CD27 expression promotes long-term survival of functional effector-memory CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in HIV-infected patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD8(+) T cells persist in high frequencies in HIV-infected patients despite impaired CD4(+) T helper response to the virus, but, unlike other differentiated effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes, most continue to express the tumor necrosis factor receptor family member CD27. Because the ligand for CD27 (CD70) is also overexpressed in HIV-infected hosts, we examined the nature of expression and potential functional consequences of CD27 expression on HIV-specific CD8(+) T cells. Analysis of CD27(+) and CD27(-) T cells derived from the same HIV-specific clone revealed that retention of CD27 did not interfere with acquisition of effector functions, and that after T cell receptor stimulation, CD27(+) cells that concurrently were triggered via CD27 exhibited more resistance to apoptosis, interleukin 2 production, and proliferation than CD27(-) T cells. After transfer back into an HIV-infected patient, autologous HIV-specific CD27(-) T cells rapidly disappeared, but CD27(+) T cells derived from the same clone persisted at high frequency. Our findings suggest that the CD27-CD70 interaction in HIV infection may provide CD27(+) CD8(+) T cells with a survival advantage and compensate for limiting or absent CD4(+) T help to maintain the CD8 response.     

Preferential survival of CD4+ T lymphocytes engineered with anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genes in HIV-infected individuals

The present study examined the safety and relative in vivo survival of genetically engineered CD4+ T lymphocytes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. Ten pairs of identical twins discordant for HIV infection were recruited, with the uninfected twin serving as the lymphocyte donor. Ten subjects were treated with a total of 19 separate infusions of retroviral vector-transduced CD4+ enriched T cells. Control (neo gene) or anti-HIV gene (antisense trans-activation response [TAR] element and/or trans-dominant Rev)-engineered lymphocytes were monitored in peripheral blood for 3 years, using a vector-specific PCR assay. Data from 9 of the 10 patients (15 of the 19 infusions) demonstrated preferential survival of CD4+ lymphocytes containing the anti-HIV gene(s) in the immediate weeks after infusion. In six of six patients studied long term (>100 weeks), only T cells containing the anti-HIV genes were consistently detected. In addition, a marked survival advantage of anti-HIV gene-containing T cells was observed in a patient treated during a period of high viral load. Thus, these data strongly support the hypothesis that anti-HIV genes afford a survival advantage to T cells and potential benefit to HIV-1+ individuals.     

NFATc2 and NFATc3 transcription factors play a crucial role in suppression of CD4+ T lymphocytes by CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells

The phenotype of NFATc2(-/-) c3(-/-) (double knockout [DKO]) mice implies a disturbed regulation of T cell responses, evidenced by massive lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and autoaggressive phenomena. The population of CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells from DKO mice lacks regulatory capacity, except a small subpopulation that highly expresses glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor family-related gene (GITR) and CD25. However, neither wild-type nor DKO CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells (T reg cells) are able to suppress proliferation of DKO CD4(+) CD25(-) T helper cells. Therefore, combined NFATc2/c3 deficiency is compatible with the development of CD4(+) CD25(+) T reg cells but renders conventional CD4(+) T cells unresponsive to suppression, underlining the importance of NFAT proteins for sustaining T cell homeostasis.     

低剂量西罗莫司协同CD4~+CD25~+ T-reg诱导大鼠肝移植免疫耐受的实验研究

目的我们通过体外诱导、扩增并分选出CD4+CD25+T-reg回输入受体大鼠,并协同低剂量西罗莫司去诱导大鼠肝移植免疫耐受,研究探讨CD4+CD25+T-reg细胞亚群在移植免疫耐受过程中扮演的角色。方法将实验动物分为急性排斥组(DA→LEW)、免疫耐受组(LEW→DA)、低剂量西罗莫司(0.1 mg·kg-1·d-1)和CD4+CD25+T-reg协同作用组(实验组)。每组8只实验动物。各组肝移植大鼠的存活率比较,应用HE染色法观察移植肝术后7 d组织病理学变化,检测CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T-reg细胞亚群在各组大鼠移植肝脏、外周血总单核细胞数中所占的百分比。RT-PCR检测术后7 d移植肝脏Foxp3 m RNA的表达水平。用ELISA检测血浆中细胞因子IL-10、TGF-β的水平。结果实验组对比排斥组,能够长期存活,获得免疫耐受(P<0.05)。实验组移植肝脏中CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T-reg细胞亚群所占的比例明显高于排斥组(P<0.001),且在移植肝脏中,实验组Foxp3 m RNA表达含量明显增加(P<0.001)。实验组血浆中细胞因子IL-10、TGF-β的表达水平高于排斥组(P<0.001)。结论我们通过流式细胞分选技术将体外扩增诱导成熟的受体大鼠CD4+CD25+T-reg细胞分离收集,然后回输受体协同低剂量的西罗莫司能够成功地诱导了长期肝移植免疫耐受。从而为临床应用CD4+CD25+T-reg细胞抑制免疫排斥反应,诱导移植免疫耐受提供了一条新思路和理论实验依据。     

