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Stein S, Henze L, Poch T, Carambia A, Krech T, Preti M, Schuran FA, Reich M, Keitel V, Fiorotto R, Strazzabosco M, Fischer L, Li J, Müller LM, Wagner J, Gagliani N, Herkel J, Schwinge D, Schramm C. IL-17A/F enable cholangiocytes to restrict T cell-driven experimental cholangitis by upregulating PD-L1 expression. J Hepatol 2021; 74:919-930. [PMID: 33197512 PMCID: PMC8778963 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS IL-17A-producing T cells are present in autoimmune cholestatic liver diseases; however, little is known about the contribution of IL-17 to periductal immune responses. Herein, we investigated the role of IL-17 produced by antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in a mouse model of cholangitis and in vitro in human cholangiocyte organoids. METHODS K14-OVAp mice express a major histocompatibility complex I-restricted ovalbumin (OVA) peptide sequence (SIINFEKL) on cholangiocytes. Cholangitis was induced by the adoptive transfer of transgenic OVA-specific ovalbumin transgene (OT)-1 CD8+ T cells that either had OT-1wt or lacked IL-17A/F (OT-1IL17ko). The response of mouse and human cholangiocytes/organoids to IL-17A was assessed in vitro. RESULTS Transfer of OVA-specific OT-1IL17ko cells significantly aggravated periductal inflammation in K14-OVAp recipient mice compared with transfer of OT-1wt T cells. OT-1IL17ko T cells were highly activated in the liver and displayed increased cytotoxicity and proliferation. IL-17A/F produced by transferred OT-1wt CD8+ T cells induced upregulation of the inhibitory molecule programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on cholangiocytes, restricting cholangitis by limiting cytotoxicity and proliferation of transferred cells. In contrast, OT-1IL17ko T cells failed to induce PD-L1 on cholangiocytes, resulting in uncontrolled expansion of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and aggravated cholangitis. Blockade of PD-L1 after transfer of OT-1wt T cells with anti-PD-L1 antibody also resulted in aggravated cholangitis. Using human cholangiocyte organoids, we were able to confirm that IL-17A induces PD-L1 expression in cholangiocytes. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that by upregulating PD-L1 on cholangiocytes, IL-17 has an important role in restricting cholangitis and protecting against CD8+ T cell-mediated inflammatory bile duct injury. Caution should be exercised when targeting IL-17 for the treatment of cholangitis. LAY SUMMARY IL-17 is assumed to be a driver of inflammation in several autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis. IL-17 is also present in inflammatory diseases of the bile duct, but its role in these conditions is not clear, as the effects of IL-17 depend on the context of its expression. Herein, we investigated the role of IL-17 in an experimental autoimmune cholangitis mouse model, and we identified an important protective effect of IL-17 on cholangiocytes, enabling them to downregulate bile duct inflammation via checkpoint inhibitor PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Stein
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lara Henze
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Poch
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Antonella Carambia
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Till Krech
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Max Preti
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fenja Amrei Schuran
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Reich
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Verena Keitel
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Romina Fiorotto
- Liver Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mario Strazzabosco
- Liver Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lutz Fischer
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luisa Marie Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Wagner
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicola Gagliani
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Immunology and Allergy Unit, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Herkel
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Schwinge
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Christoph Schramm
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Martin Zeitz Center for Rare Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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Glaser F, John C, Engel B, Höh B, Weidemann S, Dieckhoff J, Stein S, Becker N, Casar C, Schuran FA, Wieschendorf B, Preti M, Jessen F, Franke A, Carambia A, Lohse AW, Ittrich H, Herkel J, Heeren J, Schramm C, Schwinge D. Liver infiltrating T cells regulate bile acid metabolism in experimental cholangitis. J Hepatol 2019; 71:783-792. [PMID: 31207266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS T cells are central mediators of liver inflammation and represent potential treatment targets in cholestatic liver disease. Whereas emerging evidence shows that bile acids (BAs) affect T cell function, the role of T cells for the regulation of BA metabolism is unknown. In order to understand this interplay, we investigated the influence of T cells on BA metabolism in a novel mouse model of cholangitis. METHODS Mdr2-/- mice were crossed with transgenic K14-OVAp mice, which express an MHC class I restricted ovalbumin peptide on biliary epithelial cells (Mdr2-/-xK14-OVAp). T cell-mediated cholangitis was induced by the adoptive transfer of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. BA levels were quantified using a targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based approach. RESULTS T cell-induced cholangitis resulted in reduced levels of unconjugated BAs in the