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JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway in Non-Infectious Uveitis. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 204:115236. [PMID: 36041544 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.115236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) refers to various intraocular inflammatory disorders responsible for severe visual loss. Cytokines participate in the regulation of ocular homeostasis and NIU pathological processes. Cytokine receptors transmit signals by activating Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. Increasing evidence from human NIU and experimental models reveals the involvement of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in NIU pathogenesis. Several small-molecule drugs that potentially inhibit multiple cytokine-dependent pathways are under investigation for treating autoimmune diseases, implicating possible applications for NIU treatment. This review summarizes the current understanding of the diverse roles of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in ocular homeostasis and NIU pathology, providing a rationale for targeting JAKs and STATs for NIU treatment. Moreover, available evidence for the safety and efficacy of JAK inhibitors for refractory uveitis and potential approaches for treatment optimization are discussed.
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Thirunavukarasu AJ, Ross AC, Gilbert RM. Vitamin A, systemic T-cells, and the eye: Focus on degenerative retinal disease. Front Nutr 2022; 9:914457. [PMID: 35923205 PMCID: PMC9339908 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.914457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The first discovered vitamin, vitamin A, exists in a range of forms, primarily retinoids and provitamin carotenoids. The bioactive forms of vitamin A, retinol and retinoic acid, have many critical functions in body systems including the eye and immune system. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with dysfunctional immunity, and presents clinically as a characteristic ocular syndrome, xerophthalmia. The immune functions of vitamin A extend to the gut, where microbiome interactions and nutritional retinoids and carotenoids contribute to the balance of T cell differentiation, thereby determining immune status and contributing to inflammatory disease around the whole body. In the eye, degenerative conditions affecting the retina and uvea are influenced by vitamin A. Stargardt’s disease (STGD1; MIM 248200) is characterised by bisretinoid deposits such as lipofuscin, produced by retinal photoreceptors as they use and recycle a vitamin A-derived chromophore. Age-related macular degeneration features comparable retinal deposits, such as drusen featuring lipofuscin accumulation; and is characterised by parainflammatory processes. We hypothesise that local parainflammatory processes secondary to lipofuscin deposition in the retina are mediated by T cells interacting with dietary vitamin A derivatives and the gut microbiome, and outline the current evidence for this. No cures exist for Stargardt’s or age-related macular degeneration, but many vitamin A-based therapeutic approaches have been or are being trialled. The relationship between vitamin A’s functions in systemic immunology and the eye could be further exploited, and further research may seek to leverage the interactions of the gut-eye immunological axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun J. Thirunavukarasu
- Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - A. Catharine Ross
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Rose M. Gilbert
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Rose M. Gilbert,
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3
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Dhanda AD, Yates E, Schewitz-Bowers LP, Lait PJ, Lee RWJ, Cramp ME. Ex Vivo T Cell Cytokine Expression Predicts Survival in Patients with Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis. Gut Liver 2021; 14:265-268. [PMID: 31158952 PMCID: PMC7096227 DOI: 10.5009/gnl19035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is an acute inflammatory liver condition with high early mortality rate. Steroids improve short-term survival but nonresponders have the worst outcomes. There is a clinical need to identify these high-risk individuals at the time of presentation. T cells are implicated in AH and steroid responsiveness. We measured ex vivo T cell cytokine expression as a candidate biomarker of outcomes in patients with AH. Consecutive patients (bilirubin >80 µmol/L and ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase >1.5 who were heavy alcohol consumers with discriminant function [DF] ≥32), were recruited from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. T cells were obtained and stimulated ex vivo. Cytokine expression levels were determined by flow cytometry and protein multiplex analysis. Twenty-three patients were recruited (10 male; median age 51 years; baseline DF 67; 30% 90-day mortality). Compared to T cells from nonsurvivors at day 90, T cells from survivors had higher baseline baseline intracellular interleukin (IL)-10:IL-17A ratio (0.43 vs 1.20, p=0.02). Multiplex protein analysis identified interferon γ (IFNγ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as independent predictors of 90-day mortality (p=0.04, p=0.01, respectively). The ratio of IFNγ to TNF-α was predictive of 90-day mortality (1.4 vs 0.2, p=0.03). These data demonstrate the potential utility of T cell cytokine release assays performed on pretreatment blood samples as biomarkers of survival in patients with severe AH. Our key findings were that intracellular IL-10:IL-17A and IFNγ:TNF-α in culture supernatants were predictors of 90-day mortality. This offers the promise of developing T cell-based diagnostic tools for risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin D Dhanda
