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De Battista D, Yakymi R, Scheibe E, Sato S, Gerstein H, Markowitz TE, Lack J, Mereu R, Manieli C, Zamboni F, Farci P. Identification of Two Distinct Immune Subtypes in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1370. [PMID: 38611048 PMCID: PMC11011136 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
HBV is the most common risk factor for HCC development, accounting for almost 50% of cases worldwide. Despite significant advances in immunotherapy, there is limited information on the HBV-HCC tumor microenvironment (TME), which may influence the response to checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we characterize the TME in a unique series of liver specimens from HBV-HCC patients to identify who might benefit from immunotherapy. By combining an extensive immunohistochemistry analysis with the transcriptomic profile of paired liver samples (tumor vs. nontumorous tissue) from 12 well-characterized Caucasian patients with HBV-HCC, we identified two distinct tumor subtypes that we defined immune-high and immune-low. The immune-high subtype, seen in half of the patients, is characterized by a high number of infiltrating B and T cells in association with stromal activation and a transcriptomic profile featuring inhibition of antigen presentation and CTL activation. All the immune-high tumors expressed high levels of CTLA-4 and low levels of PD-1, while PD-L1 was present only in four of six cases. In contrast, the immune-low subtype shows significantly lower lymphocyte infiltration and stromal activation. By whole exome sequencing, we documented that four out of six individuals with the immune-low subtype had missense mutations in the CTNNB1 gene, while only one patient had mutations in this gene in the immune-high subtype. Outside the tumor, there were no differences between the two subtypes. This study identifies two distinctive immune subtypes in HBV-associated HCC, regardless of the microenvironment observed in the surrounding nontumorous tissue, providing new insights into pathogenesis. These findings may be instrumental in the identification of patients who might benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide De Battista
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Rylee Yakymi
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Evangeline Scheibe
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Shinya Sato
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Hannah Gerstein
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Tovah E. Markowitz
- Integrated Data Sciences Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Justin Lack
- NIAID Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Roberto Mereu
- Department of Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy; (R.M.); (F.Z.)
| | - Cristina Manieli
- Sevizio di Anatomia Patologica, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Fausto Zamboni
- Department of Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy; (R.M.); (F.Z.)
| | - Patrizia Farci
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
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De Battista D, Zamboni F, Gerstein H, Sato S, Markowitz TE, Lack J, Engle RE, Farci P. Molecular Signature and Immune Landscape of HCV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): Differences and Similarities with HBV-HCC. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1399-1413. [PMID: 34849372 PMCID: PMC8615147 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s325959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with chronic viral hepatitis accounting for more than 70% of the cases. Therapeutic options are limited and ineffective. The increasing use of immune-based therapies in solid tumors highlights the need to expand our knowledge on the immunologic microenvironment of HCC. Methods Access to liver samples from 20 well-characterized patients with HCC associated with HCV (n = 9) or HBV (n = 11) gave us the opportunity to study the immunologic landscape in these tumors. For each patient, RNA-sequencing was performed on the tumor and surrounding nontumorous tissue. Results We found that both HCV- and HBV-HCC are associated with a predominance of downregulated genes (74% and 67%, respectively). Analysis of the immune landscape using a curated gene list showed 216 of 2481 (9%) immune genes in HCV-HCC and 164 of 2560 (6%) in HBV-HCC. However, only 8 immune genes (4%) were upregulated in HCV-HCC and 27 (16.5%) in HBV-HCC. HCV-HCC was characterized by an enrichment of downregulated genes related to T-cell activation and oxidative stress. The dramatic downregulation of immune genes related to T-cell activation in HCV-HCC prompted us to perform an extensive immunohistochemistry analysis on paraffin-embedded liver specimen. Interestingly, we found a significant reduction of immune-cell infiltration (CD3, CD8 and CD20 positive cells) within the tumor. Moreover, we observed that HCV-HCC is characterized by an enrichment of M2-like CD68-positive cells. These data are consistent with the dramatic downregulation of immune-cell infiltration seen in HCV-HCC. Conversely, HBV-HCC was characterized by upregulation of genes related to monocyte/macrophage activation and cell cycle control, and downregulation of genes involved in various cell metabolisms. Conclusion This study demonstrates a distinctive molecular signature and immune landscape in HCC of different viral etiology, which could provide new insights into pathogenesis and lead to the development of novel immune-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide De Battista
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Fausto Zamboni
- Liver Transplantation Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Hannah Gerstein