Role of IL-2 secreted by PADRE-specific CD4+ T cells in enhancing E7-specific CD8+ T-cell immune responses

CD4(+) T helper cells are known to play an integral role in the generation of CD8(+) T-cell immune responses. We have previously shown that co-administration of DNA vaccines containing E6 or E7 protein of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV-16) combined with DNA encoding invariant (Ii) chain in which class II-associated Ii peptide (CLIP) region is replaced with the CD4(+) T helper epitope, PADRE (Pan-DR-epitope) (Ii-PADRE DNA) enhanced HPV antigen-specific CD8(+) T-cell immune responses in vaccinated mice. In the current study, we investigated the enhancement of HPV E7-specific CD8(+) T-cell immune responses by PADRE-specific CD4(+) T cells. We showed that intradermal administration of Ii-PADRE DNA at the same location as E7-expressing DNA is necessary to generate strong E7-specific CD8(+) T-cell immune responses. We also showed that PADRE-specific CD4(+) T cells generated by Ii-PADRE DNA vaccination expressed Th1 cytokine profile. Furthermore, our in vitro study demonstrated that PADRE-specific CD4(+) T cells stimulated with PADRE-loaded dendritic cells secrete IL-2 that leads to the proliferation of E7-specific CD8(+) T cells. Thus, our data suggest that activated PADRE-specific CD4(+) T helper cells may be required at the vicinity of E7-specific CD8(+) T cells where they secrete IL-2, which enhances the E7-specific CD8(+) T-cell immune responses generated by DNA vaccination.     

供体凋亡淋巴细胞预输注对猪肝移植受体CD4+T、CD8+T、CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞的影响

背景:凋亡细胞能够主动调节机体的免疫功能,并能通过调节机体细胞免疫和体液免疫的途径诱导免疫耐受,但这些结果只在大鼠肝脏移植模型中证实.目的:探讨通过60Co γ射线体外处理后的供体淋巴细胞预输注诱导猪肝移植特异性免疫耐受的作用中,对淋巴细胞亚群的影响.方法:建立非转流小型猪原位肝移植模型.将受体猪随机摸球法均分为2 组:空白对照组,受体猪无特殊处理,行肝移植;淋巴细胞组:受体猪在肝移植前7 d 经耳静脉注射60Co γ射线处理过的5×108 个供体淋巴细胞.观察两组受体猪移植后的存活时间,移植后T 淋巴细胞亚型CD4+T、CD8+T、CD4+CD25+Tr 变化及病理.结果与结论:移植后3 d,两组病理活检均呈急性中、重度排斥反应;移植后6 d,两组均呈急性重度排斥反应.移植后1,3,6 d CD4+T、CD8+T、CD4+CD25+Tr 升降趋势,两组间差异无显著意义(P ＞ 0.05).提示,60Co γ射线体外处理过的淋巴细胞预输注未能够诱导猪同种异体肝移植特异性免疫耐受,未能引起T 淋巴细胞亚群变化有关.     

Priming for high interferon-gamma production induced by interleukin-12 in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones from HIV-infected patients.

HIV-infected patients are defective in their ability to produce interleukin (IL)-12 in vitro in response to pathogenic bacteria and parasites. IL-12 enhances the patient's depressed natural killer cell cytotoxic activity, peripheral blood lymphocyte production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and proliferative T cell response in vitro to recall antigens, HIV antigens, alloantigens, and mitogens. However, these effects represent short-lived responses and imply the need for chronic IL-12 therapeutic administration in the clinical setting. To identify any long-term effects of IL-12 on T cell differentiation toward Th1 cells, peripheral blood T cells from 10 HIV-infected patients at different stages of disease were cloned by limiting dilution in the presence or absence of IL-12 and tested for cytokine production in response to stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies and phorbol diesters IL-12 present during the first 2 wk of clonal expansion determined a stable severalfold enhancement on the ability of both CD4+ and CD8+ clones to produce IFN-gamma. Because priming for high IFN-gamma production is probably the most important mechanism by which IL-12 induces generation of efficient T helper type 1 (Th1) cells, these results suggest the possibility that IL-12 treatment in vivo of HIV-infected patients may stimulate a protective Th1 response against opportunistic pathogens and possibly HIV itself.     