- South West Liver Unit, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK.,Hepatology Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Euan Yates
- Hepatology Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Philippa J Lait
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard W J Lee
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Matthew E Cramp
- South West Liver Unit, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK.,Hepatology Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
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Leukotriene B 4 and Its Receptor in Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis and in Human Retinal Tissues: Clinical Severity and LTB 4 Dependence of Retinal Th17 Cells. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2020; 191:320-334. [PMID: 33159884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nomacopan, a drug originally derived from tick saliva, has dual functions of sequestering leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and inhibiting complement component 5 (C5) activation. Nomacopan has been shown to provide therapeutic benefit in experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Longer acting forms of nomacopan were more efficacious in mouse EAU models, and the long-acting variant that inhibited only LTB4 was at least as effective as the long-acting variant that inhibited both C5 and LTB4, preventing structural damage to the retina and a significantly reducing effector T helper 17 cells and inflammatory macrophages. Increased levels of LTB4 and C5a (produced upon C5 activation) were detected during disease progression. Activated retinal lymphocytes were shown to express LTB4 receptors (R) in vitro and in inflamed draining lymph nodes. Levels of LTB4R-expressing active/inflammatory retinal macrophages were also increased. Within the draining lymph node CD4+ T-cell population, 30% expressed LTB4R+ following activation in vitro, whereas retinal infiltrating cells expressed LTB4R and C5aR. Validation of expression of those receptors in human uveitis and healthy tissues suggests that infiltrating cells could be targeted by inhibitors of the LTB4-LTB4 receptor 1 (BLT1) pathway as a novel therapeutic approach. This study provides novel data on intraocular LTB4 and C5a in EAU, their associated receptor expression by retinal infiltrating cells in mouse and human tissues, and in attenuating EAU via the dual inhibitor nomacopan.
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Stimpson ML, Lait PJP, Schewitz-Bowers LP, Williams EL, Thirlwall KF, Lee RWJ, Bradbury CA. IL-10 and IL-17 expression by CD4 + T cells is altered in corticosteroid refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). J Thromb Haemost 2020; 18:2712-2720. [PMID: 32574429 DOI: 10.1111/jth.14970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticosteroids remain the first-line treatment for patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, 20% to 30% of patients do not respond to treatment at tolerable doses. This variation in corticosteroid efficacy is replicated in other autoimmune diseases and may have an adaptive immune basis. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that CD4+ T-cell responses to corticosteroids are different in patients with clinically defined corticosteroid refractory ITP. METHODS In this prospective cohort study, CD4+ T cells from patients with ITP were cultured in the presence or absence of dexamethasone (Dex). Intracellular cytokine expression was then quantified by flow cytometry and compared with patients' clinical response to corticosteroid treatment. A control cohort of patients with autoimmune uveitis was also studied to evaluate whether our findings were limited to ITP or are potentially generalizable across autoimmune diseases. RESULTS The ratio of interleukin (IL)-10 to IL-17 expression following CD4+ T cell culture with Dex was able to discriminate between ITP patients with a clinically defined complete (n = 33), partial (n = 12) or nonresponse (n = 11) to corticosteroid treatment (P = .002). These findings were replicated in patients with autoimmune uveitis (complete response n = 14, nonresponse n = 22; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS There is a relative abrogation of IL-10 and persistence of IL-17 expression in the CD4+ T cells of patients who clinically fail corticosteroid therapy. This observation has potential to inform both our mechanistic understanding of the action of corticosteroids in the treatment of ITP, and as a biomarker for steroid refractory disease, with potential application across a range of hematological and nonhematological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine L Stimpson
