Dynamic changes in CD4+ CD25+(high) T cell apoptosis after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

Because type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic, autoimmune, T cell-mediated disease, interventions affecting T cells are expected to modulate the immune cascade and lead to disease remission. We propose that increased CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cell apoptosis, a trait we discovered in recent-onset T1D subjects, reflects T1D partial remission within the first 6 months after diagnosis. Apoptosis of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)(+) CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cells, in addition to total daily doses of insulin (TDD), blood glucose, HbA1c and age, were measured in 45 subjects with T1D at various times after diagnosis. Sixteen healthy control subjects were also recruited to the study. Higher CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cell apoptosis levels were detected within the first 6 months of diagnosis (odds ratio = 1.39, P = 0.009), after adjustment for age, TDD and HbA1c. A proportional hazards model confirmed that the decline of apoptosis after diagnosis of T1D was related significantly to survival time (hazards ratio = 1.08, P = 0.014), with TDD and age also contributing to survival. During this time there was an inverse relationship between CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cell apoptosis with TDD (r = -0.39, P = 0.008). The CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cell apoptosis levels decline significantly after the first 6 months from diagnosis of T1D and may help in the close monitoring of autoimmunity. In parallel, there is an increase in TDD during this time. We also propose that CD4(+) CD25(+high) T cell apoptosis assay can be used to gauge the efficacy of the several immune tolerance induction protocols, now under way.     

Regulatory T cell lineage commitment in the thymus

A substantial fraction of the Foxp3⁺ CD4⁺ regulatory T (T_reg) cell repertoire is generated through instructive and/or selective processes in the thymus, and there is some consensus that clonal deviation into the T_reg lineage is a result of self-antigen recognition. Paradoxically, the same holds true for a diametrically different cell fate decision of developing thymocytes, namely their removal from the repertoire through apoptotic cell death (clonal deletion). Here, we will review our current understanding of how T cell receptor stimulation, cytokine signaling, co-stimulation, epigenetic modifications and T cell intrinsic developmental tuning synergize during T_reg cell differentiation, and how instructive signals converge at the Foxp3 gene-locus during entry into the T_reg cell lineage. We will also discuss how these parameters relate to known determinants of negative selection.     

急性期川崎病患儿滤泡辅助性T细胞改变观察

目的 探讨滤泡辅助性T细胞(Tfh细胞)在儿童川崎病(Kawasaki disease,KD)中的数量变化及其可能机制.方法 急性期川崎病患儿20例,采用流式细胞术检测外周血CD4+CXCR5+ICOS+T细胞(Tfh)的比例,采用real-time PCR检测转录调节因子Bcl-6、Blimp-1 mRNA表达,酶联免疫吸附试验检测血浆中IL-4和IL-21浓度;20例同龄健康儿童作为对照组.结果 (1)急性期KD患儿Tfh细胞比例明显高于正常对照组[(2.6±0.6)％vs(1.8±0.7)％,P＜0.05];(2)Tfh细胞转录因子Bcl-6 mRNA表达较正常对照组明显增高(P＜0.05),其拮抗因子Blimp-1 mRNA表达降低(P＜0.05);(3)血浆IL-21和IL-4蛋白浓度明显高于正常对照组(P＜0.05).结论 Tfh细胞过度活化可能参与了KD免疫发病机制,Bcl-6/Blimp-1表达失衡,IL-4和IL-21细胞因子微环境改变可能与Tfh细胞异常活化有关.     

