Jill W. C. Claassens

Immunoglobulin-free light chains elicit immediate hypersensitivity-like responses

Immunoglobulin (Ig)-free light chains IgLC are present in serum and their production is augmented under pathological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and neurological disorders. Until now, no (patho)physiological function has been ascribed to circulating Ig light chains. Here we show that IgLCs can confer mast cell–dependent hypersensitivity in mice. Antigenic stimulation results in plasma extravasation, cutaneous swelling and mast-cell degranulation. We show that IgLCs have a crucial role in development of contact sensitivity, which could be completely prevented by a novel IgLC antagonist. Although IgE and IgG1 are central to the induction of immediate hypersensitivity reactions, our results show that IgLCs have similar activity. IgLCs may therefore be a novel factor in the humoral immune response to antigen exposure. Our findings open new avenues in investigating the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and their treatments.

The Inhibiting Fc Receptor for IgG, FcγRIIB, Is a Modifier of Autoimmune Susceptibility

FcγRIIB-deficient mice generated in 129 background (FcγRIIB129−/−) if back-crossed into C57BL/6 background exhibit a hyperactive phenotype and develop lethal lupus. Both in mice and humans, the Fcγr2b gene is located within a genomic interval on chromosome 1 associated with lupus susceptibility. In mice, the 129-derived haplotype of this interval, named Sle16, causes loss of self-tolerance in the context of the B6 genome, hampering the analysis of the specific contribution of FcγRIIB deficiency to the development of lupus in FcγRIIB129−/− mice. Moreover, in humans genetic linkage studies revealed contradictory results regarding the association of “loss of function” mutations in the Fcγr2b gene and susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosis. In this study, we demonstrate that FcγRIIB−/− mice generated by gene targeting in B6-derived ES cells (FcγRIIBB6−/−), lacking the 129-derived flanking Sle16 region, exhibit a hyperactive phenotype but fail to develop lupus indicating that in FcγRIIB129−/− mice, not FcγRIIB deficiency but epistatic interactions between the C57BL/6 genome and the 129-derived Fcγr2b flanking region cause loss of tolerance. The contribution to the development of autoimmune disease by the resulting autoreactive B cells is amplified by the absence of FcγRIIB, culminating in lethal lupus. In the presence of the Yaa lupus-susceptibility locus, FcγRIIBB6−/− mice do develop lethal lupus, confirming that FcγRIIB deficiency only amplifies spontaneous autoimmunity determined by other loci.

Both Fcγ Receptor I and Fcγ Receptor III Mediate Disease in Accelerated Nephrotoxic Nephritis

Recognition of immune complexes in glomeruli by activator Fcγ receptors (FcγRI and FcγRIII) is an important step in the development of glomerulonephritis. The low-affinity receptor (FcγRIII) has previously been shown to be important in passive heterologous immune complex glomerulonephritis. However, most forms of human glomerulonephritis involve an active immune response, and the relative importance of FcγRI (high-affinity receptor) and FcγRIII in an active model of glomerulonephritis is not known. We have now studied accelerated nephrotoxic nephritis in FcγRIII−/− mice and FcγRI/III double-deficient mice, and compared them with matched wild-type controls and FcRγ chain-deficient (FcRγ−/−) mice. Mice were immunized against sheep IgG and injected with sheep anti-mouse glomerular basement membrane antibody 5 days later. Both FcγRI/III double-deficient mice and FcRγ−/− mice were strongly protected from renal injury. In contrast, FcγRIII−/− mice developed substantial nephritis, although there was a dose-dependent partial protection from glomerular crescents and thrombosis. Despite this histological protection from injury, the macrophage infiltrate was not reduced, implying a dissociation of macrophage accumulation from activation in the absence of activatory FcγRIII. Therefore, both FcγRI and FcγRIII play a role in this active model of glomerulonephritis, because both had to be deficient to protect markedly from disease.

Destructive arthritis in the absence of both FcgammaRI and FcgammaRIII.

Fc receptors for IgG (FcγR) have been implicated in the development of arthritis. However, the precise contribution of the individual FcγR to joint pathology is unclear. In this study, the role of the different FcγR was assessed both in an active and in a passive mouse model of arthritis by analyzing disease development in double and triple knockout (KO) offspring from crosses of FcγRI KO, FcγRIII KO, FcγRI/III double KO, or FcR γ-chain KO with the FcγRII KO on C57BL6 background, which is susceptible for collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). In the active CIA model, onset was significantly delayed in the absence of FcγRIII, whereas incidence and maximum severity were significantly decreased in FcγRI/II/III triple KO but not in FcγRII/III double KO and FcγRI/II double KO mice as compared with FcγRII KO animals. Remarkably, fully destructive CIA developed in FcγRI/II/III triple KO mice. In contrast, FcR γ/FcγRII double KO mice were resistant to CIA. These findings were confirmed with the passive KRN serum-induced arthritis model. These results indicate that all activating FcγR play a role in the development of arthritis, mainly in the downstream effector phase. FcγRIII is critically required for early arthritis onset, and FcγRI can substantially contribute to arthritis pathology. Importantly, FcγRI and FcγRIII were together dispensable for the development of destructive arthritis but the FcR γ-chain was not, suggesting a role for another FcR γ-chain associated receptor, most likely FcγRIV. In addition, FcγRII plays a negative regulatory role in both the central and effector phase of arthritis.