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | - Philippa J P Lait
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Emily L Williams
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | - Kimberley F Thirlwall
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard W J Lee
- Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Charlotte A Bradbury
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
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Valenzuela RA, Flores I, Pujol M, Llanos C, Carreño E, Rada G, Herbort CP, Cuitino L, Urzua CA. Definition of Uveitis Refractory to Treatment: A Systematic Review in the Absence of a Consensus. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2020; 30:174-179. [PMID: 32886537 DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2020.1793369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the different definition of refractoriness in uveitis in the literature. METHODS We systematically searched the literature in order to identify definitions of refractory noninfectious uveitis in adult patients. A search strategy in the databases of MEDLINE and Scopus was used to find articles published between January 2005 and October 2018. RESULTS Definitions of corticosteroids-refractoriness were related to two main concepts: persistence of inflammation despite the use of corticosteroid and recurrences above a dosage threshold. In terms of immunomodulatory therapy and biologic agents, we observed a great variety of definitions: persistence of inflammation, number of attacks, side effects or complications, symptoms, and best-corrected visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS The results of this systematic review demonstrate the current lack of consensus on the definition for refractory uveitis, regardless of the treatment being used and revealed a new terminology based on a comprehensive and operational definition for each specific category of refractoriness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo A Valenzuela
- Laboratory of Ocular and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván Flores
- Laboratory of Ocular and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Myriam Pujol
- Laboratory of Ocular and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Llanos
- Departamento de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ester Carreño
- Fundación Jiménez Díaz, University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gabriel Rada
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carl P Herbort
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Retinal and Inflammatory Eye Diseases, Centre for Ophthalmic Specialized Care (COS), Clinic Montchoisi Teaching Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Loreto Cuitino
- Laboratory of Ocular and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristhian A Urzua
- Laboratory of Ocular and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Faculty of Medicine, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
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7
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Glucocorticoid Receptor-α and MKP-1 as Candidate Biomarkers for Treatment Response and Disease Activity in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease. Am J Ophthalmol 2019; 207:319-325. [PMID: 31323199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2019.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the potential of utilizing the expression of genes for glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) as biomarkers of corticosteroid (CS) refractoriness and disease activity in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS Twenty VKH patients receiving their first cycle of CS treatment in the absence of additional systemic immunosuppressive therapy and a control group of fifteen healthy volunteers were recruited from the University of Chile (Santiago, Chile) and US National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, United States). Intraocular inflammation was clinically quantified at enrolment and all follow-up visits. CS refractoriness was defined as an ocular reactivation of VKH upon CS withdrawal at a daily oral prednisone dose of 10 mg or more. Quantitative Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA levels of the alpha (α) and beta (β) isoforms of GR and MKP-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after in vitro stimulation with either anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or phytohemagglutinin (PHA), in the presence or absence of dexamethasone (Dex). RESULTS After 6 hours of stimulation in the presence of Dex, PBMC from CS-refractory VKH patients had an impaired elevation in GRα expression (P = .03). Furthermore, inactive patients showed a significant Dex-induced upregulation of MKP-1 (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS In this pilot study, the expression of GR isoforms and MKP-1 corresponded with patients' clinical response to systemic CS treatment and disease activity, respectively. Hence, these candidate biomarkers have potential clinical utility in the early identification of CS refractoriness and subclinical inflammation in patients with VKH disease.