血浆sIL-2R对急性期川崎病调节性T 细胞的影响

目的探讨sIL-2R血浓度对急性期川崎病（ KD）患儿调节性T细胞（ Treg）的影响。方法急性期KD患儿33例,正常同龄对照儿童14例。流式细胞术检测外周血CD4＋CD25＋Foxp3＋Treg细胞的比例和CD4＋CD25＋T细胞磷酸化STAT5（pSTAT5）蛋白平均荧光强度（MFI）;流式微球阵列术（CBA）检测血浆sIL-2R、IL-2、IL-7、IL-15的浓度;荧光定量PCR（real-time PCR）检测CD4＋CD25＋T细胞Foxp3、GITR、CTLA-4、IL-2Rα、IL-2Rβ、IL-2Rγ和CD 4＋CD25-T 细胞 IL-17A、RoR-γt 等基因mRNA表达。结果（1）急性期KD患儿CD4＋CD25＋Foxp3＋Treg细胞比例及相关分子Foxp3、GITR、CTLA-4 mRNA表达明显低于同龄对照组（P＜0．05）,Th17细胞相关因子IL-17A、ROR-γt mRNA表达明显增高（P＜0．05）,IVIG治疗后呈不同程度的恢复（P＜0．05）。（2）急性期KD患儿CD4＋CD25＋T细胞pSTAT5蛋白水平显著下调（P＜0．05）,IVIG治疗后明显上调（P＜0．05）。（3）急性期KD患儿血浆sIL-2R浓度显著增高（P＜0．05）,IVIG治疗后下降（P＜0．05）;其中KD合并冠脉损伤组（KD-CAL＋）明显高于无冠脉损伤组（KD-CAL-）（P＜0．05）;IL-2、IL-7、IL1-5浓度无明显改变（P＞0．05）。（4）急性期KD患儿CD4＋CD25＋T细胞IL-2Rα、IL-2Rβ基因mRNA表达明显低于同龄对照组（P＜0．05）,IVIG治疗后呈不同程度的升高（ P＜0．05）;IL-2Rγ基因mRNA表达无明显改变;sIL-2R血浓度与IL-2RβmRNA、pSTAT5及Foxp3 mRNA表达呈负相关（ P＜0．05）;pSTAT5与Foxp3 mRNA表达呈正相关（ P＜0．05）。结论血浆sIL-2R明显增高可致IL-2/STAT5信号途径传导异常,这可能是导致急性期KD Treg细胞下调的因素之一。     

T(reg) cells: collection, processing, storage and clinical use

T regulatory cells are fundamental in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and self-tolerance. Experimental models suggest the existence of two functional types of T_reg cells designated naturally occurring and induced. Interest in T_reg cells increased with evidence from experimental mouse and human models demonstrating that the immunosuppressive potential of these cells can be utilized in the treatment of various pathological conditions. The existence of a subpopulation of suppressive T cells was the subject of significant controversy among immunologists for many years. T regulatory cells limit immune activation through a variety of direct and indirect interactions, many of which are yet to be determined. Fully understanding T_reg cells biology will lead us to harnessing the capacity of these cells in order to develop strategies to prevent autoimmune disorders and tolerance to transplantation. Efficient isolation, expansion and cryopreservation strategies that comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines are prerequisites for the clinical application of human CD4+ CD25+ CD127^low FOXP3+ regulatory T cells.     

FOXP3 expression and frequency of regulatory T cells in healed individuals from Leishmania major infection and the asymptomatic cases

Two groups of residents in an endemic area of Leishmania major infection in Iran with positive leishmanin skin tests who were either asymptomatic or had healed cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions were compared with respect to their T helper responses. The percentages of regulatory T cells (T_reg; CD4⁺CD25^high FoxP3⁺) from the peripheral blood and CD4⁺ T cells producing intracellular cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 and IFN-γ) from the stimulated PBMCs were evaluated by flow cytometry and the expressions of RORC and FOXP3 genes were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. T responder (CD4⁺CD25⁻) and T_reg-enriched (CD4⁺CD25⁺) cells were isolated magnetically and the suppressive capacity of the latter and the cytokines (IFN-γ, TGF-β and IL-10) secreted from them were evaluated by in vitro assays. The results showed that the frequency of T_reg in the studied groups were similar and T_reg from both groups exhibited high yet similar suppressive capacities while significantly higher levels of FOXP3 expression was observed in the asymptomatic group. Taken together, similar frequency and suppressiveness of T_reg combined with high ratios of IFN-γ/IL-10 producing CD4⁺ T cells were common in both groups; however the members of the asymptomatic group appeared to require higher expression of FOXP3 to maintain their immunity to re-infection.     

