Hisakazu Nishimori

Synthetic retinoid Am80 ameliorates chronic graft-versus-host disease by down-regulating Th1 and Th17

Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) is a main cause of late death and morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the roles of Th subsets in cGVHD with the use of a well-defined mouse model of cGVHD. In this model, development of cGVHD was associated with up-regulated Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses. Th1 and Th2 responses were up-regulated early after BM transplantation, followed by a subsequent up-regulation of Th17 cells. Significantly greater numbers of Th17 cells were infiltrated in the lung and liver from allogeneic recipients than those from syngeneic recipients. We then evaluated the roles of Th1 and Th17 in cGVHD with the use of IFN-γ-deficient and IL-17-deficient mice as donors. Infusion of IFN-γ(-/-) or IL-17(-/-) T cells attenuated cGVHD in the skin and salivary glands. Am80, a potent synthetic retinoid, regulated both Th1 and Th17 responses as well as TGF-β expression in the skin, resulting in an attenuation of cutaneous cGVHD. These results suggest that Th1 and Th17 contribute to the development of cGVHD and that targeting Th1 and Th17 may therefore represent a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating cGVHD.

IL-17A is essential to the development of elastase-induced pulmonary inflammation and emphysema in mice

BackgroundPulmonary emphysema is characterized by alveolar destruction and persistent inflammation of the airways. Although IL-17A contributes to many chronic inflammatory diseases, it’s role in the inflammatory response of elastase-induced emphysema remains unclear.MethodsIn a model of elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema we examined the response of IL-17A-deficient mice, monitoring airway inflammation, static compliance, lung histology and levels of neutrophil-related chemokine and pro-inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid.ResultsWild-type mice developed emphysematous changes in the lung tissue on day 21 after elastase treatment, whereas emphysematous changes were decreased in IL-17A-deficient mice compared to wild-type mice. Neutrophilia in BAL fluid, seen in elastase-treated wild-type mice, was reduced in elastase-treated IL-17A-deficient mice on day 4, associated with decreased levels of KC, MIP-2 and IL-1 beta. Elastase-treated wild-type mice showed increased IL-17A levels as well as increased numbers of IL-17A+ CD4 T cells in the lung in the initial period following elastase treatment.ConclusionsThese data identify the important contribution of IL-17A in the development of elastase-induced pulmonary inflammation and emphysema. Targeting IL-17A in emphysema may be a potential therapeutic strategy for delaying disease progression.

Cholecystokinin Plays a Novel Protective Role in Diabetic Kidney Through Anti-inflammatory Actions on Macrophage Anti-inflammatory Effect of Cholecystokinin

Inflammatory process is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. In this article, we show that cholecystokinin (CCK) is expressed in the kidney and exerts renoprotective effects through its anti-inflammatory actions. DNA microarray showed that CCK was upregulated in the kidney of diabetic wild-type (WT) mice but not in diabetic intracellular adhesion molecule-1 knockout mice. We induced diabetes in CCK-1 receptor (CCK-1R) and CCK-2R double-knockout (CCK-1R−/−,-2R−/−) mice, and furthermore, we performed a bone marrow transplantation study using CCK-1R−/− mice to determine the role of CCK-1R on macrophages in the diabetic kidney. Diabetic CCK-1R−/−,-2R−/− mice revealed enhanced albuminuria and inflammation in the kidney compared with diabetic WT mice. In addition, diabetic WT mice with CCK-1R−/− bone marrow–derived cells developed more albuminuria than diabetic CCK-1R−/− mice with WT bone marrow–derived cells. Administration of sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) ameliorated albuminuria, podocyte loss, expression of proinflammatory genes, and infiltration of macrophages in the kidneys of diabetic rats. Furthermore, CCK-8S inhibited both expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and chemotaxis in cultured THP-1 cells. These results suggest that CCK suppresses the activation of macrophage and expression of proinflammatory genes in diabetic kidney. Our findings may provide a novel strategy of therapy for the early stage of diabetic nephropathy.

