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Dinges SS, Amini K, Notarangelo LD, Delmonte OM. Primary and secondary defects of the thymus. Immunol Rev 2024; 322:178-211. [PMID: 38228406 PMCID: PMC10950553 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13306] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The thymus is the primary site of T-cell development, enabling generation, and selection of a diverse repertoire of T cells that recognize non-self, whilst remaining tolerant to self- antigens. Severe congenital disorders of thymic development (athymia) can be fatal if left untreated due to infections, and thymic tissue implantation is the only cure. While newborn screening for severe combined immune deficiency has allowed improved detection at birth of congenital athymia, thymic disorders acquired later in life are still underrecognized and assessing the quality of thymic function in such conditions remains a challenge. The thymus is sensitive to injury elicited from a variety of endogenous and exogenous factors, and its self-renewal capacity decreases with age. Secondary and age-related forms of thymic dysfunction may lead to an increased risk of infections, malignancy, and autoimmunity. Promising results have been obtained in preclinical models and clinical trials upon administration of soluble factors promoting thymic regeneration, but to date no therapy is approved for clinical use. In this review we provide a background on thymus development, function, and age-related involution. We discuss disease mechanisms, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for primary and secondary thymic defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S. Dinges
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kayla Amini
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ottavia M. Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Abstract
Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has put millions of people, especially children at risk of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) by pushing them into poverty and disrupting the global food supply chain. The thymus is severely affected by nutritional deficiencies and is known as a barometer of malnutrition. Aim: The present commentary provides a novel perspective on the role of malnutrition-induced thymic dysfunction, involution and atrophy on the risk and severity of disease in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A review of pertinent indexed literature including studies examining the effects of malnutrition on the thymus and immune dysfunction in COVID-19. Results: Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies of zinc, iron and vitamin A are known to promote thymic dysfunction and thymocyte loss in children. Malnutrition- and infection-induced thymic atrophy and immune dysfunction may increase the risk of first, progression of COVID-19 disease to more severe forms including development of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C); second, slow the recovery from COVID-19 disease; and third, increase the risk of other infections. Furthermore, malnourished children may be at increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection due to socioeconomic conditions that promote viral transmission amongst contacts and create barriers to vaccination. Conclusion: National governments and international organizations including WHO, World Food Program, and UNICEF should institute measures to ensure provision of food and micronutrients for children at risk in order to limit the health impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh
- Division of Nephrology, Hypertension
and Kidney Transplantation and Department of Medicine,
University of
California Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine,
USA
| | - Ajay Gupta
- Charak
Foundation, Orange, CA, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Hypertension
and Kidney Transplantation and Department of Medicine,
University of
California Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine,
USA
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3
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Wang W, Thomas R, Oh J, Su D. Accumulation of pTreg cells is detrimental in late-onset (aged) mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13630. [PMID: 35615905 PMCID: PMC9197401 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13630] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Although typically associated with onset in young adults, multiple sclerosis (MS) also attacks the elderly, which is termed late-onset MS. The disease can be recapitulated and studied in a mouse model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The onset of induced EAE is delayed in aged mice, but disease severity is increased relative to young EAE mice. Given that CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells play an ameliorative role in MS/EAE severity, and the aged immune system accumulates peripheral Treg (pTreg) cells, failure of these cells to prevent or ameliorate EAE disease is enigmatic. When analyzing the distribution of Treg cells in EAE mice, the aged mice exhibited a higher proportion of polyclonal (pan-) pTreg cells and a lower proportion of antigen-specific pTreg cells in the periphery but lower proportions of both pan- and antigen-specific Treg cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, in the aged inflamed CNS, CNS-Treg cells exhibited a higher plasticity, and T effector (CNS-Teff) cells exhibited greater clonal expansion, disrupting the Treg/Teff balance. Transiently inhibiting FoxP3 or depleting pTreg cells partially corrected Treg distribution and restored the Treg/Teff balance in the aged inflamed CNS, thereby ameliorating the disease in the aged EAE mice. These results provide evidence and mechanism that accumulated aged pTreg cells play a detrimental role in neuronal inflammation of aged MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikan Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth Texas USA
| | | | - Jiyoung Oh
- Department of Pediatrics University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas Texas 75390 USA
| | - Dong‐Ming Su
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth Texas USA
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Thomas R, Oh J, Wang W, Su DM. Thymic atrophy creates holes in Treg-mediated immuno-regulation via impairment of an antigen-specific clone. Immunology 2021; 163:478-492. [PMID: 33786850 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related thymic atrophy results in reduced output of naïve conventional T (Tcon) cells. However, its impact on regulatory T (Treg) cells is insufficiently understood. Given evidence that thymic Treg (tTreg) cell generation is enhanced in the aged, atrophy thymus and that the aged periphery accumulates peripheral Treg (pTreg) cells, we asked why these Treg cells are unable to effectively attenuate increased autoreactivity-induced chronic inflammation in the elderly. We designed a mock-self-antigen chimera mouse model, in which membrane-bound ovalbumin (mOVA) transgenic mice, bearing a FoxN1-floxed gene for induction of conditional thymic atrophy, received OVA-specific (OT-II) T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic progenitor cells. The chimeric mice with thymic atrophy exhibited a significant decrease in OVA-specific tTreg and pTreg cells but not polyclonal (pan)-Treg cells. These OVA-specific pTreg cells were significantly less able to suppress OVA-specific stimulation-induced proliferation in vitro and exhibited lower FoxP3 expression. Additionally, we conducted preliminary TCR repertoire diversity sequencing for Treg cells among recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) from RagGFP -FoxP3RFP dual-reporter mice and observed a trend for decreased diversity in mice with thymic atrophy compared to littermates with normal thymus. These data indicate that although the effects of age-related thymic atrophy do not affect pan-Treg generation, certain tissue-specific Treg clones may experience abnormal agonist selection. This, combined with enhanced pan-pTreg cells, may greatly contribute to age-related chronic inflammation, even in the absence of acute autoimmune disease in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Thomas