Involvement of T helper type 17 and regulatory T cell activity in Citrobacter rodentium invasion and inflammatory damage

Citrobacter rodentium is a murine pathogen that transiently colonizes the lumen of the large intestine. C. rodentium induces colitis, but the relative importance and temporal induction of the T helper type 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (T_reg) pathways in protection from the infection and inflammation have not been assessed. Our aim was to investigate the key immunological signalling events associated with successful clearance of C. rodentium. Mice were challenged with luminescent-tagged C. rodentium and killed at days 3 (early infection), 10 (peak infection) and 21 (late infection) post-infection. Bioluminescent imaging and bacterial culture determined levels of C. rodentium. Distal colon mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-6, IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and ghrelin were assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results were compared with age-matched non-infected mice. Low levels of C. rodentium were found at day 3, high levels at day 10, with clearance from the majority of the mice by day 21. In the distal colon, there was up-regulation of TNF-α and FoxP3 throughout the study and increases in IL-6 and IL-17 during the peak and late stages of infection. Ghrelin expression was increased at the peak and late stages of infection. This study has characterized changes to the T helper cell pathways, following the course of C. rodentium infection in mice. There were significant immunological changes, with up-regulation of the Th17 and T_reg pathways in the distal colon and an increase in ghrelin expression compared with non-infected control mice. These changes may play a role in the pathology and clearance of C. rodentium.     

Decreased interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-producing T cells in patients with acute Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile illness of early childhood, in which the activation of monocytes/macrophages plays a central role in the development of vasculitis during the acute stage of disease. In this study we investigated peripheral blood T cells of 10 patients with KD, focusing on the Th1 and Th2 imbalance, using intracellular cytokine staining and analysis of the cytokine-producing T cells by flow cytometry. We observed a decrease in the numbers of IFN-gamma-producing, but not IL-4-producing, CD3+ T cells, during the acute stage. Our results suggest that there is an imbalance of Th1 and Th2 subsets during the acute stage of KD.     

静脉注射丙种球蛋白治疗对急性期川崎病IgGFc受体和TLR4表达的影响

目的 探讨静脉注射丙种球蛋白(intravenous immunoglobulin,IVIG)治疗对川崎病(Kawasaki disease,KD) Toll样受体4(Toll-like receptor4,TLR4)表达的影响.方法 急性KD患儿25例,正常同龄对照儿童15例.流式细胞术检测单核细胞(monocyte cells,MC) TLR4表达水平;双抗体夹心酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测血浆TNF-α浓度;反转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)及荧光定量PCR检测MC FcγRⅡb、TLR4信号转导途径分子(MyD88、TRAF-6、TAKl)和细胞因子(IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α)mRNA表达.结果 急性期KD患儿MC TLR4及其转导分子表达明显高于同龄对照组(P＜0.05),IVIG治疗后较治疗前明显降低(P＜0.05);急性期KD患儿MC FcγRⅡb明显低于同龄对照组(P＜0.05),IVIG治疗后明显升高(P＜0.05);急性期KD患儿IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α表达及血浆TNF-α浓度显著增高(P＜0.05),IVIG治疗后下降(P＜0.05);急性期KD患儿MC FcγRⅡb表达与TLR4表达及炎症细胞因子呈相关性(P＜0.05).结论 IVIG可能上调FcγRⅡb表达,下调TLR4表达,从而抑制炎症反应.     

Onchocerca volvulus-specific antibody and cytokine responses in onchocerciasis patients after 16 years of repeated ivermectin therapy

The recommended control option against onchocerciasis is repeated ivermectin treatment, which will need to be implemented for decades, and it remains unknown how repeated ivermectin therapy might affect immunity against Onchocerca volvulus in the long term. O. volvulus-specific antibody reactivity and cellular cytokine production were investigated in onchocerciasis patients receiving ivermectin (150 microg/kg) annually for 16 years. In treated patients, the T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine interleukin (IL)-5 and T regulatory IL-10 in response to O. volvulus antigen (OvAg) and bacteria-derived Streptolysin O (SL-O) diminished to levels found in infection-free endemic controls; also, cellular release of Th1-type interferon (IFN)-gamma at 16 years post initial ivermectin treatment (p.i.t.) approached control levels. In ivermectin-treated onchocerciasis patients, IL-5 production in responses to the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) decreased, but IL-10 in response PHA increased, and neither attained the cytokine production levels of endemic controls. At 16 years p.i.t., O. volvulus-specific IgG1 and IgG4 subclass reactivity still persisted at higher levels in onchocerciasis patients than in O. volvulus exposed but microfilariae-free endemic controls. In addition, cytokine responses remained depressed in onchocerciasis patients infected concurrently with Mansonella perstans and Necator americanus or Entamoeba histolytica/dispar. Thus, long-term ivermectin therapy of onchocerciasis may not suffice to re-establish fully a balanced Th1 and Th2 immune responsiveness in O. volvulus microfilariae-negative individuals. Such deficient reconstitution of immune competence may be due to an as yet continuing and uncontrolled reinfection with O. volvulus, but parasite co-infections can also bias and may prevent the development of such immunity.     