Human CD3+ T lymphocytes that express neither CD4 nor CD8 antigens

CD3+ T lymphocytes expressing neither CD4 nor CD8 antigens exist in normal human peripheral blood in low frequency (approximately 3% of lymphocytes). The CD3+,4-,8- phenotype was stably maintained after in vitro culture in IL-2. Culture of CD3+,4-,8- cells in only rIL-2 generated cytotoxic T cells that lysed NK-sensitive and NK-insensitive tumor cell targets without MHC restriction. These experiments clearly show that phenotypically and functionally competent T cells expressing neither CD4 nor CD8 are present in normal peripheral blood.     

Antiviral CD4+ memory T cells are IL-15 dependent

Survival and intermittent proliferation of memory CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells appear to be controlled by different homeostatic mechanisms. In particular, contact with interleukin (IL)-15 has a decisive influence on memory CD8(+) cells, but not memory CD4(+) cells. Past studies of memory CD4(+) cells have relied heavily on the use of naturally occurring memory phenotype (MP) cells as a surrogate for antigen (Ag)-specific memory cells. However, we show here that MP CD4(+) cells contain a prominent subset of rapidly proliferating major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II-dependent cells. In contrast, Ag-specific memory CD4 cells have a slow turnover rate and are MHC II independent. In irradiated hosts, these latter cells ignore IL-15 and expand in response to the elevated levels of IL-7 in the lymphopenic hosts. In contrast, in normal nonlymphopenic hosts where IL-7 levels are low, memory CD4 cells are heavily dependent on IL-15. Significantly, memory CD4(+) responsiveness to endogenous IL-15 reflects marked competition from other cells, especially CD8(+) and natural killer cells, and increases considerably after removal of these cells. Therefore, under normal physiological conditions, homeostasis of CD8(+) and CD4(+) memory cells is quite similar and involves IL-15 and IL-7.     

肺癌患者外周血CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞的分布及临床意义

目的检测肺癌患者外周血中CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞的分布，探讨其临床意义。方法采用流式细胞术检测45例肺癌患者和30例健康对照者外周血中的CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞的变化，并通过体外淋巴细胞增殖实验对肺癌患者CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞进行鉴定。结果（1）肺癌患者外周血中CD4^＋CD25^＋T细胞比例明显增高（P〈0．05），但治疗后其比例明显下降（P〈0．05）；（2）肺癌患者CD4^＋CD25^＋T细胞能抑制CD4^＋CD25^-T细胞的增殖和干扰素γ的分泌。结论肺癌患者外周血中CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞比例明显增高，其动态监测有助于肺癌患者免疫状态及疗效评价。     

PTEN inhibits IL-2 receptor-mediated expansion of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs

One of the greatest barriers against harnessing the potential of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs as a cellular immunotherapy is their hypoproliferative phenotype. We have previously shown that the hypoproliferative response of Tregs to IL-2 is associated with defective downstream PI3K signaling. Here, we demonstrate that targeted deletion of the lipid phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) regulates the peripheral homeostasis of Tregs in vivo and allows their expansion ex vivo in response to IL-2 alone. PTEN deficiency does not adversely affect either the thymic development or the function of Tregs, which retain their ability to suppress responder T cells in vitro and prevent colitis in vivo. Conversely, reexpression of PTEN in PTEN-deficient Tregs as well as in activated CD4+ T cells inhibits IL-2-dependent proliferation, confirming PTEN as a negative regulator of IL-2 receptor signaling. These data demonstrate that PTEN regulates the "anergic" response of Tregs to IL-2 in vitro and Treg homeostasis in vivo and indicate that inhibition of PTEN activity may facilitate the expansion of these cells for potential use in cellular immunotherapy.     

MHCII-independent CD4+ T cells protect injured CNS neurons via IL-4

A body of experimental evidence suggests that T cells mediate neuroprotection following CNS injury; however, the antigen specificity of these T cells and how they mediate neuroprotection are unknown. Here, we have provided evidence that T cell–mediated neuroprotection after CNS injury can occur independently of major histocompatibility class II (MHCII) signaling to T cell receptors (TCRs). Using two murine models of CNS injury, we determined that damage-associated molecular mediators that originate from injured CNS tissue induce a population of neuroprotective, IL-4–producing T cells in an antigen-independent fashion. Compared with wild-type mice, IL-4–deficient animals had decreased functional recovery following CNS injury; however, transfer of CD4⁺ T cells from wild-type mice, but not from IL-4–deficient mice, enhanced neuronal survival. Using a culture-based system, we determined that T cell–derived IL-4 protects and induces recovery of injured neurons by activation of neuronal IL-4 receptors, which potentiated neurotrophin signaling via the AKT and MAPK pathways. Together, these findings demonstrate that damage-associated molecules from the injured CNS induce a neuroprotective T cell response that is independent of MHCII/TCR interactions and is MyD88 dependent. Moreover, our results indicate that IL-4 mediates neuroprotection and recovery of the injured CNS and suggest that strategies to enhance IL-4–producing CD4⁺ T cells have potential to attenuate axonal damage in the course of CNS injury in trauma, inflammation, or neurodegeneration.     

