Tissue-resident lymphocytes (TRLs) are critical for local protection against viral pathogens in peripheral tissue. However, it is unclear if TRLs perform a similar role in transplanted organs under chronic immunosuppressed conditions. The present study aimed to characterize the TRL compartment in human kidney transplant nephrectomies and examine its potential role in antiviral immunity. The TRL compartment of kidney transplants contained diverse innate(-like) and adaptive TRL populations expressing the canonical residency markers CD69, CD103, and CD49a. Chimerism of donor and recipient cells was present in 43% of kidney transplants and occurred in all TRL subpopulations. Paired single-cell transcriptome and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing showed that donor and recipient tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells exhibit striking similarities in their transcriptomic profiles and share numerous TCR clonotypes predicted to target viral pathogens. Virus dextramer staining further confirmed that CD8 TRM cells of both donor and recipient origin cexpress TCRs with specificities against common viruses, including CMV, EBV, BK polyomavirus, and influenza A. Overall, the study results demonstrate that a diverse population of TRLs resides in kidney transplants and offer compelling evidence that TRM cells of both donor and recipient origin reside within this TRL population and may contribute to local protection against viral pathogens.
Daphne M. Hullegie-Peelen, Hector Tejeda Mora, Dennis A. Hesselink, ERIC M.J. BINDELS, Thierry Paulus Pierre van den Bosch, Marian C. Clahsen-van Groningen, Marjolein Dieterich, Sebastiaan Heidt, Robert C. Minnee, Georges M.G.M. Verjans, Martin J. Hoogduijn, Carla C. Baan
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) are a promising tool to promote transplant tolerance. The relationship between CAR structure and Treg function was studied in xenogeneic, immunodeficient mice, revealing advantages of CD28-encoding CARs. However, these models could underrepresent interactions between CAR-Tregs, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and donor-specific antibodies. We generated Tregs expressing HLA-A2-specific CARs with different costimulatory domains and compared their function in vitro and in vivo using an immunocompetent model of transplantation. In vitro, the CD28-encoding CAR had superior antigen-specific suppression, proliferation and cytokine production. In contrast, in vivo, Tregs expressing CARs encoding CD28, ICOS, PD1 and GITR, but not 41BB or OX40, all extended skin allograft survival. To reconcile in vitro and in vivo data, we analyzed effects of a CAR encoding CD3ζ but no co-stimulatory domain. These data revealed that exogenous co-stimulation from APCs can compensate for the lack of a CAR-encoded CD28 domain. Thus, Tregs expressing a CAR with or without CD28 are functionally equivalent in vivo, mediating similar extension of skin allograft survival and controlling the generation of anti-HLA-A2 alloantibodies. This study reveals a new dimension of CAR-Treg biology and has important implications for the design of CARs for clinical use in Tregs.
Isaac Rosado-Sánchez, Manjurul Haque, Kevin Salim, Madeleine Speck, Vivian C.W. Fung, Dominic A. Boardman, Majid Mojibian, Giorgio Raimondi, Megan K. Levings
Posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is associated with a low incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) following hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. Previous studies have shown the important roles of B cell immunity in cGVHD development. Here, we investigated the long-term reconstitution of B lymphopoiesis after PTCy using murine models. We first demonstrated that the immune homeostatic abnormality leading to cGVHD is characterized by an initial increase in effector T cells in the bone marrow and subsequent B and Treg cytopenia. PTCy, but not cyclosporine A or rapamycin, inhibits the initial alloreactive T cell response, which restores intra-bone marrow B lymphogenesis with a concomitant vigorous increase in Tregs. This leads to profound changes in posttransplant B cell homeostasis, including decreased B cell activating factors, increased transitional and regulatory B cells, and decreased germinal center B cells. To identify the cells responsible for PTCy-induced B cell tolerance, we selectively depleted Treg populations that were graft or HSC derived using DEREG mice. Deletion of either Treg population without PTCy resulted in critical B cytopenia. PTCy rescued B lymphopoiesis from graft-derived Treg deletion. In contrast, the negative effect of HSC-derived Treg deletion could not be overcome by PTCy, indicating that HSC-derived Tregs are essential for maintaining favorable B lymphopoiesis following PTCy. These findings define the mechanisms by which PTCy restores homeostasis of the B cell lineage and reestablishes immune tolerance.
