Type I interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) are important for protection against many viral infections, whereas type II interferon (IFN-γ) is essential for host defense against some bacterial and parasitic pathogens. Study of IFN responses in human leprosy revealed an inverse correlation between IFN-β and IFN-γ gene expression programs. IFN-γ and its downstream vitamin D-dependent antimicrobial genes were preferentially expressed in self-healing tuberculoid lesions and mediated antimicrobial activity against the pathogen Mycobacterium leprae in vitro. In contrast, IFN-β and its downstream genes, including interleukin-10 (IL-10), were induced in monocytes by M. leprae in vitro and preferentially expressed in disseminated and progressive lepromatous lesions. The IFN-γ-induced macrophage vitamin D-dependent antimicrobial peptide response was inhibited by IFN-β and by IL-10, suggesting that the differential production of IFNs contributes to protection versus pathogenesis in some human bacterial infections.

The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on primary human fibroblasts, a human fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and adenocarcinoma cell line in response to IL-1, TNF-alpha, or IFN-gamma was studied using an ELISA with anti-ICAM-1 mAb. The induction of ICAM-1 by these cytokines was neutralized by cytokine-specific antisera as well as some steroids and the glycosylation inhibitor, tunicamycin. Cyclohexamide up-regulated the expression of ICAM-1 on chondrosarcoma cells but had little or no effect on carcinoma cells. These data indicate different mechanisms in the regulation and expression of ICAM-1 on the various cell types and provide some insight into the anti-inflammatory effects of some pharmacologic agents.

The presence of natural killer (NK) cells contributes to early defense against murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. Although NK cells can mediate in vivo protection against MCMV, the mechanism by which they do so has not been defined. The studies presented here evaluate cytokine production by NK cells activated during MCMV infection and the role of NK cell-produced cytokines in early in vivo antiviral defenses. Experiments with normal C57BL/6, T cell-deficient C57BL/6 nude, and severe combined immunodeficient mice lacking T and B cells demonstrated that both interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production were induced at early times after infection with MCMV. Conditioned media samples prepared with cells from these mice, on day 2 after infection, produced 11-43 pg/million cells of IFN-gamma and 12-19 pg/million cells of TNF as evaluated by specific protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Studies in the NK- and T cell-deficient mouse line, E26, in mice that had been depleted in vivo of NK cells by treatment with antibodies eliminating NK cells, anti-asialo ganglio-N-tetraosylceramide or anti-NK1.1, and with populations of cells that had been depleted of NK cells by complement treatment with the anti-NK cell antibody, SW3A4, demonstrated that NK cells were solely responsible for the IFN-gamma but were not required for TNF production. The in vivo absence of NK cells was accompanied by increased viral hepatitis and viral replication in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice, as well as decreased survival time of immunodeficient mice. In vivo treatments with antibodies neutralizing IFN-gamma demonstrated that this factor contributed to the NK cell-mediated antiviral defense and reduced the measured parameters of viral defense to levels indistinguishable from those observed in NK cell-deficient mice. These effects appeared to be independent of cytolytic activity, as NK cells isolated from anti-IFN-gamma-treated mice mediated killing at levels comparable to those observed in control-treated mice. The consequences of interleukin 12 (IL-12) administration, a known potent inducer of IFN-gamma production by NK cells, were evaluated in MCMV-infected mice. Low IL-12 doses, i.e., 1 ng/d, increased NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma production up to twofold and resulted in improved antiviral status; virus-induced hepatitis was decreased as much as fivefold, and viral burdens were decreased to levels below detection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The antimetastatic effect of the CD1d-binding glycolipid, alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), is mediated by NK1.1(+)T (NKT) cells; however, the mechanisms behind this process are poorly defined. Although it has been shown to involve NK cells and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production, the way these factors collaborate to mediate effective tumor rejection and the importance of other factors characteristic of NKT cell and NK cell activation are unknown. Using gene-targeted mice and antibody treatments, the critical need for interleukin 12 (IL-12), IFN-gamma, and NK cells has been shown in the antimetastatic activity of alpha-GalCer in the lungs and the liver. By contrast, in lung and liver metastasis models, cytotoxic molecules expressed by NK cells and NKT cells (perforin, Fas ligand, and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and an NKT cell-secreted cytokine, IL-4, were not necessary for the antitumor activity of alpha-GalCer. Like IL-12, IL-18 was required for optimal serum IFN-gamma induction and control of lung metastases by alpha-GalCer. IL-18 was unnecessary for alpha-GalCer-related suppression of liver metastases. Most importantly, after adoptive transfer of alpha-GalCer-reactive NKT cells or NK cells into NKT cell-deficient, IFN-gamma-deficient, or RAG-1-deficient mice, it was demonstrated that the sequential production of IFN-gamma by NKT cells and NK cells was absolutely required to reconstitute the antimetastatic activity of alpha-GalCer.