T cell activation profiles in Kawasaki syndrome

Superantigens (SAgs) are potent stimulators of T cells bearing specific Vbeta T cell receptors (TCR) and may play a role in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki syndrome (KS), although despite 15 years of intense study this area remains controversial. Because SAgs can cause Vbeta restricted T cell activation in the absence of Vbeta skewing the aims of this study were to describe a flow cytometric protocol to study both CD4 and CD8 Vbeta repertoires, and CD69 expression across the CD4 and CD8 Vbeta repertoire in children with KS. Sixteen children with KS were studied. There was no significant increase in overall peripheral blood CD4 or CD8 T cell activation as determined by CD69 expression. However, Vbeta restricted CD4 and/or CD8 activation was observed in eight of 11 (72%) of the KS patients, a finding not observed in healthy controls. Thirteen of 16 (81%) of the KS patients had evidence of either Vbeta skewing (particularly CD4 Vbeta2 and Vbeta5.1) and/or Vbeta restricted activation. Three patients had Vbeta restricted activation in the absence of skewing. We suggest that these preliminary observations highlight the many layers of complexity when considering T cell activation in KS, which could explain some of the conflicting studies regarding peripheral blood T cell activation and Vbeta skewing. It is likely that in order to move forward with this debate a combination of detailed microbiological, immunological and molecular techniques applied to individual patients will be required ultimately to prove or refute the SAg hypothesis of KS.     

Early dynamics of T helper cell cytokines and T regulatory cells in response to treatment of active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Biomarkers that can identify tuberculosis (TB) disease and serve as markers for efficient therapy are requested. We have studied T cell cytokine production [interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α] and degranulation (CD107a) as well as subsets of CD4⁺ T regulatory cells (T_regs) after in-vitro Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen stimulation [early secretory antigenic target (ESAT)-6, culture filtrate protein (CFP)-10, antigen 85 (Ag85)] in 32 patients with active tuberculosis (TB) disease throughout 24 weeks of effective TB treatment. A significant decline in the fraction of Mtb-specific total IFN-γ and single IFN-γ-producing T cells was already observed after 2 weeks of treatment, whereas the pool of single IL-2⁺ cells increased over time for both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. The T_reg subsets CD25^highCD127^low, CD25^highCD147⁺⁺ and CD25^highCD127^lowCD161⁺ expanded significantly after Mtb antigen stimulation in vitro at all time-points, whereas the CD25^highCD127^lowCD39⁺ T_regs remained unchanged. The fraction of CD25^highCD127^low T_regs increased after 8 weeks of treatment. Thus, we revealed an opposing shift of T_regs and intracellular cytokine production during treatment. This may indicate that functional signatures of the CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells can serve as immunological correlates of early curative host responses. Whether such signatures can be used as biomarkers in monitoring and follow-up of TB treatment needs to be explored further.     

Soluble cell adhesion molecules and von Willebrand factor in children with Kawasaki disease.

Fifty-nine children with acute Kawasaki disease (KD), a childhood vasculitis, were compared with 35 children with fever due to infection and 48 healthy children. Levels of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in the healthy children were double those found in adults. All three soluble cell adhesion molecules and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were higher in the children with KD than in the healthy children, but only sE-selectin, a marker for activated endothelial cells, and sICAM-1 were higher than in the febrile children. The high levels of vWF in KD appear to reflect the prominent acute-phase reaction. This information can help us to understand further the complex interactions between cytokines, circulating inflammatory cells and the vascular endothelium, and may lead to new therapeutic avenues in KD and other inflammatory diseases and vasculitides.     