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Jiyoung Oh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Weikan Wang
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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Guha I, Bhuniya A, Nandi P, Dasgupta S, Sarkar A, Saha A, Das J, Ganguly N, Ghosh S, Ghosh T, Sarkar M, Ghosh S, Majumdar S, Baral R, Bose A. Neem leaf glycoprotein reverses tumor-induced and age-associated thymic involution to maintain peripheral CD8 + T cell pool. Immunotherapy 2020; 12:799-818. [PMID: 32698648 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2019-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: As tumor causes atrophy in the thymus to target effector-T cells, this study is aimed to decipher the efficacy of neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP) in tumor- and age-associated thymic atrophy. Materials & methods: Different thymus parameters were studied using flow cytometry, reverse transcriptase PCR and immunocyto-/histochemistry in murine melanoma and sarcoma models. Results: Longitudinal NLGP therapy in tumor hosts show tumor-reduction along with significant normalization of thymic alterations. NLGP downregulates intrathymic IL-10, which eventually promotes Notch1 to rescue blockade in CD25+CD44+c-Kit+DN2 to CD25+CD44-c-Kit-DN3 transition in T cell maturation and suppress Ikaros/IRF8/Pu.1 to prevent DN2-T to DC differentiation in tumor hosts. The CD5intTCRαβhigh DP3 population was also increased to endorse CD8+ T cell generation. Conclusion: NLGP rescues tumor-induced altered thymic events to generate more effector T cells to restrain tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Guha
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Avishek Bhuniya
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Partha Nandi
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Shayani Dasgupta
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Anirban Sarkar
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Akata Saha
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Juhina Das
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Nilanjan Ganguly
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Sarbari Ghosh
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Tithi Ghosh
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Madhurima Sarkar
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Sweta Ghosh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kolkata 700054, India
| | - Subrata Majumdar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P1/12, CIT Scheme VIIM, Kolkata 700054, India
| | - Rathindranath Baral
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
| | - Anamika Bose
- Department of Immunoregulation & Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), 37, SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, India
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Abstract
The thymus is unique in its ability to support the maturation of phenotypically and functionally distinct T cell sub-lineages. Through its combined production of MHC-restricted conventional CD4+ and CD8+, and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, as well as non-conventional CD1d-restricted iNKT cells and invariant γδT cells, the thymus represents an important orchestrator of immune system development and control. It is now clear that thymus function is largely determined by the availability of stromal microenvironments. These specialized areas emerge during thymus organogenesis and are maintained throughout life. They are formed from both epithelial and mesenchymal components, and collectively they support a stepwise program of thymocyte development. Of these stromal cells, cortical, and medullary thymic epithelial cells represent functional components of thymic microenvironments in both the cortex and medulla. Importantly, a key feature of thymus function is that levels of T cell production are not constant throughout life. Here, multiple physiological factors including aging, stress and pregnancy can have either short- or long-term detrimental impact on rates of thymus function. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the development and function of thymic epithelial cells, and relate this to strategies to protect and/or restore thymic epithelial cell function for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah S Alawam
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Beth Lucas
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Wang S, Lyu C, Duan G, Meng F, Yang Y, Yu Y, He X, Wang Z, Gottschalk M, Li G, Cai X, Wang G. Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Infection Causes Host Immunomodulation through Induction of Thymic Atrophy. Infect Immun 2020; 88:e00950-19. [PMID: 31932328 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00950-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 is an important bacterial pathogen of swine and is also an emerging zoonotic agent that may be harmful to human health. Although the virulence genes of S. suis have been extensively studied, the mechanisms by which they damage the central immune organs have rarely been studied. In the current work, we wanted to uncover more details about the impact and mechanisms of S. suis on specific populations of thymic and immune cells in infected mice. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays revealed that S. suis infection induced apoptosis in CD3+, CD14+, and epithelial cells from the thymus. S. suis infection resulted in a rapid depletion of mitochondrial permeability and release of cytochrome c (CytC) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) through upregulation of Bax expression and downregulation of Bcl-xl and Bcl2 expression in thymocytes. Moreover, S. suis infection increased cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Thus, S. suis induced thymocyte apoptosis through a p53- and caspase-dependent pathway, which led to a decrease of CD3+ cells in the thymus, subsequently decreasing the numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the peripheral blood. Finally, expression dysregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum, including interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-12 (p70), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and IL-10, was observed in mice after S. suis type 2 infection. Taken together, these results suggest that S. suis infection can cause atrophy of the thymus and induce apoptosis of thymocytes in mice, thus likely suppressing host immunity.