Programmed Death-1 Pathway in Host Tissues Ameliorates Th17/Th1-Mediated Experimental Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major cause of late death and morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the role of the programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway in chronic GVHD using a well-defined mouse model of B10.D2 (H-2d) donor to BALB/c (H-2d) recipients. PD-1 expression on allogeneic donor T cells was upregulated continuously in chronic GVHD development, whereas PD-L1 expression in host tissues was transiently upregulated and declined to basal levels in the late posttransplant period. Blockade of the PD-1 pathway by anti–PD-1, anti–PD-L1, or anti–PD-L2 mAbs exacerbated clinical and pathologic chronic GVHD. Chimeric mice revealed that PD-L1 expression in host tissues suppressed expansion of IL-17+IFN-γ+ T cells, and that PD-L1 expression on hematopoietic cells plays a role in the development of regulatory T cells only during the early transplantation period but does not affect the severity of chronic GVHD. Administration of the synthetic retinoid Am80 overcame the IL-17+IFN-γ+ T cell expansion caused by PD-L1 deficiency, resulting in reduced chronic GVHD damage in PD-L1−/− recipients. Stimulation of the PD-1 pathway also alleviated chronic GVHD. These results suggest that the PD-1 pathway contributes to the suppression of Th17/Th1-mediated chronic GVHD and may represent a new target for the prevention or treatment of chronic GVHD.

Anti–IL-12/23 p40 Antibody Attenuates Experimental Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease via Suppression of IFN-γ/IL-17–Producing Cells

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major cause of late death and morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Recently, in addition to Th2 cells, Th1 and Th17 cells have been shown to contribute to chronic GVHD progression. IL-12 induces Th1 cells and IL-23 plays a role in stabilizing and/or amplifying Th17 cells, as well as in inducing IFN-γ/IL-17 double-producing cells. Because mAb targeting the p40 subunit common to both IL-12 and IL-23 can inhibit both IL-12R and IL-23R-mediated signaling, we investigated the effects of anti-p40 mAb on a well-defined chronic GVHD mice model. Treatment of anti-p40 mAb in allogeneic recipients significantly reduced the severity of clinical and pathological chronic GVHD. Intracellular staining revealed that IFN-γ single-positive (IL-17−) and IFN-γ/IL-17 double-positive cells were suppressed in anti-p40 mAb–treated allogeneic recipients compared with control recipients. The cytokine levels of IFN-γ and IL-17 were also decreased in serum from anti-p40 mAb–treated allogeneic recipients. T-bet expression of donor IL-17+ CD4+ T cells was reduced significantly in anti-p40 mAb–treated recipients, and this reduction in T-bet expression was associated with IL-22 production by donor T cells. These results suggested that anti-p40 mAb attenuated chronic GVHD via suppression of IFN-γ/IL-17–producing cells, and that targeting the IL-12/IL-23 pathway may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating chronic GVHD.

The effect of adding rituximab to CHOP-based therapy on clinical outcomes for Japanese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the impact on clinical outcomes of adding rituximab to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients in Japan. A propensity score method was used to compensate for the non-randomized study design. From January 2000 to December 2004, 378 patients who were newly diagnosed with DLBCL at 13 institutes were enrolled: 123 in the rituximab plus CHOP-based chemotherapy (R+) group, and 255 in the CHOP-based chemotherapy only (R−) group. The complete response rate was significantly higher in the R+ group than in the R− group (77.7 vs. 69.4%, P < 0.001). The progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years was 62.4% in the R+ group and 57.0% in the R− group. The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 76.9% for the R+ group and 70.5% for the R− group. A multivariate analysis revealed that the addition of rituximab was a strong independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.43–0.96, P = 0.031). A subgroup analysis revealed that R+ particularly benefited younger patients (hazard ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.08–0.75, P = 0.013). IPI also showed significant impact for PFS (hazard ratio 1.82, 95% CI 1.55–2.14 for one score increase, P < 0.001) as well as OS (hazard ratio 2.10, 95% CI 1.71–2.57, P < 0.001). In summary, the addition of rituximab to CHOP-based chemotherapy results in better outcomes for Japanese DLBCL patients, particularly younger patients.