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shinya Sato
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Tovah E Markowitz
- NIAID Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.,Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Justin Lack
- NIAID Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.,Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Ronald E Engle
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Patrizia Farci
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Castoldi V, Marenna S, d'Isa R, Huang SC, De Battista D, Chirizzi C, Chaabane L, Kumar D, Boschert U, Comi G, Leocani L. Non-invasive visual evoked potentials to assess optic nerve involvement in the dark agouti rat model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. Brain Pathol 2019; 30:137-150. [PMID: 31267597 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the primary disease model of multiple sclerosis (MS), one of the most diffused neurological diseases characterized by fatigue, muscle weakness, vision loss, anxiety and depression. EAE can be induced through injection of myelin peptides to susceptible mouse or rat strains. In particular, EAE elicited by the autoimmune reaction against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) presents the common features of human MS: inflammation, demyelination and axonal loss. Optic neuritis affects visual pathways in both MS and in several EAE models. Neurophysiological evaluation through visual evoked potential (VEP) recording is useful to check visual pathway dysfunctions and to test the efficacy of innovative treatments against optic neuritis. For this purpose, we investigate the extent of VEP abnormalities in the dark agouti (DA) rat immunized with MOG, which develops a relapsing-remitting disease course. Together with the detection of motor signs, we acquired VEPs during both early and late stages of EAE, taking advantage of a non-invasive recording procedure that allows long follow-up studies. The validation of VEP outcomes was determined by comparison with ON histopathology, aimed at revealing inflammation, demyelination and nerve fiber loss. Our results indicate that the first VEP latency delay in MOG-EAE DA rats appeared before motor deficits and were mainly related to an inflammatory state. Subsequent VEP delays, detected during relapsing EAE phases, were associated with a combination of inflammation, demyelination and axonal loss. Moreover, DA rats with atypical EAE clinical course tested at extremely late time points, manifested abnormal VEPs although motor signs were mild. Overall, our data demonstrated that non-invasive VEPs are a powerful tool to detect visual involvement at different stages of EAE, prompting their validation as biomarkers to test novel treatments against MS optic neuritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Castoldi
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Marenna
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele d'Isa
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Su-Chun Huang
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide De Battista
- INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Chirizzi
- INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Chaabane
- INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Deepak Kumar
- EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, Billerica, MA
| | - Ursula Boschert
- Ares Trading S.A., Affiliate of Merck Serono S.A, Eysins, Switzerland
| | - Giancarlo Comi
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Leocani
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, INSPE - Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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Chirizzi C, De Battista D, Tirotta I, Metrangolo P, Comi G, Bombelli FB, Chaabane L. Multispectral MRI with Dual Fluorinated Probes to Track Mononuclear Cell Activity in Mice. Radiology 2019; 291:351-357. [PMID: 30888930 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2019181073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background MRI with fluorine 19 (19F) probes has shown an ability to track immune cell activity with a specific, stable, and quantitative signal. In addition, the chemical shift differences of selected 19F probes make dual-probe imaging possible. To improve 19F MRI sensitivity for dual-probe imaging, optimal fluorine probes are needed. Purpose To develop multispectral 19F MRI to image immune cell activity in vivo using 19F nanoparticles of two distinct fluorocarbons. Materials and Methods Both 19F nanoparticles formulated with two fluorocarbons with distinct resonance frequencies and a high fluorine payload were characterized in terms of size, stability, MR profile, and relaxation times at 7 T. 19F MRI sensitivity was tested on labeling cells both in vitro and in vivo in C57BL/6 mice after conditional ablation of myeloid cells through the inhibition of colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1Ri) to monitor the change of immune cells phagocytosis. Fluorine MRI data were acquired at the resonance frequency of each fluorocarbon by using a three-dimensional fast spin-echo sequence. Fluorescent dyes were also inserted into 19F nanoparticles to allow flow-cytometric and confocal microscopy analysis of labeled cells. Fluorine signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was compared by using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc correction. Results Fluorine MRI demonstrated high sensitivity and high specificity in the imaging of mononuclear cells both in vitro and in vivo. In combination with proton MRI, a map of 19F nuclei from each fluorocarbon was obtained without overlaps or artifacts. In vitro cell viability was unchanged, and 8000 cells with a high SNR (>8) were detected. In vivo high fluorine signal was observed in the bone marrow (SNR > 15) immediately after CSF1Ri treatment interruption, which correlated with high uptake by neutrophils and monocytes at flow cytometry. Conclusion By assessing in vivo MRI of mononuclear cell phagocytic ability with 19F nanoparticles, MRI with dual 19F probes can effectively track immune cell activity in combination with current MRI protocols. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Bulte in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Chirizzi