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Karuppuchamy T, Tyler CJ, Lundborg LR, Pérez-Jeldres T, Kimball AK, Clambey ET, Jedlicka P, Rivera-Nieves J. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Lyase Inhibition Alters the S1P Gradient and Ameliorates Crohn's-Like Ileitis by Suppressing Thymocyte Maturation. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2020; 26:216-228. [PMID: 31807751 PMCID: PMC6943703 DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izz174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lymphocytes recirculate from tissues to blood following the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) gradient (low in tissues, high in blood), maintained by synthetic and degradative enzymes, among which the S1P lyase (SPL) irreversibly degrades S1P. The role of SPL in the intestine, both during homeostasis and IBD, is poorly understood. We hypothesized that modulation of tissue S1P levels might be advantageous over S1P receptor (S1PR) agonists (eg, fingolimod, ozanimod, etrasimod), as without S1PR engagement there might be less likelihood of potential off-target effects. METHODS First we examined SPL mRNA transcripts and SPL localization in tissues by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The in vivo effects of the SPL inhibitors 4-deoxypyridoxine hydrochloride (30 mg/L) and 2-acetyl-4 (tetrahydroxybutyl)imidazole (50 mg/L) were assessed through their oral administration to adult TNF∆ARE mice, which spontaneously develop Crohn's-like chronic ileitis. The effect of SPL inhibition on circulating and tissue lymphocytes, transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory cytokines, and on the histological severity of ileitis was additionally examined. Tissue S1P levels were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mechanistically, the potential effects of high S1P tissue levels on intestinal leukocyte apoptosis were assessed via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay and annexin 5 staining. Finally, we examined the ability of T cells to home to the intestine, along with the effects of SPL inhibition on cellular subsets within immune compartments via flow and mass cytometry. RESULTS S1P lyase was ubiquitously expressed. In the gut, immunohistochemistry predominantly localized it to small intestinal epithelia, although the lamina propria leukocyte fraction had higher mRNA transcripts. Inhibition of SPL markedly increased local intestinal S1P levels, induced peripheral lymphopenia, downregulated proinflammatory cytokines, and attenuated chronic ileitis in mice. SPL inhibition reduced T and myeloid cells in secondary lymphoid tissues and the intestine and decreased naïve T-cell recruitment. The anti-inflammatory activity of SPL inhibition was not mediated by leukocyte apoptosis, nor by interference with the homing of lymphocytes to the intestine, and was independent of its peripheral lymphopenic effect. However, SPL inhibition promoted thymic atrophy and depleted late immature T cells (CD4+CD8+ double positive), with accumulation of mature CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ single-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS Inhibition of the S1P lyase alters the S1P gradient and attenuates chronic ileitis via central immunosuppression. SPL inhibition could represent a potential way to tame an overactive immune response during IBD and other T-cell-mediated chronic inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thangaraj Karuppuchamy
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Christopher J Tyler
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Luke R Lundborg
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tamara Pérez-Jeldres
- Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Hospital San Borja Arriarán, Santiago, Chile
| | - Abigail K Kimball
- Department of Anesthesiology Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pathology, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Eric T Clambey
- Department of Anesthesiology Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pathology, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Paul Jedlicka
- Department of Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jesús Rivera-Nieves
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Gastroenterology Section, San Diego VA Medical Center, La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California, USA
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Butler JE, Sinkora M, Wang G, Stepanova K, Li Y, Cai X. Perturbation of Thymocyte Development Underlies the PRRS Pandemic: A Testable Hypothesis. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1077. [PMID: 31156633 PMCID: PMC6529568 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes immune dysregulation during the Critical Window of Immunological Development. We hypothesize that thymocyte development is altered by infected thymic antigen presenting cells (TAPCs) in the fetal/neonatal thymus that interact with double-positive thymocytes causing an acute deficiency of T cells that produces “holes” in the T cell repertoire allowing for poor recognition of PRRSV and other neonatal pathogens. The deficiency may be the result of random elimination of PRRSV-specific T cells or the generation of T cells that accept PRRSV epitopes as self-antigens. Loss of helper T cells for virus neutralizing (VN) epitopes can result in the failure of selection for B cells in lymph node germinal centers capable of producing high affinity VN antibodies. Generation of cytotoxic and regulatory T cells may also be impaired. Similar to infections with LDV, LCMV, MCMV, HIV-1 and trypanosomes, the host responds to the deficiency of pathogen-specific T cells and perhaps regulatory T cells, by “last ditch” polyclonal B cell activation. In colostrum-deprived PRRSV-infected isolator piglets, this results in hypergammaglobulinemia, which we believe to be a “red herring” that detracts attention from the thymic atrophy story, but leads to our second independent hypothesis. Since hypergammaglobulinemia has not been reported in PRRSV-infected conventionally-reared piglets, we hypothesize that this is due to the down-regulatory effect of passive maternal IgG and cytokines in porcine colostrum, especially TGFβ which stimulates development of regulatory T cells (Tregs).