Recently, we have reported a novel protocol for the generation of highly efficient cytotoxic effector cells by culturing PBLs in the presence of IFN-gamma, IL-2, mAb against CD3, and IL-1 alpha. We have termed these cultures cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells because the phenotype of the cells with the greatest cytotoxicity expresses both the T cell marker CD3 and the NK cell marker CD56. Cells with this phenotype are rare (approximately 1 to approximately 5%) in uncultured PBLs. CD3+CD56+ cells expand nearly 1000-fold under these culture conditions. The majority of the CD3+CD56+ cytotoxic cells in CIK cultures were derived from CD3+CD56- T cells, and not CD3-CD56+ NK cells. Expression of CD56, but not CD8, on CD3+ cells correlated with the greatest cytotoxicity against various cellular targets. We have used mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) injected with human lymphoma cells to evaluate the in vivo antitumor effects of CIK vs lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. Groups of animals inoculated with 1 x 10(6) SU-DHL4 cells (a human B lymphoma cell line with a t(14;18) chromosomal translocation), injected 1 day later with CIK cells either i.v. or i.p., had significantly prolonged survival compared with control animals injected with tumor cells alone (median survival 90 days vs 58 days, p < 0.001) or animals treated with LAK cells (median survival 90 days vs 68 days, p < 0.002). Approximately 30% of the SCID mice challenged with SU-DHL4 cells and treated with CIK cells became long-term survivors compared with none of the animals treated with LAK cells. No molecular evidence of occult lymphoma was found in the CIK cell-treated long-term survivors when their bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lung were analyzed by t(14;18) PCR at the end of 6 mo. By using these culture conditions, a novel population of cytotoxic cells can be generated readily from T cells that have superior in vivo antitumor activity in SCID mice, as compared with LAK cells.

To understand why cancer vaccine-induced T cells often do not eradicate tumors, we studied immune responses in mice vaccinated with gp100 melanoma peptide in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (peptide/IFA), which is commonly used in clinical cancer vaccine trials. Peptide/IFA vaccination primed tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells, which accumulated not in tumors but rather at the persisting, antigen-rich vaccination site. Once there, primed T cells became dysfunctional and underwent antigen-driven, interferon-γ (IFN-γ)- and Fas ligand (FasL)-mediated apoptosis, resulting in hyporesponsiveness to subsequent vaccination. Provision of CD40-specific antibody, Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist and interleukin-2 (IL-2) reduced T cell apoptosis but did not prevent vaccination-site sequestration. A nonpersisting vaccine formulation shifted T cell localization toward tumors, inducing superior antitumor activity while reducing systemic T cell dysfunction and promoting memory formation. These data show that persisting vaccine depots can induce specific T cell sequestration, dysfunction and deletion at vaccination sites; short-lived formulations may overcome these limitations and result in greater therapeutic efficacy of peptide-based cancer vaccines.

The live yellow fever vaccine (YF-17D) offers a unique opportunity to study memory CD8(+) T cell differentiation in humans following an acute viral infection. We have performed a comprehensive analysis of the virus-specific CD8(+) T cell response using overlapping peptides spanning the entire viral genome. Our results showed that the YF-17D vaccine induces a broad CD8(+) T cell response targeting several epitopes within each viral protein. We identified a dominant HLA-A2-restricted epitope in the NS4B protein and used tetramers specific for this epitope to track the CD8(+) T cell response over a 2 year period. This longitudinal analysis showed the following. 1) Memory CD8(+) T cells appear to pass through an effector phase and then gradually down-regulate expression of activation markers and effector molecules. 2) This effector phase was characterized by down-regulation of CD127, Bcl-2, CCR7, and CD45RA and was followed by a substantial contraction resulting in a pool of memory T cells that re-expressed CD127, Bcl-2, and CD45RA. 3) These memory cells were polyfunctional in terms of degranulation and production of the cytokines IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-2, and MIP-1beta. 4) The YF-17D-specific memory CD8(+) T cells had a phenotype (CCR7(-)CD45RA(+)) that is typically associated with terminally differentiated cells with limited proliferative capacity (T(EMRA)). However, these cells exhibited robust proliferative potential showing that expression of CD45RA may not always associate with terminal differentiation and, in fact, may be an indicator of highly functional memory CD8(+) T cells generated after acute viral infections.