Yuichi Sumii, Takumi Kondo, Shuntaro Ikegawa, Takuya Fukumi, Miki Iwamoto, Midori Filiz Nishimura, Hiroyuki Sugiura, Yasuhisa Sando, Makoto Nakamura, Yusuke Meguri, Takashi Matsushita, Naoki Tanimine, Maiko Kimura, Noboru Asada, Daisuke Ennishi, Yoshinobu Maeda, Ken-ichi Matsuoka
BACKGROUND. Currently, no laboratory tests exist to stratify for the risk of developing sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), an early endothelial complication after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Risk biomarkers of SOS have not been verified in a prospective cohort accounting for differences between practices across institutions. Herein, we aimed to define risk groups for SOS occurrence using three proteins: L-Ficolin, Hyaluronic Acid (HA), and Stimulation-2 (ST2). METHODS. Between 2017 to 2021, we prospectively accrued 80 pediatric patients across 4 US centers. Biomarkers were tested by ELISA blind to patient groupings and associated with SOS incidence at day 35 post-HCT, and overall survival (OS) at day 100 post-HCT. Cutpoints were identified using retrospective cohorts and applied to the prospective cohort. RESULTS. Combination of the three biomarkers measured at day 3 post-HCT in the prospective cohort provided 80% (95%CI, 55-100%) sensitivity and 73% (95%CI, 62-83%) specificity for risk of SOS occurrence. Patients with low L-Ficolin were 9 times (95%CI 3-32) more likely to develop SOS, while patients with high HA and ST2 were 6.5 (95%CI 1.9-22.0) and 5.5 (95%CI 2.3-13.1) times more likely to develop SOS. These three markers also predicted worse day 100 OS [L-Ficolin: HR, 10.0 (95%CI 2.2-45.1), P=0.0002; HA: HR, 4.1 (95%CI 1.0-16.4), P=0.031; ST2: HR, 3.9 (95%CI 0.9-16.4), P=0.04]. CONCLUSION. L-Ficolin, HA, and ST2 levels measured as early as three days post-HCT improved risk stratification for SOS occurrence and OS and may guide risk-adapted preemptive therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03132337. FUNDING. NICHD P50HD090215, R01HD074587, NCI R01CA168814 and NHLBI K24HL156896.
Yan Han, Alan Bidgoli, Brittany P. DePriest, Alejandra Méndez, Khadijeh Bijangi-Vishehsaraei, Evelio D. Perez-Albuerne, Robert A. Krance, Jamie Renbarger, Jodi L. Skiles, Sung W. Choi, Hao Liu, Sophie Paczesny
Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is the leading cause of death in lung transplant recipients. CLAD is characterized clinically by a persistent decline in pulmonary function and histologically by the development of airway-centered fibrosis known as bronchiolitis obliterans. There are no approved therapies to treat CLAD, and the mechanisms underlying its development remain poorly understood. We performed single-cell RNA-Seq and spatial transcriptomic analysis of explanted tissues from human lung recipients with CLAD, and we performed independent validation studies to identify an important role of Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling in airway epithelial cells that contributes to airway-specific alloimmune injury. Specifically, we established that activation of JAK-STAT signaling leads to upregulation of major histocompatibility complex 1 (MHC-I) in airway basal cells, an important airway epithelial progenitor population, which leads to cytotoxic T cell–mediated basal cell death. This study provides mechanistic insight into the cell-to-cell interactions driving airway-centric alloimmune injury in CLAD, suggesting a potentially novel therapeutic strategy for CLAD prevention or treatment.