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Butler
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, United States
| | - Marek Sinkora
- Laboratory of Gnotobiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Katerina Stepanova
- Laboratory of Gnotobiology, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Yuming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Xuehui Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
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Majumdar S, Adiga V, Raghavan A, Rananaware SR, Nandi D. Comparative analysis of thymic subpopulations during different modes of atrophy identifies the reactive oxygen species scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine, to increase the survival of thymocytes during infection-induced and lipopolysaccharide-induced thymic atrophy. Immunology 2019; 157:21-36. [PMID: 30659606 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of immunocompetent T cells entails a complex pathway of differentiation in the thymus. Thymic atrophy occurs with ageing and during conditions such as malnutrition, infections and cancer chemotherapy. The comparative changes in thymic subsets under different modes of thymic atrophy and the mechanisms involved are not well characterized. These aspects were investigated, using mice infected with Salmonella Typhimurium, injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an inflammatory but non-infectious stimulus, etoposide (Eto), a drug used to treat some cancers, and dexamethasone (Dex), a steroid used in some inflammatory diseases. The effects on the major subpopulations of thymocytes based on multicolour flow cytometry studies were, first, the CD4- CD8- double-negative (DN) cells, mainly DN2-4, were reduced with infection, LPS and Eto treatment, but not with Dex. Second, the CD8+ CD3lo immature single-positive cells (ISPs) were highly sensitive to infection, LPS and Eto, but not Dex. Third, treatment with LPS, Eto and Dex reduced all three subpopulations of CD4+ CD8+ double-positive (DP) thymocytes, i.e. DP1, DP2 and DP3, but the DP3 subset was relatively more resistant during infection. Fourth, both CD4+ and CD8+ single-positive (SP) thymocytes were lowered by Eto and Dex, but not during infection. Notably, LPS lowered CD4+ SP subsets, whereas the CD8+ SP subsets were relatively more resistant. Interestingly, the reactive oxygen species quencher, N-acetyl cysteine, greatly improved the survival of thymocytes, especially DNs, ISPs and DPs, during infection and LPS treatment. The implications of these observations for the development of potential thymopoietic drugs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamik Majumdar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Vasista Adiga
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Abinaya Raghavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Dipankar Nandi
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.,Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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Kim JI, Park JS, Kim H, Ryu SK, Kwak J, Kwon E, Yun JW, Nam KT, Lee HW, Kang BC. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of Rag-2 causes systemic lymphopenia with hypoplastic lymphoid organs in FVB mice. Lab Anim Res 2018; 34:166-75. [PMID: 30671102 DOI: 10.5625/lar.2018.34.4.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination activating gene-2 (RAG-2) plays a crucial role in the development of lymphocytes by mediating recombination of T cell receptors and immunoglobulins, and loss of RAG-2 causes severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in humans. RAG-2 knockout mice created using homologous recombination in ES cells have served as a valuable immunodeficient platform, but concerns have persisted on the specificity of RAG-2-related phenotypes in these animals due to the limitations associated with the genome engineering method used. To precisely investigate the function of RAG-2, we recently established a new RAG-2 knockout FVB mouse line (RAG-2−/−) manifesting lymphopenia by employing a CRISPR/Cas9 system at Center for Mouse Models of Human Disease. In this study, we further characterized their phenotypes focusing on histopathological analysis of lymphoid organs. RAG-2−/− mice showed no abnormality in development compared to their WT littermates for 26 weeks. At necropsy, gross examination revealed significantly smaller spleens and thymuses in RAG-2−/− mice, while histopathological investigation revealed hypoplastic white pulps with intact red pulps in the spleen, severe atrophy of the thymic cortex and disappearance of follicles in lymph nodes. However, no perceivable change was observed in the bone marrow. Moreover, our analyses showed a specific reduction of lymphocytes with a complete loss of mature T cells and B cells in the lymphoid organs, while natural killer cells and splenic megakaryocytes were increased in RAG-2−/− mice. These findings indicate that our RAG-2−/− mice show systemic lymphopenia with the relevant histopathological changes in the lymphoid organs, suggesting them as an improved Rag-2-related immunodeficient model.