Donor cell-derived hematological malignancy: A survey by the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Donor cell-derived hematological malignancy: a survey by the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Treatment of thrombotic microangiopathy after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin

Transplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA‐TMA) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains a severe complication associated with underlying endothelial damage. TMA has a high mortality rate with no definite treatments and effective treatments are needed.

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitors Permit Regulatory T Cell Reconstitution and Inhibit Experimental Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major late complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In a previous study, impaired thymic negative selection of the recipients permitted the emergence of pathogenic T cells that cause chronic GVHD using MHC class II-deficient (H2-Ab1 KO) B6 into C3H model and CD4(+) T cells isolated from chronic GVHD mice caused chronic GVHD when administered into the secondary recipients. In this study, we evaluated the kinetics of regulatory T cell (Treg) reconstitution in wild type B6 into C3H model. After myeloablative conditioning, host Tregs disappeared rapidly, followed by expansion of Tregs derived from the donor splenic T cell inoculum. However, the donor splenic T cell-derived Treg pool contracted gradually and was almost completely replaced by newly generated donor bone marrow (BM)-derived Tregs in the late post-transplantation period. Next, we compared the effects of cyclosporine (CSA) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors on Treg reconstitution. Administration of CSA significantly impaired Treg reconstitution in the spleen and thymus. In contrast, BM-derived Treg reconstitution was not impaired in mTOR inhibitor-treated mice. Histopathological examination indicated that mice treated with CSA, but not mTOR inhibitors, showed pathogenic features of chronic GVHD on day 120. Mice treated with CSA until day 60, but not mTOR inhibitors, developed severe chronic GVHD followed by adoptive transfer of the pathogenic CD4(+) T cells isolated from H2-Ab1 KO into C3H model. These findings indicated that long-term use of CSA impairs reconstitution of BM-derived Tregs and increases the liability to chronic GVHD. The choice of immunosuppression, such as calcineurin inhibitor-free GVHD prophylaxis with mTOR inhibitor, may have important implications for the control of chronic GVHD after BMT.

Dose-adjusted EPOCH chemotherapy for untreated peripheral T-cell lymphomas: A multicenter phase II trial of West-JHOG PTCL0707

The standard CHOP therapy for peripheral T-cell lymphoma has resulted in unsatisfactory outcomes and it is still not clear what is the optimal front-line therapy. We conducted a multicenter phase II study of dose-adjusted etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide with vincristine and prednisone (EPOCH) for untreated peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients. In this prospective study, 41 patients were treated with dose-adjusted-EPOCH as initial therapy: peripheral T-cell lymphoma-not otherwise specified, n=21; angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, n=17; anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, n=2; and anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma, n=1. Median patient age was 64 years (range: 32–79 years). According to the International Prognostic Index criteria, 51.2% were at high-intermediate or high risk. The overall response and complete response rates were 78.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 62.4–89.4%] and 61.0% (95%CI: 44.5–75.8%), respectively. At the median follow up of 24.0 months, the 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 53.3% (95%CI: 36.4–67.5%) and 73.2% (95%CI: 56.8–84.1%), respectively. The younger patients (≤ 60 years old) had a high response rate (overall response 94.1% and complete response 70.6%) and survival rate (progression-free survival 62.5% and overall survival 82.4%). The most common grade ≥ 3 adverse events were neutropenia (74.5%), anemia (40.8%), thrombocytopenia (22.0%), and febrile neutropenia (9.0%). Dose-adjusted-EPOCH had a high response rate with a tolerable toxicity profile. Our results indicate that dose-adjusted-EPOCH is a reasonable first-line approach for peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients and may improve outcomes.