Aaditya Khatri, Jamie L. Todd, Fran L. Kelly, Andrew Nagler, Zhicheng Ji, Vaibhav Jain, Simon G. Gregory, Kent J. Weinhold, Scott M. Palmer
Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT). Chemerin is a chemotactic protein that recruits leukocytes to inflamed tissues by interacting with ChemR23/CMKLR1, a chemotactic receptor expressed by leukocytes, including macrophages. During acute GvHD, chemerin plasma levels were strongly increased in allo-BM-transplanted mice. The role of the chemerin/CMKLR1 axis in GvHD was investigated using Cmklr1-KO mice. WT mice transplanted with an allogeneic graft from Cmklr1-KO donors (t-KO) had worse survival and more severe GvHD. Histological analysis demonstrated that the gastrointestinal tract was the organ mostly affected by GvHD in t-KO mice. The severe colitis of t-KO mice was characterized by massive neutrophil infiltration and tissue damage associated with bacterial translocation and exacerbated inflammation. Similarly, Cmklr1-KO recipient mice showed increased intestinal pathology in both allogeneic transplant and dextran sulfate sodium–induced colitis. Notably, the adoptive transfer of WT monocytes into t-KO mice mitigated GvHD manifestations by decreasing gut inflammation and T cell activation. In patients, higher chemerin serum levels were predictive of GvHD development. Overall, these results suggest that CMKLR1/chemerin may be a protective pathway for the control of intestinal inflammation and tissue damage in GvHD.
Erica Dander, Paola Vinci, Stefania Vetrano, Camilla Recordati, Rocco Piazza, Grazia Fazio, Donatella Bardelli, Mattia Bugatti, Francesca Sozio, Andrea Piontini, Sonia Bonanomi, Luca Bertola, Elena Tassistro, Maria Grazia Valsecchi, Stefano Calza, William Vermi, Andrea Biondi, Annalisa Del Prete, Silvano Sozzani, Giovanna D’Amico
BACKGROUND. Cellular stressors influence the development of clonal hematopoiesis (CH). We hypothesized that aging, environmental, inflammatory, and genotoxic stresses drive the emergence of CH in patients with severe lung disease undergoing lung transplantation. METHODS. We performed a cross-sectional cohort study of 85 patients with severe lung disease undergoing transplantation to characterize CH prevalence. We evaluated somatic variants using duplex error-corrected sequencing and germline variants using whole exome sequencing. We evaluated CH frequency and burden using chi-square and Poisson regression, associations with clinical and demographic variables using logistic regression, and associations with clinical outcomes using chi-square, logistic, and Cox regression. RESULTS. CH in DNA damage response (DDR) genes TP53, PPM1D, and ATM was observed at high frequency in transplant recipients compared to a control group of older adults [28% vs. 0%, aOR 12.9 (1.7-100.3), p=0.0002]. Age [OR 1.13 (1.03-1.25), p=0.014] and smoking history [OR 4.25 (1.02-17.82), p=0.048] were associated with CH in DDR genes. Germline variants causing predisposition to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including telomere biology disorders and surfactant-related lung disease were identified but not associated with CH. DDR CH was associated with increased cytomegalovirus viremia compared to patients with no CH [OR 7.23 (1.95-26.8), p=0.009]] or non-DDR CH [OR 7.64 (1.77-32.89, p=0.012)], decreased lymphopenia (aHR 0.49 (0.27 – 0.90), p=0.021) and mycophenolate discontinuation [aOR 3.8 (1.3-12.9), p=0.031]. CONCLUSION. In patients with severe lung disease requiring lung transplantation, CH due to somatic variants in PPM1D, TP53 or ATM is highly prevalent and associated with post-transplant outcomes including cytomegalovirus activation and mycophenolate intolerance. FUNDING. NIH/NHLBI K01HL155231 (LKT), R25HL105400 (LKT), Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital (LKT), Evans MDS Center at Washington University (KAO, MJW), ASH Scholar Award (KAO), NIH K12CA167540 (KAO), NIH P01AI116501 (AEG, DK), NIH R01HL094601 (AEG), and NIH P01CA101937 (DCL).