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O’Sullivan BJ, Yekollu S, Ruscher R, Mehdi AM, Maradana MR, Chidgey AP, Thomas R. Autoimmune-Mediated Thymic Atrophy Is Accelerated but Reversible in RelB-Deficient Mice. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1092. [PMID: 29872433 PMCID: PMC5972300 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms impacting thymic function may decrease peripheral tolerance and hasten autoimmune disease. The NF-κB transcription factor subunit, RelB, is essential for the development and differentiation of medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs): RelB-deficient mice have reduced thymic cellularity and markedly fewer mTECs, lacking AIRE. The precise mechanism of this mTEC reduction in the absence of RelB is unclear. To address this, we studied mTECs and dendritic cells (DCs), which critically regulate negative selection, and thymic regulatory T-cells (tTreg) in RelB-/- mice, which have spontaneous multiorgan autoimmune disease. RelB-/- thymi were organized, with medullary structures containing AIRE- mTECs, DCs, and CD4+ thymocytes, but fewer tTreg. Granulocytes infiltrated the RelB-/- thymic cortex, capsule, and medulla, producing inflammatory thymic medullary atrophy, which could be treated by granulocyte depletion or RelB+ DC immunotherapy, with concomitant recovery of mTEC and tTreg numbers. These data indicate that central tolerance defects may be accelerated by autoimmune thymic inflammation where impaired RelB signaling impairs the medullary niche, and may be reversible by therapies enhancing peripheral Treg or suppressing inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J. O’Sullivan
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Suman Yekollu
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Roland Ruscher
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ahmed M. Mehdi
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Muralidhara Rao Maradana
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ann P. Chidgey
- Stem Cells and Immune Regeneration Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ranjeny Thomas
- Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Majumdar S, Mishra V, Nandi S, Abdullah M, Barman A, Raghavan A, Nandi D, Visweswariah SS. Absence of Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase C Enhances Ileal Damage and Reduces Cytokine and Antimicrobial Peptide Production during Oral Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Infection. Infect Immun 2018; 86:e00799-17. [PMID: 29463616 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00799-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Nontyphoidal Salmonella disease contributes toward significant morbidity and mortality across the world. Host factors, including gamma interferon, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and gut microbiota, significantly influence the outcome of Salmonella pathogenesis. However, the entire repertoire of host protective mechanisms contributing to Salmonella pathogenicity is not completely appreciated. Here, we investigated the roles of receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C), which is predominantly expressed in the intestine and regulates intestinal cell proliferation and fluid-ion homeostasis. Mice deficient in GC-C (Gucy2c-/-) displayed accelerated mortality compared with that for wild-type mice following infection via the oral route, even though both groups possessed comparable systemic Salmonella infection burdens. Survival following intraperitoneal infection remained similar in both groups, indicating that GC-C offered protection via a gut-mediated response. The serum cortisol level was higher in Gucy2c-/- mice than wild-type (Gucy2c+/+) mice, and an increase in infection-induced thymic atrophy with a loss of immature CD4+ CD8+ double-positive thymocytes was observed. Accelerated and enhanced damage in the ileum, including submucosal edema, epithelial cell damage, focal tufting, and distortion of the villus architecture, was seen in Gucy2c-/- mice concomitantly with a larger number of ileal tissue-associated bacteria. Transcription of key mediators of Salmonella-induced inflammation (interleukin-22/Reg3β) was altered in Gucy2c-/- mice in comparison to that in Gucy2c+/+ mice. A reduction in fecal lactobacilli, which are protective against Salmonella infection, was observed in Gucy2c-/- mice. Gucy2c-/- mice cohoused with wild-type mice continued to show reduced amounts of lactobacilli and increased susceptibility to infection. Our study, therefore, suggests that the receptor GC-C confers a survival advantage during gut-mediated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium pathogenesis, presumably by regulating Salmonella effector mechanisms and maintaining a beneficial microbiome.