The present study was carried out to determine the effector mechanism of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity by interferon (IFN)-gamma plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated macrophages. A macrophage cell line (IC-21) that failed to mount an appreciable oxidative burst was nevertheless found able to control T. cruzi growth after exposure to IFN-gamma alone or IFN-gamma plus LPS. Moreover, microbicidal functions of both inflammatory macrophages and IC-21 against T. cruzi was found to be inhibited in the presence of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NGMMA), a competitive inhibitor of L-arginine. Addition of supplemental L-arginine to the culture overcame the capacity of NGMMA to block activated macrophage anti-T. cruzi functions. The ability of NGMMA to reverse both parasite growth inhibition and killing by IFN-gamma plus LPS-activated macrophages was found to correlate with the suppression of nitrite accumulation in the culture supernatants. Together, these results implicate the L-arginine-dependent production of nitric oxide in T. cruzi killing by activated macrophages. We also tested the ability of interleukin(IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, to block regulation of T. cruzi growth in this system. Both IL-10 and TGF-beta inhibited anti-parasite function by IFN-gamma-activated macrophages, with an optimal dose of 100 units/ml and 0.5 ng/ml, respectively. Moreover, when used in combination, suboptimal doses of IL-10 and TGF-beta were found to produce a synergistic inhibitory effect in the regulation of T. cruzi growth. The ability of IL-10 and TGF-beta to suppress microbicidal function was also positively correlated with inhibition of nitrite generation in macrophage culture supernatants. These results predict an in vivo role for IL-10 and TGF-beta in promoting parasite survival in the face of the host cell-mediated immune response.

Memory T cells exhibit superior responses to pathogens and tumors compared with their naive counterparts. Memory is typically generated via an immune response to a foreign antigen, but functional memory T cells can also be produced from naive cells by homeostatic mechanisms. Using a recently developed method, we studied CD8 T cells, which are specific for model (ovalbumin) and viral (HSV, vaccinia) antigens, in unimmunized mice and found a subpopulation bearing markers of memory cells. Based on their phenotypic markers and by their presence in germ-free mice, these preexisting memory-like CD44(hi) CD8 T cells are likely to arise via physiological homeostatic proliferation rather than a response to environmental microbes. These antigen-inexperienced memory phenotype CD8 T cells display several functions that distinguish them from their CD44(lo) counterparts, including a rapid initiation of proliferation after T cell stimulation and rapid IFN-gamma production after exposure to proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, these data indicate that the unprimed antigen-specific CD8 T cell repertoire contains antigen-inexperienced cells that display phenotypic and functional traits of memory cells.

BACKGROUND

Human host immune response following infection with the new variant of A/H1N1 pandemic influenza virus (nvH1N1) is poorly understood. We utilize here systemic cytokine and antibody levels in evaluating differences in early immune response in both mild and severe patients infected with nvH1N1.

METHODS

We profiled 29 cytokines and chemokines and evaluated the haemagglutination inhibition activity as quantitative and qualitative measurements of host immune responses in serum obtained during the first five days after symptoms onset, in two cohorts of nvH1N1 infected patients. Severe patients required hospitalization (n = 20), due to respiratory insufficiency (10 of them were admitted to the intensive care unit), while mild patients had exclusively flu-like symptoms (n = 15). A group of healthy donors was included as control (n = 15). Differences in levels of mediators between groups were assessed by using the non parametric U-Mann Whitney test. Association between variables was determined by calculating the Spearman correlation coefficient. Viral load was performed in serum by using real-time PCR targeting the neuraminidase gene.

RESULTS

Increased levels of innate-immunity mediators (IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1beta), and the absence of anti-nvH1N1 antibodies, characterized the early response to nvH1N1 infection in both hospitalized and mild patients. High systemic levels of type-II interferon (IFN-gamma) and also of a group of mediators involved in the development of T-helper 17 (IL-8, IL-9, IL-17, IL-6) and T-helper 1 (TNF-alpha, IL-15, IL-12p70) responses were exclusively found in hospitalized patients. IL-15, IL-12p70, IL-6 constituted a hallmark of critical illness in our study. A significant inverse association was found between IL-6, IL-8 and PaO2 in critical patients.