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8
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Gilbert RM, Zhang X, Sampson RD, Ehrenstein MR, Nguyen DX, Chaudhry M, Mein C, Mahmud N, Galatowicz G, Tomkins-Netzer O, Calder VL, Lightman S. Clinical Remission of Sight-Threatening Non-Infectious Uveitis Is Characterized by an Upregulation of Peripheral T-Regulatory Cell Polarized Towards T-bet and TIGIT. Front Immunol 2018; 9:907. [PMID: 29774027 PMCID: PMC5943505 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-infectious uveitis can cause chronic relapsing and remitting ocular inflammation, which may require high dose systemic immunosuppression to prevent severe sight loss. It has been classically described as an autoimmune disease, mediated by pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 T-cell subsets. Studies suggest that natural immunosuppressive CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T-regulatory cells (Tregs) are involved in resolution of inflammation and may be involved in the maintenance of clinical remission. Objective To investigate whether there is a peripheral blood immunoregulatory phenotype associated with clinical remission of sight-threatening non-infectious uveitis by comparing peripheral blood levels of Treg, Th1, and Th17, and associated DNA methylation and cytokine levels in patients with active uveitic disease, control subjects and patients (with previously active disease) in clinical remission induced by immunosuppressive drugs. Methods Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from peripheral blood samples from prospectively recruited subjects were analyzed by flow cytometry for CD3, CD4, FoxP3, TIGIT, T-bet, and related orphan receptor γt. Epigenetic DNA methylation levels of FOXP3 Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR), FOXP3 promoter, TBX21, RORC2, and TIGIT loci were determined in cryopreserved PBMC using a next-generation sequencing approach. Related cytokines were measured in blood sera. Functional suppressive capacity of Treg was assessed using T-cell proliferation assays. Results Fifty patients with uveitis (intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis) and 10 control subjects were recruited. The frequency of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg, TIGIT+ Treg, and T-bet+ Treg and the ratio of Treg to Th1 were significantly higher in remission patients compared with patients with active uveitic disease; and TIGIT+ Tregs were a significant predictor of clinical remission. Treg from patients in clinical remission demonstrated a high level of in vitro suppressive function compared with Treg from control subjects and from patients with untreated active disease. PBMC from patients in clinical remission had significantly lower methylation levels at the FOXP3 TSDR, FOXP3 promoter, and TIGIT loci and higher levels at RORC loci than those with active disease. Clinical remission was also associated with significantly higher serum levels of transforming growth factor β and IL-10, which positively correlated with Treg levels, and lower serum levels of IFNγ, IL-17A, and IL-22 compared with patients with active disease. Conclusion Clinical remission of sight-threatening non-infectious uveitis has an immunoregulatory phenotype characterized by upregulation of peripheral Treg, polarized toward T-bet and TIGIT. These findings may assist with individualized therapy of uveitis, by informing whether drug therapy has induced phenotypically stable Treg associated with long-term clinical remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M Gilbert
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaozhe Zhang
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert D Sampson
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael R Ehrenstein
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Dao X Nguyen
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Mahid Chaudhry
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Mein
- Genome Centre, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadiya Mahmud
- Genome Centre, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Grazyna Galatowicz
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Oren Tomkins-Netzer
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Virginia L Calder
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Lightman
- Ocular Immunology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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Wakefield D, McCluskey P, Wildner G, Thurau S, Carr G, Chee SP, Forrester J, Dick A, Hudson B, Lightman S, Smith J, Tugal-Tutkun I. Inflammatory eye disease: Pre-treatment assessment of patients prior to commencing immunosuppressive and biologic therapy: Recommendations from an expert committee. Autoimmun Rev 2017; 16:213-222. [PMID: 28137477 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIM To outline recommendations from an expert committee on the assessment and investigation of patients with severe inflammatory eye disease commencing immunosuppressive and/or biologic therapy. METHOD The approach to assessment is based on the clinical experience of an expert committee and a review of the literature with regard to corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drug and biologic therapy and other adjunct therapy in the management of patients with severe sight-threatening inflammatory eye disease. CONCLUSION We recommend a careful assessment and consultative approach by ophthalmologists or physicians experienced in the use of immunosuppressive agents for all patients commencing immunosuppressive and/or biologic therapy for sight threatening inflammatory eye disease with the aim of preventing infection, cardiovascular, metabolic and bone disease and reducing iatrogenic side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Wakefield
- University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine, Kensington, Australia.