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Davide De Battista
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Ilaria Tirotta
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Pierangelo Metrangolo
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Giancarlo Comi
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Francesca Baldelli Bombelli
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
| | - Linda Chaabane
- From the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Experimental Imaging Center (CIS), INSPE-DiBiT2, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan 20132, Italy (C.C., D.D.B., G.C., L.C.); and SupraBioNano Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta" Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (I.T., P.M., F.B.B.)
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Gazzerro E, Baratto S, Assereto S, Baldassari S, Panicucci C, Raffaghello L, Scudieri P, De Battista D, Fiorillo C, Volpi S, Chaabane L, Malnati M, Messina G, Bruzzone S, Traggiai E, Grassi F, Minetti C, Bruno C. The Danger Signal Extracellular ATP Is Involved in the Immunomediated Damage of α-Sarcoglycan-Deficient Muscular Dystrophy. Am J Pathol 2018; 189:354-369. [PMID: 30448410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In muscular dystrophies, muscle membrane fragility results in a tissue-specific increase of danger-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) and infiltration of inflammatory cells. The DAMP extracellular ATP (eATP) released by dying myofibers steadily activates muscle and immune purinergic receptors exerting dual negative effects: a direct damage linked to altered intracellular calcium homeostasis in muscle cells and an indirect toxicity through the triggering of the immune response and inhibition of regulatory T cells. Accordingly, pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of eATP signaling improves the phenotype in models of chronic inflammatory diseases. In α-sarcoglycanopathy, eATP effects may be further amplified because α-sarcoglycan extracellular domain binds eATP and displays an ecto-ATPase activity, thus controlling eATP concentration at the cell surface and attenuating the magnitude and/or the duration of eATP-induced signals. Herein, we show that in vivo blockade of the eATP/P2X purinergic pathway by a broad-spectrum P2X receptor-antagonist delayed the progression of the dystrophic phenotype in α-sarcoglycan-null mice. eATP blockade dampened the muscular inflammatory response and enhanced the recruitment of forkhead box protein P3-positive immunosuppressive regulatory CD4+ T cells. The improvement of the inflammatory features was associated with increased strength, reduced necrosis, and limited expression of profibrotic factors, suggesting that pharmacologic purinergic antagonism, altering the innate and adaptive immune component in muscle infiltrates, might provide a therapeutic approach to slow disease progression in α-sarcoglycanopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Gazzerro
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscle Disease Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy; Charité Universität-Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Serena Baratto
- Center of Translational and Experimental Myology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Stefania Assereto
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscle Disease Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Simona Baldassari
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscle Disease Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Chiara Panicucci
- Center of Translational and Experimental Myology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Lizzia Raffaghello
- Center of Translational and Experimental Myology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy; Stem Cell Laboratory and Cell Therapy Center, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Paolo Scudieri
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Napoli, Italy
| | - Davide De Battista
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Chiara Fiorillo
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscle Disease Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Volpi
- Pediatria II Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Linda Chaabane
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Mauro Malnati
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Santina Bruzzone
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Grassi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Minetti
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscle Disease Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Claudio Bruno
- Center of Translational and Experimental Myology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