liver and significantly increased serum and hepatic levels of conjugated BAs. Genes responsible for BA synthesis and uptake were downregulated and expression of the bile salt export pump was increased. The transferred antigen-specific CD8+ T cells alone were able to induce these changes, as demonstrated using Mdr2-/-xK14-OVAp recipient mice on the Rag1-/- background. Mechanistically, we showed by depletion experiments that alterations in BA metabolism were partly mediated by the proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IFN-γ in an FXR-dependent manner, a process that in vitro required cell contact between T cells and hepatocytes. CONCLUSION Whereas it is known that BA metabolism is dysregulated in sepsis and related conditions, we have shown that T cells are able to control the synthesis and metabolism of BAs, a process which depends on TNF and IFN-γ. Understanding the effect of lymphocytes on BA metabolism will help in the design of combined treatment strategies for cholestatic liver diseases. LAY SUMMARY Dysregulation of bile acid metabolism and T cells can contribute to the development of cholangiopathies. Before targeting T cells for the treatment of cholangiopathies, it should be determined whether they exert protective effects on bile acid metabolism. Herein, we demonstrate that T cell-induced cholangitis resulted in decreased levels of harmful unconjugated bile acids. T cells were able to directly control synthesis and metabolism of bile acids, a process which was dependent on the proinflammatory cytokines TNF and IFN-γ. Understanding the effect of lymphocytes on bile acid metabolism will help in the design of combined treatment strategies for cholestatic liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Glaser
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Clara John
- Department of Biochemistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bastian Engel
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benedikt Höh
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sören Weidemann
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Dieckhoff
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Stein
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nathalie Becker
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Casar
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fenja Amrei Schuran
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Björn Wieschendorf
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Max Preti
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Jessen
- Department of Biochemistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Antonella Carambia
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ansgar W Lohse
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harald Ittrich
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Herkel
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joerg Heeren
- Department of Biochemistry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schramm
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Martin Zeitz Centre for Rare Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Dorothee Schwinge
- I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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Wülfing C, Schuran FA, Urban J, Oehlmann J, Günther HS. Neural architecture in lymphoid organs: Hard-wired antigen presenting cells and neurite networks in antigen entrance areas. Immun Inflamm Dis 2018; 6:354-370. [PMID: 29635889 PMCID: PMC5946157 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Recently, we found abundant innervation of antigen presenting cells that were reached and enclosed by single neurites. These neurally hard‐wired antigen presenting cells (wAPC) could be observed in the T‐cell zone of superficial cervical lymph nodes of rats and other mammalians, including humans. Methods As a consequence, we investigated lymph nodes at many different anatomical positions as well as all primary and secondary lymphoid organs (SLO) in rodents for a similar morphology of innervation regarding antigen presenting cells known in those tissues. Results As a result, we confirmed wAPC in lymph nodes independent from their draining areas and anatomical positions but also in all other T‐cell zones of lymphoid organs, like Peyer's patches, NALT and BALT, as well as in the thymic medulla. Other cells were innervated in a similar fashion but with seemingly missing antigen presenting capacity. Both types of innervated immune cells were observed as being also present in the dermis of the skin. Only in the spleen wAPC could not be detected. Beyond this systematic finding, we also found another regular phenomenon: a dense network of neurites that stained for neurofilament always in antigen entrance areas of lymphoid organs (subsinoidal layer of lymph nodes, subepithelial dome of Peyer's patches, subsinoidal layer of the splenic white pulp, margins of NALT and BALT). Lastly, also thymic epithelial cells (TEC) restricted to the corticomedullary junction of the thymus showed similar neurofilament staining. Conclusions Therefore, we propose much more hard‐wired and probably afferent connections between lymphoid organs and the central nervous system than is hitherto known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Wülfing
- Group for Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fenja Amrei Schuran
- Group for Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia Urban
- Group for Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jasmin Oehlmann
- Group for Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hauke Simon Günther
- Group for Interdisciplinary Neurobiology and Immunology, Biozentrum Grindel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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