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Liu Z, Su DM, Yu ZL, Wu F, Liu RF, Luo SQ, Lv ZY, Zeng X, Sun X, Wu ZD. Soluble antigens from the neurotropic pathogen Angiostrongylus cantonensis directly induce thymus atrophy in a mouse model. Oncotarget 2018; 8:48575-48590. [PMID: 28548945 PMCID: PMC5564709 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A.C.) is a neurotropic pathogen; stage-III larva invade the human (non-permissive host) central nervous system (CNS) to cause eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis accompanied by immunosuppression. In an A.C.-infectedmouse (another non-permissive host) model, CNS damage-associated T cell immune deficiency and severe inflammation were proposed to result from activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory agents. Additionally, while defects in thymic stromal/epithelial cells (TECs) are the major reason for thymic atrophy, TECs do not express the glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, activation of the HPA axis cannot fully explain the thymic atrophy and inflammation. Using an A.C.-infected mouse model, we found that A.C.-infected mice developed severe thymic atrophy with dramatic impairments in thymocytes and TECs, particularly cortical TECs, which harbor CD4+CD8+ double-positive thymocytes. The impairments resulted from soluble antigens (sAgs) from A.C. in the thymuses of infected mice, as intrathymic injection of these sAgs into live mice and the addition of these sAgs to thymic cell culture resulted in thymic atrophy and cellular apoptosis, respectively. Therefore, in addition to an indirect effect on thymocytes through the HPA axis, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which A.C. infection in non-permissive hosts directly induces defects in both thymocytes and TECs via soluble antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Zi-Long Yu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Feng Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Qi Luo
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Yue Lv
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Sun
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Dao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Diseases-Vectors Control, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Abstract
Background Thymic atrophy was discovered in tumor-bearing mice in recent years. Methods Flow cytometry was carried out including Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, PI staining, Terminal dUTP nick-end labeling, CD3-FITC/CD19-PE and CD8-FITC/CD4-PE double staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction were also investigated. Results According to our experiments, we demonstrated that no signs of apoptosis in thymocytes were found in H22-bearing mice, while the proportions of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in thymuses were remarkably increased, the opposite tendency was found in peripheral bloods, and only CD3+CD8+ T cells were discovered in H22 solid tumors. We further discovered that the level of thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) and the expression of Wnt4 in thymus of H22-bearing mice were significantly improved than control, which indicated the active proliferation and differentiation of thymocytes. Our study revealed that CD8+ T cells could not effectively eliminate H22 cells independently when CD4+ T cells were suppressed by tumors, while the body would only enhance the differentiation and maturation of T cells in thymuses and release them to solid tumor to reinforce antitumor immunocompetence, leading to a vicious cycle which finally led to thymic atrophy. Conclusion Our data propose a novel mechanism of tumor-induced thymic atrophy regulated by abnormal immunoreaction and may provide new ideas for the immunotherapy of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Haiyu Ji
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingying Feng
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Juan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Anjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
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16
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Ahn HM, Hong J, Yun CO. Oncolytic adenovirus coexpressing interleukin-12 and shVEGF restores antitumor immune function and enhances antitumor efficacy. Oncotarget 2018; 7:84965-84980. [PMID: 27821803 PMCID: PMC5356712 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment is extremely immunosuppressive, preventing efficient induction of antitumor immunity. To overcome tumor-mediated immunosuppression and enhance the potency of immunogene therapy, oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) co-expressing interleukin (IL)-12 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-specific short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shVEGF; RdB/IL12/shVEGF) was generated. Intratumoral injection of RdB/IL12/shVEGF induced a strong antitumor effect in an immune competent B16-F10 melanoma model. RdB/IL12/shVEGF restored immune surveillance function in tumor tissues and actively recruited immune cells by elevating the expression levels of IL-12 and interferon-γ. RdB/IL12/shVEGF efficiently suppressed expression of immunosuppressive VEGF, resulting in restoration of the antitumor immune response and prevention of thymic atrophy. In situ delivery of RdB/IL12/shVEGF to tumor tissues resulted in massive infiltration of differentiated CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells to tissues surrounding the necrotic region of tumor. Furthermore, RdB/IL12/shVEGF induced a potent tumor-specific T helper type 1 immune response, implying that attenuation of the immunosuppressive environment mediated by downregulation of VEGF can significantly enhance immune stimulatory functions in the tumor milieu. Collectively, these findings indicate the potential of inducing and restoring potent antitumor immunity using intratumorally administered oncolytic Ad co-expressing IL-12 and shVEGF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyo Min Ahn
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, 222 Wangsimni-ro 133-791, Seoul, Korea
| | - JinWoo Hong
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, 222 Wangsimni-ro 133-791, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chae-Ok Yun