CONCLUSIONS

While infection with the nvH1N1 induces a typical innate response in both mild and severe patients, severe disease with respiratory involvement is characterized by early secretion of Th17 and Th1 cytokines usually associated with cell mediated immunity but also commonly linked to the pathogenesis of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The exact role of Th1 and Th17 mediators in the evolution of nvH1N1 mild and severe disease merits further investigation as to the detrimental or beneficial role these cytokines play in severe illness.

Psoriasis is a complex inflammatory disease mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and cytokines secreted by specialized T-cell populations, e.g., IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ. The mechanisms by which innate and adaptive immune cytokines regulate inflammation in psoriasis are not completely understood. We sought to investigate the effects of TNF-α and IL-17 on keratinocyte (KC) gene profile, to identify genes that might be coregulated by these cytokines and determine how synergistically activated genes relate to the psoriasis transcriptome. Primary KCs were stimulated with IL-17 or TNF-α alone, or in combination. KC responses were assessed by gene array analysis, followed by reverse transcriptase-PCR confirmation for significant genes. We identified 160 genes that were synergistically upregulated by IL-17 and TNF-α, and 196 genes in which the two cytokines had at least an additive effect. Synergistically upregulated genes included some of the highest expressed genes in psoriatic skin with an impressive correlation between IL-17/TNF-α-induced genes and the psoriasis gene signature. KCs may be key drivers of pathogenic inflammation in psoriasis through integrating responses to TNF-α and IL-17. Our data predict that psoriasis therapy with either TNF or IL-17 antagonists will produce greater modulation of the synergistic/additive gene set, which consists of the most highly expressed genes in psoriasis skin lesions.

The spot-ELISA technique has been used to enumerate the frequency of cells secreting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), isolated from biopsies of normal intestine and from biopsies of children with inflammatory bowel disease. TNF-alpha production was undetectable in six out of 12 biopsies from normal intestine and in the other six biopsies it ranged from 60 to 580 TNF-alpha-secreting cells/10(6) isolated intestinal cells. In contrast, cells isolated from biopsies of children with Crohn's disease (n = 9) all showed elevated frequencies of TNF-alpha-secreting cells (500-12,000 secreting cells/10(6) cells). In ulcerative colitis, four out of eight children had increased production of TNF-alpha and in children with indeterminate colitis two out of three had elevated levels. There was no correlation between plasma TNF-alpha levels and the number of intestinal cells secreting TNF-alpha. In controls and all groups of patients IFN-gamma-secreting cells were uncommon. These results suggest that TNF-alpha is an important mediator of inflammation in the human gut, and, furthermore, may play a role in the growth failure frequently seen in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

A culture supernatant of concanavalin A-activated spleen cells (Con A supernatant) induced murine macrophages to express Ia antigens in vitro. Biochemical characterization of the Con A supernatant indicated that the macrophage Ia antigen regulatory activity shares molecular weight, pI, and hydrophobic and affinity characteristics with immune interferon (IFN-gamma). Antiserum to mouse IFN-gamma neutralized both the macrophage Ia antigen regulatory and IFN-gamma bioactivities of the Con A supernatant. Furthermore, both partially purified murine IFN-gamma (10(7) U/mg protein sp act) and IFN-containing culture supernatants of the murine BFS T cell line-induced macrophage Ia antigen expression in vitro. Culture supernatants containing colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 1, interleukin 2, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, and a macrophage-activating activity that were distinct from IFN-gamma did not induce macrophage Ia antigen expression. Taken together, the data indicate that the in vitro expression of Ia antigens on macrophages is regulated by an activity that has the characteristics of interferon.

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Little is known about how this virus is able to persist or whether this persistence might be because of its ability to alter the early innate immune response. The major HCV envelope protein E2 has been shown to bind to CD81. Thus, HCV binding to natural killer (NK) cells could result in the cross-linking of CD81. To explore this possibility, we investigated whether cross-linking CD81 on NK cells could alter NK cell function. CD81 cross-linking by monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for CD81 or by immobilized E2 have been shown to result in costimulatory signals for human T cells. In this study, we show that CD81 cross-linking via immobilized E2 or mAbs specific for CD81 inhibits not only non major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxicity mediated by NK cells but also interferon (IFN)-gamma production by NK cells after exposure to interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, IL-15, or CD16 cross-linking. These results show that CD81 cross-linking mediates completely different signals in NK cells versus T cells. Importantly, these results suggest that one mechanism whereby HCV can alter host defenses and innate immunity is via the early inhibition of IFN-gamma production by NK cells.

