regulator for mBregs differentiation and immunosuppressive function. Silencing miR-29a-3p could be a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for inducing immune tolerance after liver transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Yang Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Tian-Shuo Feng
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ji Gao
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xin-Xiang Yang
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiang-Cheng Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhen-Hua Deng
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Xia
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zheng-Shan Wu
- Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing 210029, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
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Gao B, Zhou P, Wang L, Wang Z, Yi Y, Li X, Zhou J, Fan J, Qiu S, Xu Y. Effects of the subtypes of apolipoprotein E on immune inhibition and prognosis in patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:341. [PMID: 38976030 PMCID: PMC11230970 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05856-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate whether prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is affected by the abundance and subgroups of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) as well as subtypes and expression of apolipoprotein E (apoE). METHODS 31 HCC patients were divided into three groups according to blood total apoE level for detecting the abundance of immunoregulatory cells by flow cytometry. Tumour tissue microarrays from 360 HCC patients were evaluated about the abundance and subgroups of MDSCs and the expression of apoE2, apoE3, apoE4 by immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemistry staining. Survival analysis by means of univariate, multivariate COX regression and Kaplan-Meier methods of the 360 patients was performed based on clinical and pathological examinations along with 10 years' follow-up data. RESULTS The lower apoE group presented higher abundance of MDSCs in the peripheral blood of HCC patients than higher apoE group. The abundance of monocyte-like MDSCs (M-MDSCs) was higher in the apoE low level group than high level group (p = 0.0399). Lower H-score of apoE2 (HR = 6.140, p = 0.00005) and higher H-score of apoE4 (HR = 7.001, p = 0.009) in tumour tissue were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS). The higher infiltration of polymorphonuclear granulocyte-like MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs, HR = 3.762, p = 0.000009) and smaller proportion of M-MDSCs of total cells (HR = 0.454, p = 0.006) in tumour tissue were independent risk factors for shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS). CONCLUSION The abundance of MDSCs in HCC patients' plasma negatively correlates with the level of apoE. The expression of apoE4 in HCC tissue indicated a poor prognosis while apoE2 might be a potential protective factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peiyun Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Cancer Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Wang
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhutao Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yong Yi
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xian Li
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuangjian Qiu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Yang Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in liver fibrosis. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:53. [PMID: 36759593 PMCID: PMC9911787 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of the human liver to both synthesize extracellular matrix(ECM), as well as regulate fibrogenesis, are integral functions to maintaining homoeostasis. Chronic liver injury stimulates fibrogenesis in response to the imbalance between ECM accumulation and fibrosis resolution. Liver disease that induces fibrogenesis is associated with multiple risk factors like hepatitis infection, schistosomiasis, alcohol, certain drugs, toxicants and emerging aetiology like diabetes and obesity. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), whose function is to generate and accumulate ECM, is a pivotal event in liver fibrosis. Simultaneously, HSCs selectively promote regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in an interleukin-2-dependent pattern that displays a dual relationship. On the one hand, Tregs can protect HSCs from NK cell attack, while on the other hand, they demonstrate an inhibitory effect on HSCs. This paper reviews the dual role of Tregs in liver fibrogenesis which includes its promotion of immunosuppression, as well as its activation of fibrosis. In particular, the balance between Tregs and the Th17 cell population, which produce interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22, is explored to demonstrate their key role in maintaining homoeostasis and immunoregulation. The contradictory roles of Tregs in liver fibrosis in different immune microenvironments and molecular pathways need to be better understood if they are to be deployed to manage this disease.
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Yuksel M, Nazmi F, Wardat D, Akgül S, Polat E, Akyildiz M, Arikan Ç. Standard immunosuppressive treatment reduces regulatory B cells in children with autoimmune liver disease. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1053216. [PMID: 36685568 PMCID: PMC9849683 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1053216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease caused by a perturbed immune system. The scarcity of short- and long-term immune monitoring of AIH hampered us to comprehend the interaction between immunosuppressive medication and immune homeostasis. Methods and patients We recruited children with AIH at the time of diagnosis and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th, and 24th months of immunosuppression (IS). We also enrolled children with AIH being on IS for >2 years. Children with drug-induced liver injury (DILI), and those receiving tacrolimus after liver transplantation (LT), were enrolled as disease/IS control subjects. Healthy children (HC) were also recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from all participants. Healthy liver tissue from adult donors and from livers without inflammation were obtained from children with hepatoblastoma. By using flow cytometry, we performed multi-parametric immune profiling of PBMCs and intrahepatic lymphocytes. Additionally, after IS with prednisolone, tacrolimus, rapamycin, or 6-mercaptopurine, we carried out an in vitro cytokine stimulation assay. Finally, a Lifecodes SSO typing kit was used to type HLA-DRB1 and Luminex was used to analyze the results. Results Untreated AIH patients had lower total CD8 T-cell frequencies than HC, but these cells were more naïve. While the percentage of naïve regulatory T cells (Tregs) (CD4+FOXP3lowCD45RA+) and regulatory B cells (Bregs, CD20+CD24+CD38+) was similar, AIH patients had fewer activated Tregs (CD4+FOXP3highCD45RA - ) compared to HC. Mucosal-associated-invariant-T-cells (MAIT) were also lower in these patients. Following the initiation of IS, the immune profiles demonstrated fluctuations. Bregs frequency decreased substantially at 1 month and did not recover anymore. Additionally, the frequency of intrahepatic Bregs in treated AIH patients was lower, compared to control livers, DILI, and LT patients. Following in vitro IS drugs incubation, only the frequency of IL-10-producing total B-cells increased with tacrolimus and 6MP. Lastly, 70% of AIH patients possessed HLA-DR11, whereas HLA-DR03/DR07/DR13 was present in only some patients. Conclusion HLA-DR11 was prominent in our AIH cohort. Activated Tregs and MAIT cell frequencies were lower before IS. Importantly, we discovered a previously unrecognized and long-lasting Bregs scarcity in AIH patients after IS. Tacrolimus and 6MP increased IL-10+ B-cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammed Yuksel
- Paediatric Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye,Liver Immunology Lab, Koç University Research Centre for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Farinaz Nazmi
- Paediatric Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye,Liver Immunology Lab, Koç University Research Centre for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Dima Wardat
- Liver Immunology Lab, Koç University Research Centre for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Sebahat Akgül
- Transplant Immunology Research Centre of Excellence (TIREX) Tissue Typing Lab, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Esra Polat
- Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sancaktepe Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Murat Akyildiz
- Adult Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Çigdem Arikan
- Paediatric Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye,Liver Immunology Lab, Koç University Research Centre for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Türkiye,*Correspondence: Çigdem Arikan,
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