Laneshia K. Tague, Karolyn A. Oetjen, Anirudh Mahadev, Matthew J. Walter, Hephzibah Anthony, Daniel Kreisel, Daniel C. Link, Andrew E. Gelman
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) inflicted by alloreactive T cells primed in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) and subsequent damage to aGvHD target tissues. In recent years, regulatory T cell (Treg) transfer and/or expansion has emerged as a promising therapy to modulate aGvHD. However, cellular niches essential for fostering Tregs to prevent aGvHD have not been explored, yet. Here, we tested whether and to what extent MHC class II (MHCII) expressed on Ccl19+ fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) shape the donor CD4+ T cell response during aGvHD. Animals lacking MHCII expression on Ccl19-Cre-expressing FRCs (MHCIIΔCcl19) showed aberrant CD4+ T cells activation in the effector phase resulting in exacerbated aGvHD that was associated with significantly reduced expansion of Foxp3+ Tregs and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Skewed Treg maintenance in MHCIIΔCcl19 mice resulted in loss of protection from aGvHD provided by adoptively transferred donor Tregs. In contrast, although FRCs upregulated co-stimulatory surface receptors, degraded and processed exogenous antigens after myeloablative irradiation, FRCs were dispensable to activate alloreactive CD4+ T cells in two mouse models of aGvHD. In sum, these data reveal an immunoprotective, MHCII-mediated function of FRC niches in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) after allo-HCT and highlights a hitherto unknown framework of cellular and molecular interactions that regulate CD4+ T cell alloimmunity.
Haroon Shaikh, Joern Pezoldt, Zeinab Mokhtari, Juan Gamboa Vargas, Duc-Dung Le, Josefina Peña Mosca, Estibaliz Arellano-Viera, Michael A.G. Kern, Caroline Graf, Niklas Beyersdorf, Manfred B. Lutz, Angela Riedel, Maike Büttner-Herold, Alma Zernecke, Hermann Einsele, Antoine-Emmanuel Saliba, Burkhard Ludewig, Jochen Huehn, Andreas Beilhack
Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the main reason for poor outcomes after lung transplantation (LTx). We and others have recently identified B cells as major contributors to BOS after LTx. The extent of B cell heterogeneity and the relative contributions of B cell subpopulations to BOS, however, remain unclear. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of cell population changes and their gene expression patterns during chronic rejection after orthotopic LTx in mice. Of 11 major cell types, Mzb1-expressing plasma cells (PCs) were the most prominently increased population in BOS lungs. These findings were validated in 2 different cohorts of human BOS after LTx. A Bhlhe41, Cxcr3, and Itgb1 triple-positive B cell subset, also expressing classical markers of the innate-like B-1 B cell population, served as the progenitor pool for Mzb1+ PCs. This subset accounted for the increase in IgG2c production within BOS lung grafts. A genetic lack of Igs decreased BOS severity after LTx. In summary, we provide a detailed analysis of cell population changes during BOS. IgG+ PCs and their progenitors — an innate B cell subpopulation — are the major source of local Ab production and a significant contributor to BOS after LTx.
Natalia F. Smirnova, Kent Riemondy, Marta Bueno, Susan Collins, Pavan Suresh, Xingan Wang, Kapil N. Patel, Carlyne Cool, Melanie Königshoff, Nirmal S. Sharma, Oliver Eickelberg
Energy metabolism failure in proximal tubule cells (PTC) is a hallmark of chronic kidney injury. We combined transcriptomic, metabolomic and lipidomic approaches in experimental models and patient cohorts to investigate the molecular bases of the progression to chronic kidney allograft injury initiated by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The urinary metabolome of kidney transplant recipients with chronic allograft injury and who experienced severe IRI was significantly enriched with long chain fatty acids (FA). We identified a renal FA-related gene signature with low levels of Cpt2 and Acsm5 and high levels of Acsl4 and Acsm5 associated with IRI, transition to chronic injury, and established CKD in mouse models and kidney transplant recipients. The findings were consistent with the presence of Cpt2-, Acsl4+, Acsl5+, Acsm5- PTC failing to recover from IRI as identified by snRNAseq. In vitro experiments indicated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to CPT2 repression, which, in turn, promotes lipids accumulation, drives profibrogenic epithelial phenotypic changes, and activates the unfolded protein response. ER stress through CPT2 inhibition and lipid accumulation, engages an auto-amplification loop leading to lipotoxicity and self-sustained cellular stress. Thus, IRI imprints a persistent FA metabolism disturbance in the proximal tubule sustaining the progression to chronic kidney allograft injury.
Anna Rinaldi, Hélène Lazareth, Virginie Poindessous, Ivan Nemazanyy, Julio L. Sampaio, Daniele Malpetti, Yohan Bignon, Maarten Naesens, Marion Rabant, Dany Anglicheau, Pietro E. Cippà, Nicolas Pallet
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