Interferons (IFNs) alpha/beta (type I) and gamma (type II) bind to distinct cell surface receptors, inducing transcription of overlapping sets of genes by intracellular pathways that have recently attracted much attention. Previous studies using cell lines selected for their inability to respond to IFN-alpha (ref. 4) have shown that the protein kinase Tyk2 plays a central role in the IFN alpha/beta response. Here we report the isolation of the cell line gamma 1A, selected for its inability to express IFN-gamma-inducible cell-surface markers, that is deficient in all aspects of the IFN-gamma response tested, but responds normally to IFNs alpha and beta. The mutant cells can be complemented by the expression of another member of the JAK family of protein tyrosine kinases, JAK2 (refs 6-9). Unlike IFNs alpha and beta, IFN-gamma induces rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 in wild-type cells, and JAK2 immunoprecipitates from these cells show tyrosine kinase activity. These responses are absent in gamma 1A cells. JAK2 is therefore required for the response to IFN-gamma but not to IFNs alpha and beta.

OBJECTIVE

To compare tear cytokine and chemokine concentrations in asymptomatic control and Dysfunctional Tear syndrome (DTS) patients and determine the correlations between tear inflammatory mediators and clinical severity.

METHODS

Prospective observational cohort study.

METHODS

Concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin (IL)-1 alpha (1alpha), 1 beta (1beta), 6, 10, 12, and 13, interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and chemokines: IL-8 (CXC); macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1alpha) (CCL3); and regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES CCL5) were measured by a multiplex immunobead assay in an asymptomatic control group and DTS patients with and without meibomian gland disease (MGD). Spearman correlations between tear cytokines and severity of irritation symptoms and ocular surface signs were calculated.

RESULTS

Tear concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in DTS with and without MGD and EGF was significantly reduced in the DTS without MGD group compared with the control group. MIP-1alpha was greater in entire DTS and DTS without MGD groups than the control group and RANTES was greater in DTS with MGD than the control and DTS without MGD groups. IL-12 was significantly higher in the DTS with MGD than the DTS without MGD subgroup. Significant correlations were observed between IL-6 and irritation symptoms and between a number of cytokines and chemokines and clinical parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

As predicted, patients with DTS have higher levels of inflammatory mediators in their tears that show correlation with clinical disease parameters. Furthermore, different tear cytokine/chemokine profiles were observed in DTS patients with and without MGD groups.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) serves as an important animal model for understanding the events that lead to immune-mediated inflammation and tissue destruction within the central nervous system. We have utilized a murine adoptive transfer model of EAE and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis to examine cytokine mRNA expression within the central nervous system in relation to the onset and resolution of paralysis associated with EAE. Spinal cord samples, obtained from mice as they progressed through discrete clinical stages of EAE, were examined for the expression of six cytokine genes (IL-1 alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-gamma). Distinct patterns of cytokine gene expression were observed during the acute, recovery, and chronic phases of EAE. The acute phase of disease was characterized by rapid increases in the levels of mRNA for IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and IL-1 alpha. In fact, peak expression of several cytokine mRNA (e.g., IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-gamma) occurred before the peak in clinical severity. In contrast, IL-1 alpha mRNA levels were elevated throughout the initial disease course. IL-10 mRNA demonstrated only modest increases during the acute phase of EAE. Stabilization of the clinical symptoms was characterized by rapid declines in the mRNA levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-gamma. The decreases in these four cytokine mRNA levels occurred concomitant with a dramatic rise in IL-10 mRNA. Finally, of the six cytokine mRNA examined, only IL-1 alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-10 mRNA remained elevated during the early chronic stage. These results suggest that local cytokine production varies significantly during the course of EAE and that increases in discrete sets of cytokines are associated with the acute response and the recovery/chronic phase of disease.