| | - Peter McCluskey
- Save Sight Institute, Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Gerhild Wildner
- Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan Thurau
- Section of Immunobiology, Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gregory Carr
- Manly Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | - Soon-Phaik Chee
- Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Service, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore National Eye Centre, Ocular Inflammation and Immunology Department, Singapore
| | - John Forrester
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Andrew Dick
- UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK; School of Clinical Science, University of Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
| | - Bernard Hudson
- Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney 2065, Australia
| | - Susan Lightman
- UCL/Institute of Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Justine Smith
- Eye & Vision Health, Flinders University School of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ilknur Tugal-Tutkun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
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Eskandarpour M, Alexander R, Adamson P, Calder VL. Pharmacological Inhibition of Bromodomain Proteins Suppresses Retinal Inflammatory Disease and Downregulates Retinal Th17 Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 198:1093-1103. [PMID: 28039300 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), in which CD4+ Th1 and/or Th17 cells are immunopathogenic, mimics various clinical features of noninfectious uveitis in humans. The impact of bromodomain extraterminal (BET) inhibitors on Th17 cell function was studied in a mouse model of EAU in vivo and in mouse and human Th17 cells in vitro. Two BET inhibitors (GSK151 and JQ1) were able to ameliorate the progression of inflammation in EAU and in mouse CD4+ T cells in vitro, downregulating levels of Th17 cells. Additionally, the uveitogenic capacity of Th17 cells to transfer EAU was abrogated by BET inhibitors in an adoptive transfer model. In human CD4+ T cells, a 5-d exposure to BET inhibitors was accompanied by a significant downregulation of Th17-associated genes IL-17A, IL-22, and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt. However, in vitro, the inhibitors had no effect on already polarized Th17 cells. The key finding is that, in response to BET inhibitors, Th17-enriched cultures developed a regulatory phenotype, upregulated FOXP3 expression and IL-10 secretion, and lost pathogenicity in vivo. We conclude that BET targeting of Th17 cells is a potential therapeutic opportunity for a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including uveitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malihe Eskandarpour
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Alexander
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Adamson
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
| | - Virginia L Calder
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
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11
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Glucocorticoid-resistant Th17 cells are selectively attenuated by cyclosporine A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:4080-5. [PMID: 25775512 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1418316112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids remain the cornerstone of treatment for inflammatory conditions, but their utility is limited by a plethora of side effects. One of the key goals of immunotherapy across medical disciplines is to minimize patients' glucocorticoid use. Increasing evidence suggests that variations in the adaptive immune response play a critical role in defining the dose of glucocorticoids required to control an individual's disease, and Th17 cells are strong candidate drivers for nonresponsiveness [also called steroid resistance (SR)]. Here we use gene-expression profiling to further characterize the SR phenotype in T cells and show that Th17 cells generated from both SR and steroid-sensitive individuals exhibit restricted genome-wide responses to glucocorticoids in vitro, and that this is independent of glucocorticoid receptor translocation or isoform expression. In addition, we demonstrate, both in transgenic murine T cells in vitro and in an in vivo murine model of autoimmunity, that Th17 cells are reciprocally sensitive to suppression with the calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporine A. This result was replicated in human Th17 cells in vitro, which were found to have a conversely large genome-wide shift in response to cyclosporine A. These observations suggest that the clinical efficacy of cyclosporine A in the treatment of SR diseases may be because of its selective attenuation of Th17 cells, and also that novel therapeutics, which target either Th17 cells themselves or the effector memory T-helper cell population from which they are derived, would be strong candidates for drug development in the context of SR inflammation.
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Molins B, Mesquida M, Lee RWJ, Llorenç V, Pelegrín L, Adán A. Regulatory T cell levels and cytokine production in active non-infectious uveitis: in-vitro effects of pharmacological treatment. Clin Exp Immunol 2015; 179:529-38. [PMID: 25354724 PMCID: PMC4337685 DOI: 10.1111/cei.