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Malnati MS, Ugolotti E, Monti MC, Battista DD, Vanni I, Bordo D, Sironi F, Larghero P, Marco ED, Biswas P, Poli G, Vicenzi E, Riva A, Tarkowski M, Tambussi G, Nozza S, Tripodi G, Marras F, Maria AD, Pistorio A, Biassoni R. Activating Killer Immunoglobulin Receptors and HLA-C: a successful combination providing HIV-1 control. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42470. [PMID: 28211903 PMCID: PMC5304173 DOI: 10.1038/srep42470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies demonstrated a relevant role of polymorphisms located within the HLA-B and -C loci and the Killer Immunoglobulin Receptors (KIRs) 3DL1 and 3DS1 in controlling HIV-1 replication. KIRs are regulatory receptors expressed at the surface of NK and CD8+ T-cells that specifically bind HLA-A and -B alleles belonging to the Bw4 supratype and all the -C alleles expressing the C1 or C2 supratype. We here disclose a novel signature associated with the Elite Controller but not with the long-term nonprogressor status concerning 2DS activating KIRs and HLA-C2 alleles insensitive to miRNA148a regulation. Overall, our findings support a crucial role of NK cells in the control of HIV-1 viremia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro S. Malnati
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, transplantation and Infectious Diseases IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Maria Cristina Monti
- Department of Public Health Unit of biostatistics and clinical epidemiology University of Pavia, Pavia Italy
| | - Davide De Battista
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, transplantation and Infectious Diseases IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesca Sironi
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, transplantation and Infectious Diseases IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Priscilla Biswas
- Unit of Human Virology, Division of Immunology, transplantation and Infectious Diseases IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Poli
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, School of Medicine, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Vicenzi
- Unit of Viral Pathogens and Biosafety, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Agostino Riva
- Department of Clinical Sciences Chair of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine University of Milan,“L. Sacco” Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Maciej Tarkowski
- Department of Clinical Sciences Chair of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine University of Milan,“L. Sacco” Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Tambussi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Nozza
- Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea De Maria
- IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Health Science, DISSAL and Center for excellence in Biomedical Research CEBR University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Moroni M, Ghezzi S, Baroli P, Heltai S, De Battista D, Pensieroso S, Cavarelli M, Dispinseri S, Vanni I, Pastori C, Zerbi P, Tosoni A, Vicenzi E, Nebuloni M, Wong K, Zhao H, McHugh S, Poli G, Lopalco L, Scarlatti G, Biassoni R, Mullins JI, Malnati MS, Alfano M. Spontaneous control of HIV-1 viremia in a subject with protective HLA-B plus HLA-C alleles and HLA-C associated single nucleotide polymorphisms. J Transl Med 2014; 12:335. [PMID: 25477316 PMCID: PMC4272524 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-014-0335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Understanding the mechanisms by which some individuals are able to naturally control HIV-1 infection is an important goal of AIDS research. We here describe the case of an HIV-1+ woman, CASE1, who has spontaneously controlled her viremia for the last 14 of her 20 years of infection. Methods CASE1 has been clinically monitored since 1993. Detailed immunological, virological and histological analyses were performed on samples obtained between 2009 and 2011. Results As for other Elite Controllers, CASE1 is characterized by low to undetectable levels of plasma HIV-1 RNA, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) associated HIV-1 DNA and reduced in vitro susceptibility of target cells to HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, a slow rate of virus evolution was demonstrated in spite the lack of assumption of any antiretroviral agent. CASE1 failed to transmit HIV-1 to either her sexual male partner or to her child born by vaginal delivery. Normal values and ratios of T and B cells were observed, along with normal histology of the intestinal mucosa. Attempts to isolate HIV-1 from her PBMC and gut-derived cells were unsuccessful, despite expression of normal cell surface levels of CD4, CCRC5 and CXCR4. CASE1 did not produce detectable anti-HIV neutralizing antibodies in her serum or genital mucosal fluid although she displayed potent T cell responses against HIV-1 Gag and Nef. CASE1 also possessed multiple genetic polymorphisms, including HLA alleles (B*14, B*57, C*06 and C*08.02) and HLA-C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs9264942 C/C and rs67384697 del/del), that have been previously individually associated with spontaneous control of plasma viremia, maintenance of high CD4+ T cell counts and delayed disease progression. Conclusions CASE1 has controlled her HIV-1 viremia below the limit of detection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy for more than 14 years and has not shown any sign of immunologic deterioration or disease progression. Co-expression of multiple protective HLA alleles, HLA-C SNPs and strong T cell responses against HIV-1 proteins are the most likely explanation of this very benign case of spontaneous control of HIV-1 disease progression. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-014-0335-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Moroni
- Infectious Disease Unit, Busto Arsizio Public Hospital, P.le Solaro n. 3, Busto Arsizio, 21052, Varese, Italy.