Unmethylated CpG dinucleotides in bacterial DNA or synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) cause B cell proliferation and Ig secretion, monocyte cytokine secretion, and activation of NK cell lytic activity and IFN-gamma secretion in vivo and in vitro. The potent immune activation by CpG ODN suggests possible utility for enhancing immune responses to vaccines. Mice immunized with recombinant hepatitis B virus surface Ag and a CpG ODN as an immune enhancer have titers of Abs against HBsAg (anti-HBs) that are five times higher than those of mice immunized with HBsAg and the standard adjuvant, aluminum hydroxide (alum). Ab titers in mice immunized with HBsAg and both CpG ODN plus alum were 35 times higher than the titers in mice immunized with alum alone, indicating a strong synergistic interaction between the CpG ODN and alum. ODN without CpG motifs had little or no immune-enhancing activity at the doses used herein. Alum induces a Th2 humoral response (mostly IgG1) and no CTL. In contrast, CpG ODN gives a strong Thl response with predominantly IgG2a Abs and CTL, even when mixed with alum. In vitro studies to determine possible mechanisms of CpG immune-enhancing effects show that CpG ODN induce expression of costimulatory molecules on Ag-presenting cells and drive B cell isotype switching in the appropriate cytokine milieu. These studies demonstrate that CpG ODN are promising new immune enhancers for vaccination applications.

Macrophages are specialized to detect and destroy intracellular microbes and yet a number of pathogens have evolved to exploit this hostile niche. Here we demonstrate that the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii disarms macrophage innate clearance mechanisms by secreting a serine threonine kinase called ROP18, which binds to and phosphorylates immunity-related GTPases (IRGs). Substrate profiling of ROP18 revealed a preference for a conserved motif within switch region I of the GTPase domain, a modification predicted to disrupt IRG function. Consistent with this, expression of ROP18 was both necessary and sufficient to block recruitment of Irgb6, which was in turn required for parasite destruction. ROP18 phosphorylation of IRGs prevented clearance within inflammatory monocytes and IFN-γ-activated macrophages, conferring parasite survival in vivo and promoting virulence. IRGs are implicated in clearance of a variety of intracellular pathogens, suggesting that other virulence factors may similarly thwart this innate cellular defense mechanism.

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone that centrally regulates weight control. However, leptin receptor is expressed not only in the central nervous system, but also in other systems such as reproductive and hematopoietic tissues. Human leptin has previously been shown to enhance cytokine production by murine peritoneal macrophages and human circulating monocytes. In this paper we have assessed the presence of leptin receptors in peripheral human T lymphocytes and we have studied their functional role. Both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes express leptin receptors. Moreover, we show that human leptin dose-dependently enhances proliferation and activation of human circulating T lymphocytes when they are costimulated by PHA or Con A. Leptin alone was not able to activate T lymphocytes. To confirm a direct effect of leptin on T lymphocytes, monocytes were extracted by adhesion to culture flasks. The early activation surface marker CD69 was then induced in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes after 8 h stimulation with PHA or Con A. Leptin dose-dependently enhanced stimulated CD69 expression. Moreover, leptin dose-dependently enhanced the expression of the late activation markers CD25 and CD71 in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes after 48 h stimulation with PHA or Con A. Finally, we have found that leptin modulates CD4(+) T lymphocyte activation toward Th1 phenotype by stimulating the synthesis of IL-2 and IFN-gamma. These results demonstrate the presence of the leptin receptor in human circulating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes and a functional role of leptin as a modulator (enhancer) of lymphocyte stimulation with a shift toward Th1 cytokine-production profile. This function of leptin may have some relevance in the pathophysiology of immunologic alterations related to obesity.