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to quantify the proportion of regulatory T cells (Treg ) and cytokine expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with active non-infectious uveitis, and to evaluate the effect of in-vitro treatment with infliximab, dexamethasone and cyclosporin A on Treg levels and cytokine production in PBMCs from uveitis patients and healthy subjects. We included a group of 21 patients with active non-infectious uveitis and 18 age-matched healthy subjects. The proportion of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3)(+) Treg cells and intracellular tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in CD4(+) T cells was determined by flow cytometry. PBMCs were also either rested or activated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 and cultured in the presence or absence of dexamethasone, cyclosporin A and infliximab. Supernatants of cultured PBMCs were collected and TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). No significant differences were observed in nTreg levels between uveitis patients and healthy subjects. However, PBMCs from uveitis patients produced significantly higher amounts of TNF-α and lower amounts of IL-10. Dexamethasone treatment in vitro significantly reduced FoxP3(+) Treg levels in PBMCs from both healthy subjects and uveitis patients, and all tested drugs significantly reduced TNF-α production in PBMCs. Dexamethasone and cyclosporin A significantly reduced IL-17 and IFN-γ production in PBMCs and dexamethasone up-regulated IL-10 production in activated PBMCs from healthy subjects. Our results suggest that PBMCs from patients with uveitis express more TNF-α and less IL-10 than healthy subjects, and this is independent of FoxP3(+) Treg levels. Treatment with infliximab, dexamethasone and cyclosporin A in vitro modulates cytokine production, but does not increase the proportion of FoxP3(+) Treg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Molins
- Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
- Fundacio Clinic per la Recerca Biomedica, IDIBAPSBarcelona, Spain
| | - M Mesquida
- Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - R W J Lee
- Inflammation and Immunotherapy Theme, National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of BristolBristol, UK
| | - V Llorenç
- Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - L Pelegrín
- Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - A Adán
- Institut Clinic d'Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
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Maranville JC, Micic D, Hanauer SB, Rienzo AD, Kupfer SS. In vitro sensitivity assays and clinical response to glucocorticoids in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. J Crohns Colitis 2014; 8:1539-47. [PMID: 25052346 PMCID: PMC4648270 DOI: 10.1016/j.crohns.2014.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones used to induce remission in moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A substantial fraction of patients do not respond to GC treatment and require alternate therapies or surgery. At present, non-response can only be assessed empirically by observing continued disease activity. METHODS To identify potential biomarkers of GC response, we retrospectively identified and recruited 18 GC-responsive and 18 GC-nonresponsive IBD patients. This sample included 14 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 22 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), all previously treated with steroids. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells from each patient, we performed in vitro assays to measure GC inhibition of three different immune stimulants (phytohemagglutinin [PHA], α-CD3/α-CD28, and lipopolysaccharide [LPS]). RESULTS In both diseases, we found that inhibition of PHA-mediated T cell proliferation was significantly associated with clinical GC response (P=0.04). Inhibition of proliferation due to direct T cell receptor stimulation using α-CD3/α-CD28 was also significantly associated with clinical GC response in UC patients (P=0.009), but not in CD patients (P=0.78). Interestingly, inhibition of LPS-mediated cytokine secretion showed the strongest association with clinical GC response across both diseases (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS We show that inhibition of LPS stimulation is more strongly associated with clinical GC response in IBD patients than inhibition of PHA and α-CD3/α-CD28-mediated proliferation. These results support an important role of bacterial recognition and innate immunity in the etiology of IBD. This assay could be a powerful predictor of clinical response to GCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C. Maranville
- Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dejan Micic
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen B. Hanauer
- Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anna Di Rienzo
- Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sonia S. Kupfer
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Nussenblatt RB, Lee RW, Chew E, Wei L, Liu B, Sen HN, Dick AD, Ferris FL. Immune responses in age-related macular degeneration and a possible long-term therapeutic strategy for prevention. Am J Ophthalmol 2014; 158:5-11.e2. [PMID: 24709810 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2014.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Revised: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe the immune alterations associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD); and, based on these findings, to offer an approach to possibly prevent the expression of late disease. DESIGN Perspective. METHODS Review of the existing literature dealing with epidemiology, models, and immunologic findings in patients. RESULTS Significant genetic associations have been identified and reported, but environmentally induced (including epigenetic) changes are also an important consideration. Immune alterations include a strong interleukin 17 family signature as well as marked expression of these molecules in the eye. Oxidative stress as well as other homeostatic altering mechanisms occur throughout life. With this immune dysregulation there is a rationale for considering immunotherapy. Indeed, immunotherapy has been shown to affect the late stages of AMD. CONCLUSION Immune dysregulation appears to be an underlying alteration in AMD, as in other diseases thought to be degenerative and attributable to aging. Para-inflammation and immunosenescence may importantly contribute to the development of disease. The role of complement factor H still needs to be better defined, but in light of its association with ocular inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis, it does not appear to be unique to AMD but rather may be a marker for retinal pigment epithelium function. With the strong interleukin 17 family signature and the need to treat early on in the disease process, oral tolerance may be considered to prevent disease progression.
