Human inborn errors of IFN-γ immunity underlie mycobacterial diseases. We describe patients with Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) disease who are homozygous for loss-of-function mutations of SPPL2A. This ...gene encodes a transmembrane protease that degrades the N-terminal fragment (NTF) of CD74 (HLA invariant chain) in antigen-presenting cells. The CD74 NTF therefore accumulates in the HLA class II
myeloid and lymphoid cells of SPPL2a-deficient patients. This toxic fragment selectively depletes IL-12- and IL-23-producing CD1c
conventional dendritic cells (cDC2s) and their circulating progenitors. Moreover, SPPL2a-deficient memory T
1* cells selectively fail to produce IFN-γ when stimulated with mycobacterial antigens in vitro. Finally, Sppl2a
mice lack cDC2s, have CD4
T cells that produce small amounts of IFN-γ after BCG infection, and are highly susceptible to infection with BCG or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These findings suggest that inherited SPPL2a deficiency in humans underlies mycobacterial disease by decreasing the numbers of cDC2s and impairing IFN-γ production by mycobacterium-specific memory T
1* cells.
Antiretroviral therapy controls, but does not cure, HIV-1 infection due to a reservoir of rare CD4
T cells harboring latent proviruses. Little is known about the transcriptional program of latent ...cells. Here, we report a strategy to enrich clones of latent cells carrying intact, replication-competent HIV-1 proviruses from blood based on their expression of unique T cell receptors. Latent cell enrichment enabled single-cell transcriptomic analysis of 1,050 CD4
T cells belonging to expanded clones harboring intact HIV-1 proviruses from 6 different individuals. The analysis reveals that most of these cells are T effector memory cells that are enriched for expression of HLA-DR, HLA-DP, CD74, CCL5, granzymes A and K, cystatin F, LYAR, and DUSP2. We conclude that expanded clones of latent cells carrying intact HIV-1 proviruses persist preferentially in a distinct CD4
T cell population, opening possibilities for eradication.
Innate sensing mechanisms trigger a variety of humoral and cellular events that are essential to adaptive immune responses. Here we describe an innate sensing pathway triggered by Plasmodium ...infection that regulates dendritic cell homeostasis and adaptive immunity through Flt3 ligand (Flt3l) release. Plasmodium-induced Flt3l release in mice requires Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation and type I interferon (IFN) production. We found that type I IFN supports the upregulation of xanthine dehydrogenase, which metabolizes the xanthine accumulating in infected erythrocytes to uric acid. Uric acid crystals trigger mast cells to release soluble Flt3l from a pre-synthesized membrane-associated precursor. During infection, Flt3l preferentially stimulates expansion of the CD8-α(+) dendritic cell subset or its BDCA3(+) human dendritic cell equivalent and has a substantial impact on the magnitude of T cell activation, mostly in the CD8(+) compartment. Our findings highlight a new mechanism that regulates dendritic cell homeostasis and T cell responses to infection.
Different dendritic cell (DC) subsets co-exist in humans and coordinate the immune response. Having a short life, DCs must be constantly replenished from their progenitors in the bone marrow through ...hematopoiesis. Identification of a DC-restricted progenitor in mouse has improved our understanding of how DC lineage diverges from myeloid and lymphoid lineages. However, identification of the DC-restricted progenitor in humans has not been possible because a system that simultaneously nurtures differentiation of human DCs, myeloid and lymphoid cells, is lacking. Here we report a cytokine and stromal cell culture that allows evaluation of CD34+ progenitor potential to all three DC subsets as well as other myeloid and lymphoid cells, at a single cell level. Using this system, we show that human granulocyte–macrophage progenitors are heterogeneous and contain restricted progenitors to DCs.