无标记检测CD4~+T淋巴细胞的免疫传感器构建

目的构建一种无标记检测CD4~+T淋巴细胞的免疫传感器。方法采用葡萄球菌A蛋白(SPA)法定向固定单克隆抗体于金叉指微阵列电极表面以捕获CD4~+T淋巴细胞,并用循环伏安法(CV)扫描对金叉指微阵列电极表面的修饰情况进行表征,最后通过电化学交流阻抗谱法(EIS)对免疫传感器捕获的CD4~+T淋巴细胞进行阻抗检测,通过等效电路拟合获得的阻抗值变化绘制标准曲线。结果该免疫传感器检测CD4~+T淋巴细胞的线性范围是(5.0×103-5.0×106)/mL,检测下限为5.0×102/mL。结论该免疫传感器的结果准确可靠,检测过程简便,价格低廉,有望用于实时检测系统,为实现快速、准确、价廉的CD4~+T淋巴细胞分类计数提供帮助。     

调节性T细胞CD4~+CD25~+CD127~(low)在抗多耐药肺结核治疗中的意义

目的探讨调节性T细胞CD4+CD25+CD127low在西药联合中药复方"益肺通络方"抗多耐药结核患者中的免疫调节作用。方法选取多耐药结核病(MDR-TB)住院患者34例,随机分成标准化疗(西药)组12例作为对照组,中药复方联合西药组22例作为试验组,并签署知情同意书,按临床试验方案抗结核治疗,第0、3、6、9个月时分别采集2mL肝素抗凝外周静脉血,经CD4、CD25、CD127流式抗体标记后,Beckman流式细胞仪(FCM)计数各组CD4+CD25+CD127low百分比。结果随服药时间推移,对照组MDR-TB患者CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞百分比下降,差异无统计学意义(P0.05);试验组MDR-TB患者CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞百分比下降明显,差异有统计学意义(P=0.007);与对照组MDR-TB患者比较,试验组MDR-TB患者CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞百分比下降,差异有统计学意义(P=0.047)。结论经过9个月的抗结核治疗,试验组能有效降低MDR-TB患者CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞百分比,中药复方可能协同西药下调调节性T细胞的免疫抑制,恢复结核病患者机体免疫平衡状态。因此,中药复方联合西药抗多耐药结核患者治疗也许是一个有益的帮助。     

抗CD3单克隆抗体对人CD4^＋CD25^＋T淋巴细胞凋亡和自噬的影响

目的观察抗CD3单克隆抗体对分离培养的人外周血CD4^＋CD25^＋T淋巴细胞自噬、凋亡及其分泌的代表性因子转化生长因子β（TGF-β）的影响。方法采用密度梯度离心法及尼龙棉柱法分离32例健康者外周血T淋巴细胞,磁性细胞分离器（MACS）分离得到CD4^＋CD25^＋T淋巴细胞,分别利用电镜及流式细胞仪观察、检测各组（抗CD3单克隆抗体1mg/L组、IgG1同型抗体对照组）干预72h后细胞的凋亡率、自噬率,用ELISA法检测细胞培养上清液中细胞因子TGF-β的水平。结果抗CD3单克隆抗体组CD4^＋CD25^＋T淋巴细胞自噬率、凋亡率及TGF-β水平均增加（均P〈0.01）,凋亡率和自噬率之间无相关性（P〉0.05）。结论抗CD3单克隆抗体可促进CD4^＋CD25^＋T淋巴细胞凋亡和自噬及TGF-β分泌,且自噬与凋亡间相互独立。     

Development and characterization of IL-21-producing CD4+ T cells

It has recently been shown that interleukin (IL)-21 is produced by Th17 cells, functions as an autocrine growth factor for Th17 cells, and plays critical roles in autoimmune diseases. In this study, we investigated the differentiation and characteristics of IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells by intracellular staining. Unexpectedly, we found that under Th17-polarizing conditions, the majority of IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells did not produce IL-17A and -17F. We also found that IL-6 and -21 potently induced the development of IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells without the induction of IL-4, IFN-gamma, IL-17A, or IL-17F production. On the other hand, TGF-beta inhibited IL-6- and IL-21-induced development of IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells. IL-2 enhanced the development of IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells under Th17-polarizing conditions. Finally, IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells exhibited a stable phenotype of IL-21 production in the presence of IL-6, but retained the potential to produce IL-4 under Th2-polarizing conditions and IL-17A under Th17-polarizing conditions. These results suggest that IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells exhibit distinct characteristics from Th17 cells and develop preferentially in an IL-6-rich environment devoid of TGF-beta, and that IL-21 functions as an autocrine growth factor for IL-21-producing CD4(+) T cells.