Detection of human bocavirus in children with Kawasaki disease

Human bocavirus (HboV) is an emerging virus that has been implicated as a cause of acute upper and lower respiratory tract infection in children. As no serological assay is available, PCR was used to screen nasopharyngeal, serum or stool samples from 16 patients with Kawasaki disease for HBoV nucleic acid. HBoV was identified by PCR in five (31.2%) patients, suggesting that this emerging virus may also play a pathogenic role in some cases of Kawasaki disease.     

Circulating endothelial cells in Kawasaki disease

Recent reports have demonstrated that circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are observed in several diseases with vascular injury. Because Kawasaki disease (KD) is one type of systemic vasculitis, we hypothesized that an increased number of CECs may be associated with the appearance of complicated coronary artery lesions (CAL). In the present study we investigated the enumeration and origin of CECs in 20 patients with KD, using an immunohistochemical method with monoclonal antibodies: clone P1H12 against ECs and clone AC133 against endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which were derived from the bone marrow. The mean number of CECs increased significantly (P < 0.05) from the acute through the subacute phases of KD compared with both the convalescent phase of KD and healthy children. The mean number of CECs was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in six KD patients with CAL than in 14 KD patients without CAL. The population of EPCs in the total CECs in KD was 4.4 +/- 1.2% (range 0-18%). The number of EPCs during the subacute phase was also significantly higher (P < 0.05) in KD patients with CAL than in those without CAL. Our findings indicate that the number of CECs increase in KD vasculitis and suggest that the increased numbers of CECs and EPCs may reflect the EC damage of this disease.     

An evaluation of children with Kawasaki disease in Istanbul: a retrospective follow-up study

BACKGROUND:

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self‐limiting vasculitis of unknown etiology. The incidence of KD is increasing world wide. However, the epidemiological data for KD in Turkey has not been well described.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe the demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of children with KD who were diagnosed and managed in the American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

METHOD:

Patients with KD were retrospectively identified from the hospital discharge records between 2002 and 2010. Atypical cases of KD were excluded. A standardized form was used to collect demographic data, clinical information, echocardiography and laboratory results.

RESULTS:

Thirty‐five patients with KD, with a mean age of 2.5±1.9 years, were identified. Eighty‐five point seven per cent of patients were under 5 years of age. A seasonal pattern favouring the winter months was noticed. In addition to fever and bilateral conjunctival injection, changes in the oral cavity and lips were the most commonly detected clinical signs in our cases. Coronary artery abnormalities were detected in nine patients. The majority of our patients had started treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin in the first 10 days of the onset of fever, and only one patient required systemic steroids for intravenous immunoglobulin‐resistant KD. The coronary artery abnormalities resolved in all nine patients within 8 months.

CONCLUSION:

This study is the most comprehensive series of children from Turkey with KD included in Medline. As adult‐onset ischemic heart disease may be due to KD in childhood, further prospective clinical investigations are needed to understand the epidemiology, management and long‐term follow‐up of the disease.     

Large-scale expansion of rat CD4+ CD25+ T(reg) cells in the absence of T-cell receptor stimulation

T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation is both central to homeostatic maintenance of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells (T(reg) cells) in vivo and a prerequisite for the initiation of suppression by T(reg) cells, both in vivo and in vitro. However, TCR-independent stimulation of T(reg) cells, e.g. with superagonistic CD28-specific monoclonal antibodies (CD28-SA), not only expands these cells in vivo but, as we show here, also mediates large-scale expansion of rat T(reg) cells in vitro. Interestingly, CD28-SA stimulation plus interleukin (IL)-2 was even superior to conventional costimulation plus IL-2 in promoting T(reg) cell growth in vitro. Despite their highly activated phenotype suppression by T(reg) cells expanded in the absence of TCR stimulation remained fully dependent on TCR-triggering for initiation and cell contact was required to exert suppression. With regard to the regulation of suppression by CD28 stimulation we observed that neither the presence of a conventional anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody nor a CD28-SA generally rendered conventional T cells resistant to suppression by preactivated T(reg) cells. Taken together, we provide a novel protocol for long-term propagation of T(reg) cells in vitro and our data are the first to reveal a difference in the signals required for activation and expansion of T(reg) cells and those, involving the TCR, necessary for the initiation of suppression.