The host responds to virus infection by activating type I interferon (IFN) signaling leading to expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Dysregulation of the IFN response results in inflammatory ...diseases and chronic infections. In this study, we demonstrate that IFN regulatory factor 2 (IRF2), an ISG and a negative regulator of IFN signaling, influences alphavirus neuroinvasion and pathogenesis. A Sindbis virus strain that in wild-type (WT) mice only causes disease when injected into the brain leads to lethal encephalitis in Irf2
mice after peripheral inoculation. Irf2
mice fail to control virus replication and recruit immune infiltrates into the brain. Reduced B cells and virus-specific IgG are observed in the Irf2
mouse brains despite the presence of peripheral neutralizing antibodies, suggesting a defect in B cell trafficking to the central nervous system (CNS). B cell-deficient μMT mice are significantly more susceptible to viral infection, yet WT B cells and serum are unable to rescue the Irf2
mice. Collectively, our data demonstrate that proper localization of B cells and local production of antibodies in the CNS are required for protection. The work advances our understanding of host mechanisms that affect viral neuroinvasion and their contribution to immunity against CNS infections.
Chronic activation of T cells is a hallmark of HIV-1 infection and plays an important role in disease progression. We previously showed that the engagement of the inhibitory receptor programmed death ...(PD)-1 on HIV-1-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells leads to their functional exhaustion in vitro. However, little is known about the impact of PD-1 expression on the turnover and maturation status of T cells during the course of the disease. In this study, we show that PD-1 is upregulated on all T cell subsets, including naive, central memory, and transitional memory T cells in HIV-1-infected subjects. PD-1 is expressed at similar levels on most CD4(+) T cells during the acute and the chronic phase of disease and identifies cells that have recently entered the cell cycle. In contrast, PD-1 expression is dramatically increased in CD8(+) T cells during the transition from acute to chronic infection, and this is associated with reduced levels of cell proliferation. The failure to downregulate expression of PD-1 in most T cells during chronic HIV-1 infection is associated with persistent alterations in the distribution of T cell subsets and is associated with impaired responses to IL-7. Our findings identify PD-1 as a marker for aberrant distribution of T cell subsets in HIV-1 infection.
Targeted delivery of antigens to dendritic cells (DCs) is a promising vaccination strategy. However, to ensure immunity, the approach depends on coadministration of an adjuvant. Here we ask whether ...targeting of both adjuvant and antigen to DCs is sufficient to induce immunity. Using a protein ligation method, we develop a general approach for linking the immune stimulant, poly dA:dT (pdA:dT), to a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for DEC205 (DEC). We show that DEC-specific mAbs deliver pdA:dT to DCs for the efficient production of type I interferon in human monocyte-derived DCs and in mice. Notably, adaptive T-cell immunity is elicited when mAbs specific for DEC-pdA:dT are used as the activation stimuli and are administered together with a DC-targeted antigen. Collectively, our studies indicate that DCs can integrate innate and adaptive immunity in vivo and suggest that dual delivery of antigen and adjuvant to DCs might be an efficient approach to vaccine development.
Background. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline with age increases the risk of inappropriate dosing of drugs. We investigated the determinants and the mortality associated with the use of drugs ...that are contraindicated or require dose adjustment according to kidney function among the community-dwelling elderly.
Methods. The Three-City population-based study included 8701 participants ≥65 years from 1999 to 2001. Exposure to the risk of inappropriate drug dosage was defined as reported use of either a contraindicated drug or one requiring dose adjustment according to the individual baseline glomerular filtration rate estimated (eGFR) with the Modification of Diet in Renal disease study equation. Six-year mortality was analysed using Cox models adjusted for several sociodemographic, biologic and clinical risk factors.
Results. The overall percentage of exposure to the risk of inappropriate drug use was 13.3% (contraindication, 0.8%): it was 52.5% (4.5%) in those with an eGFR of 30-59 and 96% (48%) in those <30mL/min/1.73 m2. Antihypertensive agents, fibrates and psycholeptics accounted for most of the drugs with dosing recommendations and antidiabetic agents and antihistamines for those contraindicated. Individuals at risk were more likely to be men, older, and under treatment for hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. Exposure to either risk was independently related to higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.9) in participants with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2.
Conclusions. Contraindicated drug prescription was uncommon but >10% of the population took drugs requiring renal dosing adjustments. Regular monitoring of eGFR may prevent excess mortality associated with inappropriate drug prescription in the elderly.
Highlights • In this study we report for the first time the presence of CD80 dimers and CD86 monomers in living cells. • We identified an inhibitory role for the IgC domains of CD80 and CD86 in ...multimer formation of both molecules. • Our study demonstrates that the IgC and IgV domains of CD80 and CD86 have distinct but complementary roles in optimal T cell activation.
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