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Osuch S, Laskus T, Perlejewski K, Berak H, Bukowska-Ośko I, Pollak A, Zielenkiewicz M, Radkowski M, Caraballo Cortés K. CD8 + T-Cell Exhaustion Phenotype in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Is Associated With Epitope Sequence Variation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:832206. [PMID: 35386708 PMCID: PMC8977521 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.832206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims During chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, CD8+ T-cells become functionally exhausted, undergoing progressive phenotypic changes, i.e., overexpression of “inhibitory” molecules such as PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) and/or Tim-3 (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule-3). The extreme intrahost genetic diversity of HCV is a major mechanism of immune system evasion, facilitating epitope escape. The aim of the present study was to determine whether T-cell exhaustion phenotype in chronic HCV infection is related to the sequence repertoire of NS3 viral immunodominant epitopes. Methods The study population was ninety prospective patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection. Populations of peripheral blood CD8+ T-cells expressing PD-1/Tim-3 were assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry, including HCV-specific T-cells after magnetic-based enrichment using MHC-pentamer. Autologous epitope sequences were inferred from next-generation sequencing. The correction of sequencing errors and genetic variants reconstruction was performed using Quasirecomb. Results There was an interplay between the analyzed epitopes sequences and exhaustion phenotype of CD8+ T-cells. A predominance of NS31406 epitope sequence, representing neither prototype KLSGLGLNAV nor cross-reactive variants (KLSSLGLNAV, KLSGLGINAV or KLSALGLNAV), was associated with higher percentage of HCV-specific CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+ T-cells, P=0.0102. Variability (at least two variants) of NS31406 epitope sequence was associated with increased frequencies of global CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+ T-cells (P=0.0197) and lower frequencies of CD8+PD-1−Tim-3− T-cells (P=0.0079). In contrast, infection with NS31073 dominant variant epitope (other than prototype CVNGVCWTV) was associated with lower frequency of global CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+ T-cells (P=0.0054). Conclusions Our results indicate that PD-1/Tim-3 receptor expression is largely determined by viral epitope sequence and is evident for both HCV-specific and global CD8+ T-cells, pointing to the importance of evaluating autologous viral epitope sequences in the investigation of CD8+ T-cell exhaustion in HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Osuch
- Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Laskus
- Department of Adult Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karol Perlejewski
- Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hanna Berak
- Outpatient Clinic, Warsaw Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Bukowska-Ośko
- Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Pollak
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Marek Radkowski
- Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kamila Caraballo Cortés
- Department of Immunopathology of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Dustin LB. Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Chronic HCV Infection. Curr Drug Targets 2018; 18:826-843. [PMID: 26302811 DOI: 10.2174/1389450116666150825110532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a public health problem of global importance, even in the era of potent directly-acting antiviral drugs. In this chapter, I discuss immune responses to acute and chronic HCV infection. The outcome of HCV infection is influenced by viral strategies that limit or delay the initiation of innate antiviral responses. This delay may enable HCV to establish widespread infection long before the host mounts effective T and B cell responses. HCV's genetic agility, resulting from its high rate of replication and its error prone replication mechanism, enables it to evade immune recognition. Adaptive immune responses fail to keep up with changing viral epitopes. Neutralizing antibody epitopes may be hidden by decoy structures, glycans, and lipoproteins. T cell responses fail due to changing epitope sequences and due to exhaustion, a phenomenon that may have evolved to limit immune-mediated pathology. Despite these difficulties, innate and adaptive immune mechanisms do impact HCV replication. Immune-mediated clearance of infection is possible, occurring in 20-50% of people who contract the disease. New developments raise hopes for effective immunological interventions to prevent or treat HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Dustin
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
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Zhang H, Zhang J, Chen L, Weng Z, Tian Y, Zhao H, Li Y, Chen L, Liang Z, Zheng H, Zhao W, Zhong S, Li Y. Targeting naturally occurring epitope variants of hepatitis C virus with high-affinity T-cell receptors. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:374-384. [PMID: 27902325 PMCID: PMC5797947 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) readily establishes chronic infection, which is characterized by failure of virus-specific CD8+ T cells. HCV uses epitope mutation and T-cell exhaustion to escape from the host immune response. Previously, we engineered high-affinity T-cell receptors (HATs) targeting human immunodeficiency virus escape mutants. In this study, the affinity of a T-cell receptor specific for the HLA-A2-restricted HCV immunodominant epitope NS3 1406–1415 (KLVALGINAV) was improved from a KD of 6.6 µM to 40 pM. These HATs could also target HCV NS3 naturally occurring variants, including an escape variant vrt1 (KLVVLGINAV), with high affinities. The HATs can be used as high-affinity targeting molecules at the centre of the immune synapse for the HLA-restricted NS3 antigen. By fusing the HAT with a T-cell activation molecule, an anti-CD3 single-chain variable fragment, we constructed a molecule called high-affinity T-cell activation core (HATac), which can redirect functional CTLs possessing any specificity to recognize and kill cells presenting HCV NS3 antigens. This capability was verified with T2 cells loaded with prototype or variant peptides and HepG2 cells expressing the truncated NS3 prototype or variant proteins. The results indicate that HATac targeting the HLA-restricted NS3 antigen may provide a useful tool for circumventing immune escape mutants and T-cell exhaustion caused by HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajun Zhang