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, 222 Wangsimni-ro 133-791, Seoul, Korea
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17
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Carbajosa S, Gea S, Chillón-Marinas C, Poveda C, Del Carmen Maza M, Fresno M, Gironès N. Altered bone marrow lymphopoiesis and interleukin-6-dependent inhibition of thymocyte differentiation contribute to thymic atrophy during Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Oncotarget 2017; 8:17551-17561. [PMID: 28147332 PMCID: PMC5392268 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14886] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic atrophy occurs during infection being associated with apoptosis of double positive (DP) and premature exit of DP and double negative (DN) thymocytes. We observed for the first time that a significant bone marrow aplasia and a decrease in common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) preceded thymic alterations in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. In addition, depletion of the DN2 stage was previous to the DN1, indicating an alteration in the differentiation from DN1 to DN2 thymocytes. Interestingly, infected mice deficient in IL-6 expression showed higher numbers of DP and CD4+ thymocytes than wild type infected mice, while presenting similar percentages of DN1 thymocytes. Moreover, the drop in late differentiation stages of DN thymocytes was partially abrogated in comparison with wild type littermates. Thus, our results suggest that thymic atrophy involves a drop in CLPs production in bone marrow and IL-6-dependent and independent mechanisms that inhibits the differentiation of DN thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Carbajosa
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Gea
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Chillón-Marinas
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Del Carmen Maza
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Sanitario de Investigación Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Fresno
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Sanitario de Investigación Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Núria Gironès
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Sanitario de Investigación Princesa, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Khanam S, Sharma S, Pathak S. Lethal and nonlethal murine malarial infections differentially affect apoptosis, proliferation, and CD8 expression on thymic T cells. Parasite Immunol 2016; 37:349-61. [PMID: 25886201 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Although thymic atrophy and apoptosis of the double-positive (DP) T cells have been reported in murine malaria, comparative studies investigating the effect of lethal and nonlethal Plasmodium infections on the thymus are lacking. We assessed the effects of P. yoelii lethal (17XL) and nonlethal (17XNL) infections on thymic T cells. Both strains affected the thymus. 17XL infection induced DP T-cell apoptosis and a selective decrease in surface CD8 expression on developing thymocytes. By contrast, more severe but reversible effects were observed during 17XNL infection. DP T cells underwent apoptosis, and proliferation of both DN and DP cells was affected around peak parasitemia. A transient increase in surface CD8 expression on thymic T cells was also observed. Adult thymic organ culture revealed that soluble serum factors, but not IFN-γ or TNF-α, contributed to the observed effects. Thus, lethal and nonlethal malarial infections led to multiple disparate effects on thymus. These parasite-induced thymic changes are expected to impact the naïve T-cell repertoire and the subsequent control of the immune response against the parasite. Further investigations are required to elucidate the mechanism responsible for these disparate effects, especially the reversible involution of the thymus in case of nonlethal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Khanam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - S Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - S Pathak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Harrill JA, Layko D, Nyska A, Hukkanen RR, Manno RA, Grassetti A, Lawson M, Martin G, Budinsky RA, Rowlands JC, Thomas RS. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor knockout rats are insensitive to the pathological effects of repeated oral exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. J Appl Toxicol 2015; 36:802-14. [PMID: 26278112 DOI: 10.1002/jat.3211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Sustained activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is believed to be the initial key event in AHR receptor-mediated tumorigenesis in the rat liver. The role of AHR in mediating pathological changes in the liver prior to tumor formation was investigated in a 4-week, repeated-dose study using adult female wild-type (WT) and AHR knockout (AHR-KO) rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Beginning at 8 weeks of age, AHR-KO and WT rats were dosed by oral gavage with varying concentrations of TCDD (0, 3, 22, 100, 300 and 1000 ng kg(-1) day(-1) ). Lung, liver and thymus histopathology, hematology, serum chemistry and the distribution of TCDD in liver and adipose tissue were examined. Treatment-related increases in the severity of liver and thymus pathology were observed in WT, but not AHR-KO rats. In the liver, these included hepatocellular hypertrophy, bile duct hyperplasia, multinucleated hepatocytes and inflammatory cell foci. A loss of cellularity in the thymic cortex and thymic atrophy was observed. Treatment-related changes in serum chemistry parameters were also observed in WT, but not AHR-KO rats. Finally, dose-dependent accumulation of TCDD was observed primarily in the liver of WT rats and primarily in the adipose tissue of AHR-KO rats. The results suggest that AHR activation is the initial key event underlying the progression of histological effects leading to liver tumorigenesis following TCDD treatment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Harrill
- The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Debra Layko
- The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Abraham Nyska
- Consultant in Toxicologic Pathology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Timrat, 36576, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Marie Lawson