Cytotoxic T cells that are present in tumors and capable of recognizing tumor epitopes are nevertheless generally impotent in eliciting tumor rejection. Thus, identifying the immune escape mechanisms responsible for inducing tumor-specific CD8(+) T-cell dysfunction may reveal effective strategies for immune therapy. The inhibitory receptors PD-1 and Tim-3 are known to negatively regulate CD8(+) T-cell responses directed against the well-characterized tumor antigen NY-ESO-1. Here, we report that the upregulation of the inhibitory molecule BTLA also plays a critical role in restricting NY-ESO-1-specific CD8(+) T-cell expansion and function in melanoma. BTLA-expressing PD-1(+)Tim-3(-) CD8(+) T cells represented the largest subset of NY-ESO-1-specific CD8(+) T cells in patients with melanoma. These cells were partially dysfunctional, producing less IFN-γ than BTLA(-) T cells but more IFN-γ, TNF, and interleukin-2 than the highly dysfunctional subset expressing all three receptors. Expression of BTLA did not increase with higher T-cell dysfunction or upon cognate antigen stimulation, as it does with PD-1, suggesting that BTLA upregulation occurs independently of functional exhaustion driven by high antigen load. Added with PD-1 and Tim-3 blockades, BTLA blockade enhanced the expansion, proliferation, and cytokine production of NY-ESO-1-specific CD8(+) T cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that targeting BTLA along with the PD-1 and Tim-3 pathways is critical to reverse an important mechanism of immune escape in patients with advanced melanoma.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic bowel inflammatory disorder in which the pathogenic role of immune alterations has been suggested, but the immunologic mechanisms responsible for the inflammatory reaction are still poorly understood. We investigated the profile of cytokine secretion by T-cell clones generated from gut tissue specimens of four patients with active CD, five patients with ulcerative colitis, and four patients with noninflammatory gut disorders (NIGDs). The great majority of CD4+ T-cell clones generated from the gut of patients with CD produced high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) but low or undetectable amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4), whereas substantial proportions of CD4+ T-cell clones derived from the gut of patients with either ulcerative colitis or NIGDs produced IL-4 in addition to IFN-gamma. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed high numbers of activated CD4+ T cells showing IFN-gamma but not IL-4 reactivity, as well as substantial proportions of IL-12-containing macrophages, in the intestinal lamina propria and muscularis propria of patients with CD, whereas these cells were very rare or undetectable in patients with NIGDs. Culturing T cells from gut biopsy specimens of a patient with CD in the presence of a neutralizing anti-IL-12 antibody down-regulated the development of IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells. These findings suggest that a critical event in the initiation of bowel inflammatory lesions in CD may involve up-regulation of IL-12 production, resulting in conditions that maximally promote type 1 T-helper immune responses.

Vaccine development and the understanding of the pathology of bovine tuberculosis in cattle would be greatly facilitated by the definition of immunological correlates of protection and/or pathology. To address these questions, cattle were vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and were then challenged with virulent M. bovis. Applying a semiquantitative pathology-scoring system, we were able to demonstrate that BCG vaccination imparted significant protection by reducing the disease severity on average by 75%. Analysis of cellular immune responses following M. bovis challenge demonstrated that proliferative T-cell and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) responses towards the M. bovis-specific antigen ESAT-6, whose gene is absent from BCG, were generally low in vaccinated animals but were high in all nonvaccinated calves. Importantly, the amount of ESAT-6-specific IFN-gamma measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after M. bovis challenge, but not the frequency of responding cells, correlated positively with the degree of pathology found 18 weeks after infection. Diagnostic reagents based on antigens not present in BCG, like ESAT-6 and CFP-10, were still able to distinguish BCG-vaccinated, diseased animals from BCG-vaccinated animals without signs of disease. In summary, our results suggest that the determination of ESAT-6-specific IFN-gamma, while not a direct correlate of protection, constitutes nevertheless a useful prognostic immunological marker predicting both vaccine efficacy and disease severity.

Our understanding of pathways leading to antitumor immunity may depend on an undistorted knowledge of the primary antigenic targets of patients' autologous T cell responses. In the melanoma model derived from patient DT, we applied cryopreserved short-term autologous mixed lymphocyte-tumor cell cultures (MLTCs) in combination with an IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay to cDNA expression screening. We identified three previously unknown peptides processed from melanosomal proteins tyrosinase (presented by HLA-A(*)2601 and -B(*)3801) and gp100 (presented by HLA-B(*)07021) and five neoantigens generated by somatic point mutations in the patient's melanoma. The mutations were found in the genes SIRT2, GPNMB, SNRP116, SNRPD1, and RBAF600. Peptides containing the mutated residues were presented by HLA-A(*)03011, -B(*)07021, and -B(*)3801. Mutation-induced functional impairment was so far demonstrated for SIRT2. Within MLTC responder populations that were independently expanded from the patient's peripheral blood lymphocytes of different years, T cells against mutated epitopes clearly predominated. These results document a high degree of individuality for the cellular antitumor response and support the need for individualizing the monitoring and therapeutic approaches to the primary targets of the autologous T cell response, which may finally lead to a more effective cancer immunotherapy.