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China.,Present address: Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jianbing Zhang
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Lei Chen
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhiming Weng
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Ye Tian
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Haifeng Zhao
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Youjia Li
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Hongjun Zheng
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Wenzhuo Zhao
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Shi Zhong
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Lab of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, PR China.,XiangXue Life Sciences Research Center, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, PR China
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Spear TT, Callender GG, Roszkowski JJ, Moxley KM, Simms PE, Foley KC, Murray DC, Scurti GM, Li M, Thomas JT, Langerman A, Garrett-Mayer E, Zhang Y, Nishimura MI. TCR gene-modified T cells can efficiently treat established hepatitis C-associated hepatocellular carcinoma tumors. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2016; 65:293-304. [PMID: 26842125 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-016-1800-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The success in recent clinical trials using T cell receptor (TCR)-genetically engineered T cells to treat melanoma has encouraged the use of this approach toward other malignancies and viral infections. Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is being treated with a new set of successful direct anti-viral agents, potential for virologic breakthrough or relapse by immune escape variants remains. Additionally, many HCV+ patients have HCV-associated disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which does not respond to these novel drugs. Further exploration of other approaches to address HCV infection and its associated disease are highly warranted. Here, we demonstrate the therapeutic potential of PBL-derived T cells genetically engineered with a high-affinity, HLA-A2-restricted, HCV NS3:1406-1415-reactive TCR. HCV1406 TCR-transduced T cells can recognize naturally processed antigen and elicit CD8-independent recognition of both peptide-loaded targets and HCV+ human HCC cell lines. Furthermore, these cells can mediate regression of established HCV+ HCC in vivo. Our results suggest that HCV TCR-engineered antigen-reactive T cells may be a plausible immunotherapy option to treat HCV-associated malignancies, such as HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy T Spear
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - Glenda G Callender
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | | | - Kelly M Moxley
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA.,Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA
| | - Patricia E Simms
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - Kendra C Foley
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - David C Murray
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | - Gina M Scurti
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA.,Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA
| | - Mingli Li
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA
| | - Justin T Thomas
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA.,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA.,Biotherapy Center and Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael I Nishimura
- Department of Surgery, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. 1st Ave, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA. .,Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. .,Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29415, USA.
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Dustin LB, Cashman SB, Laidlaw SM. Immune control and failure in HCV infection--tipping the balance. J Leukoc Biol 2014; 96:535-48. [PMID: 25015956 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.4ri0214-126r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the development of potent antiviral drugs, HCV remains a global health problem; global eradication is a long way off. In this review, we discuss the immune response to HCV infection and particularly, the interplay between viral strategies that delay the onset of antiviral responses and host strategies that limit or even eradicate infected cells but also contribute to pathogenesis. Although HCV can disable some cellular virus-sensing machinery, IFN-stimulated antiviral genes are induced in the infected liver. Whereas epitope evolution contributes to escape from T cell-mediated immunity, chronic high antigen load may also blunt the T cell response by activating exhaustion or tolerance mechanisms. The evasive maneuvers of HCV limit sterilizing humoral immunity through rapid evolution of decoy epitopes, epitope masking, stimulation of interfering antibodies, lipid shielding, and cell-to-cell spread. Whereas the majority of HCV infections progress to chronic hepatitis with persistent viremia, at least 20% of patients spontaneously clear the infection. Most of these are protected from reinfection, suggesting that protective immunity to HCV exists and that a prophylactic vaccine may be an achievable goal. It is therefore important that we understand the correlates of protective immunity and mechanisms of viral persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Dustin
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Siobhán B Cashman
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen M Laidlaw
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Oxford, United Kingdom
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