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, 48640, USA
| | - Greg Martin
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, 48640, USA
| | | | | | - Russell S Thomas
- The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, Institute for Chemical Safety Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
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Varecza Z, Kvell K, Talabér G, Miskei G, Csongei V, Bartis D, Anderson G, Jenkinson EJ, Pongracz JE. Multiple suppression pathways of canonical Wnt signalling control thymic epithelial senescence. Mech Ageing Dev 2011; 132:249-56. [PMID: 21549744 PMCID: PMC3146701 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2011.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Members of the Wnt family of secreted glyco-lipo-proteins affect intrathymic T-cell development and are abundantly secreted by thymic epithelial cells (TECs) that create the specific microenvironment for thymocytes to develop into mature T-cells. During ageing, Wnt expression declines allowing adipoid involution of the thymic epithelium leading to reduced naïve T-cell output. The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine-threonine kinases is involved in numerous intracellular biochemical processes, including Wnt signal transduction. In the present study, PKCδ expression is shown to increase with age and to co-localise with Wnt receptors Frizzled (Fz)-4 and -6. It is also demonstrated that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a Wnt-4 target gene and is potentially involved in a negative feed-back loop of Wnt signal regulation. Down-regulation of Wnt-4 expression and activation of multiple repressor pathways suppressing β-catenin dependent signalling in TECs contribute to the initiation of thymic senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Varecza
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Krisztian Kvell
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Talabér
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Miskei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Veronika Csongei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Domokos Bartis
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eric J. Jenkinson
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Judit E. Pongracz
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute for Immunology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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21
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Fernandes G, Nair M, Onoe K, Tanaka T, Floyd R, Good RA. Impairment of cell-mediated immunity functions by dietary zinc deficiency in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1979; 76:457-61. [PMID: 311474 PMCID: PMC382959 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.76.1.457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several immunologic features were analyzed in mice on a zinc-deficient diet [Zn(-)], in mice pair-fed a diet containing zinc [Zn(+)], in mice fed a Zn(+) diet ad lib, and in mice fed laboratory chow ad lib. When placed on a Zn(-) diet, 6- to 8-week-old A/Jax, C57BL/Ks, and CBA/H mice showed loss of body weight, low lymphoid tissue weight, and profound involution of the thymus within 4-8 weeks after initiation of the regimen. Approximately 50% of the mice on the Zn(-) diet developed severe acrodermatitis enteropathica (lesions on tail and paws) and diarrhea. Pair-fed mice on the Zn(+) diet did not show any of these symptoms. Mice on the Zn(-) diet showed the following immune deficiencies: (i) depressed plaque-forming cells against sheep erythrocytes after in vivo immunization; (ii) depressed T killer cell activity against EL-4 tumor cells after in vivo immunization; and (iii) low natural killer cell activity. However, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against chicken erythrocytes was normal in the mice on the Zn(-) diet. Deficiency of T killer cell activity was not observed when immunization with EL-4 allogeneic lymphoma cells was carried out in vitro. Progressive loss of relative and absolute number of Thy 1.2+ cells and a proportionate relative increase in cells bearing Fc receptors was seen in spleen and lymph nodes of Zn(-) animals. It appears that zinc is an essential element for maintenance of normal T cell and other immune functions in vivo.
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22
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Abstract
Diets deficient in zinc cause rapid atrophy of the thymus and loss of T-cell helper function in the young adult A/J mouse. Because zinc deficiency, as well as other nutritional deficiences, causes extensive damage to the immune system, the question arose as to whether zinc-deficient mice could repair the thymus and fully regenerate T-cell helper function if returned to diets containing adequate amounts of zinc. Five-week-old A/J female mice were fed either a zinc-deficient (<1 mug of Zn per g) or a zinc-adequate (50 mug of Zn per g) diet for 31 days. Histological examination of thymuses from the zinc-deficient mice revealed that the cortex was preferentially involuted and the thymus was about one-third of normal size. The direct plaque-forming cells produced per mouse spleen in response to immunization with sheep erythrocytes was 34% of normal; indirect plaque-forming cells were 18% of normal (Jerne plaque assay). After the deficient mice had been fed a zinc-adequate diet for 1 week, their response was nearly normal, except that the indirect response was 68% of controls; in this same period, the thymuses of these mice had quadrupled in size and exhibited a greatly enlarged cortex repopulated with immature thymocytes. By 2 weeks, the thymuses of the previously zinc-deficient mice were normal in size and appearance; however, there was a slight increases in numbers of indirect plaque-forming cells. By 4 weeks, the thymus weights, direct and indirect plaque-forming cell counts, and secondary response of the previously deficient mice were normal. Mice that were nearly athymic after 45 days of dietary zinc deficiency were also able to fully reconstruct the thymus and regenerate T-cell helper function. The data show that the zinc-deficient young adult mouse has the capacity to fully restore the T-cell-dependent antibody-mediated responses upon nutritional repletion.
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