| | - Silvia Ghezzi
- Viral Pathogens and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Paolo Baroli
- Service Lab Fleming Research, Busto Arsizio, Varese, Italy.
| | - Silvia Heltai
- Human Virology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Davide De Battista
- Human Virology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Simone Pensieroso
- Viral Evolution and Transmission Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Mariangela Cavarelli
- Viral Evolution and Transmission Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Stefania Dispinseri
- Viral Evolution and Transmission Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Irene Vanni
- Department of Translational Research, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Claudia Pastori
- Immunobiology of HIV Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Pietro Zerbi
- Pathology Unit, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Antonella Tosoni
- Pathology Unit, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Elisa Vicenzi
- Viral Pathogens and Biosafety Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Manuela Nebuloni
- Pathology Unit, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Kim Wong
- Departments of Microbiology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Hong Zhao
- Departments of Microbiology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Sarah McHugh
- Departments of Microbiology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Guido Poli
- AIDS Immunopathogenesis Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina n. 58, Milan, 20132, Italy. .,School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
| | - Lucia Lopalco
- Immunobiology of HIV Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Scarlatti
- Viral Evolution and Transmission Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Roberto Biassoni
- Department of Translational Research, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.
| | - James I Mullins
- Departments of Microbiology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Mauro S Malnati
- Human Virology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Massimo Alfano
- AIDS Immunopathogenesis Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Disease, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina n. 58, Milan, 20132, Italy. .,Present address; Division of Experimental Oncology, Unit of Urology, URI; IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina n. 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
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Cassina G, Russo D, De Battista D, Broccolo F, Lusso P, Malnati MS. Calibrated real-time polymerase chain reaction for specific quantitation of HHV-6A and HHV-6B in clinical samples. J Virol Methods 2013; 189:172-9. [PMID: 23391825 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2013.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2011] [Revised: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The recent classification of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) A and B, previously considered as two variants of the same virus, as two distinct herpesvirus species, emphasizes the need to develop and standardize specific methods for their detection and quantitation for clinical use. The development of two highly sensitive calibrated real-time PCR to quantify HHV-6A and -6B variants in clinical specimen is described. Both assays displayed the same wide linear dynamic range from 10(0) to 10(6) copies of viral DNA in a single reaction and sensitivity of one copy/reaction. These systems allow for HHV-6A/B DNA load quantitation in different types of clinical specimens: blood or tissue cells when combined with the CCR5 assay; cell-free samples (plasma or other biological fluids) in combination with the calibrator technology. Due to the absence of cross-amplification and cross-hybridization, these methods detect minute amounts of one viral species even in the presence of a large excess of the other, allowing a specific quantitation of both viruses in the case of mixed infections. The new qPCR methods provide sensitive and specific tool for monitoring HHV-6A/B DNA load in clinical samples, facilitating the study of these viruses in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cassina
- Unit of Human Virology Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
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