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Lee RW, Nicholson LB, Sen HN, Chan CC, Wei L, Nussenblatt RB, Dick AD. Autoimmune and autoinflammatory mechanisms in uveitis. Semin Immunopathol 2014; 36:581-94. [PMID: 24858699 PMCID: PMC4186974 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-014-0433-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The eye, as currently viewed, is neither immunologically ignorant nor sequestered from the systemic environment. The eye utilises distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms to preserve tissue and cellular function in the face of immune-mediated insult; clinically, inflammation following such an insult is termed uveitis. The intra-ocular inflammation in uveitis may be clinically obvious as a result of infection (e.g. toxoplasma, herpes), but in the main infection, if any, remains covert. We now recognise that healthy tissues including the retina have regulatory mechanisms imparted by control of myeloid cells through receptors (e.g. CD200R) and soluble inhibitory factors (e.g. alpha-MSH), regulation of the blood retinal barrier, and active immune surveillance. Once homoeostasis has been disrupted and inflammation ensues, the mechanisms to regulate inflammation, including T cell apoptosis, generation of Treg cells, and myeloid cell suppression in situ, are less successful. Why inflammation becomes persistent remains unknown, but extrapolating from animal models, possibilities include differential trafficking of T cells from the retina, residency of CD8+ T cells, and alterations of myeloid cell phenotype and function. Translating lessons learned from animal models to humans has been helped by system biology approaches and informatics, which suggest that diseased animals and people share similar changes in T cell phenotypes and monocyte function to date. Together the data infer a possible cryptic infectious drive in uveitis that unlocks and drives persistent autoimmune responses, or promotes further innate immune responses. Thus there may be many mechanisms in common with those observed in autoinflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Lee
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals Bristol NHS, Foundation Trust, and University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Uveitis is a diverse group of intraocular inflammatory disease and is a significant cause of visual loss worldwide. Recent studies have identified various endogenous immune mechanisms and genetic factors that are involved in the pathogenesis of uveitis. This review provides an overview on the role of genetics in the development and clinical course of uveitis. METHODS PUBMED was used for literature search, and articles published from 1970 to 2012 that evaluated the genetic associations and mechanisms involved in the development and clinical features of uveitis were included. RESULTS Studies have demonstrated associations between various genetic factors and the development and clinical course of intraocular inflammatory conditions. Genes involved included genes expressing interleukins, chemokines, chemokine receptors, and tumor necrosis factor and genes involved in complement system, oxidation, and other intracellular molecular pathways. CONCLUSION Multiple genetic factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of uveitis and may influence the clinical course of uveitis. Further studies to investigate the genetic mechanisms of uveitis might identify additional genetic associations and might have the potential for identifying novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of intraocular inflammation.
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Schewitz-Bowers LP, Lee RWJ, Dick AD. Immune mechanisms of intraocular inflammation. EXPERT REVIEW OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1586/eop.09.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Cunningham ET, Goldstein DA, Zierhut M. Uveitis Treatment Trials—A Cross-study Perspective. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2012; 20:63-7. [PMID: 22360435 DOI: 10.3109/09273948.2012.661297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Dick AD. Road to Fulfilment: Taming the Immune Response to Restore Vision. Ophthalmic Res 2012; 48:43-9. [DOI: 10.1159/000335982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Understanding uveitis: The impact of research on visual outcomes. Prog Retin Eye Res 2011; 30:452-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Revised: 06/29/2011] [Accepted: 06/30/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Lee RWJ, Dick AD. Current concepts and future directions in the pathogenesis and treatment of non-infectious intraocular inflammation. Eye (Lond) 2011; 26:17-28. [PMID: 21960067 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2011.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The blockbuster drug paradigm is under increasing scrutiny across the biopharmaceutical industry. Intraocular inflammation poses particular challenges to this, given the heterogeneity of conditions in the uveitis spectrum, and the increasing acknowledgement of individual patient and disease variance in underlying immune responses. This need has triggered a drive towards personalised and stratified medicine, supported and enabled as a result of continued development of both experimental models and molecular biological techniques and improved clinical classification. As such we have the ability now to systematically appraise at a genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic level individual immunophenotype, and the promise that in the eye this can be augmented by in vivo immune imaging to identify individual immunopathology. With such advances all running in parallel, we are entering an era of experimental medicine that will facilitate early diagnosis, generate biomarkers for accurate prognostication, and enable the development of individualised and targeted therapies, which can progress rapidly into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- R W J Lee
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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