Both Complement and IgG Fc Receptors Are Required for Development of Attenuated Antiglomerular Basement Membrane Nephritis in Mice

To elucidate the mechanisms of glomerulonephritis, including Goodpasture’s syndrome, mouse models are used that use heterologous Abs against the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) with or without preimmunization with foreign IgG from the same species. These studies have revealed the requirement of either FcγR or complement, depending on the experimental model used. In this study, we provide evidence that both FcγR and complement are obligatory for a full-blown inflammation in a novel attenuated passive model of anti-GBM disease. We demonstrate that administration of subnephritogenic doses of rabbit anti-GBM Abs followed by a fixed dose of mouse mAbs to rabbit IgG, allowing timing and dosing for the induction of glomerulonephritis, resulted in reproducible complement activation via the classical pathway of complement and albuminuria in wild-type mice. Because albuminuria was absent in FcR-γ-chain−/− mice and reduced in C3−/− mice, a role for both FcγR and complement is postulated. Because C1q−/− and C4−/− mice lacking a functional classical and lectin pathway did develop albuminuria, we suggest involvement of the alternative pathway of complement. Anti-GBM glomerulonephritis occurs acutely following the administration of mouse anti-rabbit IgG, and proceeds in a chronic fashion dependent on both FcγR and complement. This novel attenuated model allows elucidating the relative contribution of different mediator systems of the immune system to the development of renal injury, and also provides a platform for the assessment of different treatment protocols and evaluation of drugs that ultimately may be beneficial for the treatment of anti-GBM mediated glomerulonephritides.

FcγRIIb on Myeloid Cells Rather than on B Cells Protects from Collagen-Induced Arthritis

Extensive analysis of a variety of arthritis models in germline KO mice has revealed that all four receptors for the Fc part of IgG (FcγR) play a role in the disease process. However, their precise cell type–specific contribution is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the specific role of the inhibiting FcγRIIb on B lymphocytes (using CD19Cre mice) and in the myeloid cell compartment (using C/EBPαCre mice) in the development of arthritis induced by immunization with either bovine or chicken collagen type II. Despite their comparable anti-mouse collagen autoantibody titers, full FcγRIIb knockout (KO), but not B cell–specific FcγRIIb KO, mice showed a significantly increased incidence and severity of disease compared with wild-type control mice when immunized with bovine collagen. When immunized with chicken collagen, disease incidence was significantly increased in pan-myeloid and full FcγRIIb KO mice, but not in B cell–specific KO mice, whereas disease severity was only significantly increased in full FcγRIIb KO mice compared with incidence and severity in wild-type control mice. We conclude that, although anti-mouse collagen autoantibodies are a prerequisite for the development of collagen-induced arthritis, their presence is insufficient for disease development. FcγRIIb on myeloid effector cells, as a modulator of the threshold for downstream Ab effector pathways, plays a dominant role in the susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis, whereas FcγRIIb on B cells, as a regulator of Ab production, has a minor effect on disease susceptibility.

Highly B lymphocyte‐specific tamoxifen inducible transgene expression of CreERT2 by using the LC‐1 locus BAC vector

The generation of cell type specific inducible Cre transgenic mice is the most challenging and limiting part in the development of spatio‐temporally controlled knockout mouse models. Here we report the generation and characterization of a B lymphocyte‐specific tamoxifen‐inducible Cre transgenic mouse strain, LC‐1‐hCD19‐CreERT2. We utilized the human CD19 promoter for expression of the tamoxifen‐inducible Cre recombinase (CreERT2) gene, embedded in genomic sequences previously reported to give minimal position effects after transgenesis. Cre recombinase activity was evaluated by cross‐breeding the LC‐1‐hCD19‐CreERT2 strain with a strain containing a floxed gene widely expressed in the hematopoietic system. Cre activity was only detected in the presence of tamoxifen and was restricted to B lymphocytes. The efficacy of recombination ranged from 27 to 61% in the hemizygous and homozygous mice, respectively. In conclusion, the LC‐1‐hCD19‐CreERT2 strain is a powerful tool to study gene function specifically in B lymphocytes at any chosen time point in the lifecycle of the mouse. genesis 47:729–735, 2009.

A Restricted Role for FcγR in the Regulation of Adaptive Immunity

By their interaction with IgG immune complexes, FcγR and complement link innate and adaptive immunity, showing functional redundancy. In complement-deficient mice, IgG downstream effector functions are often impaired, as well as adaptive immunity. Based on a variety of model systems using FcγR-knockout mice, it has been concluded that FcγRs are also key regulators of innate and adaptive immunity; however, several of the model systems underpinning these conclusions suffer from flawed experimental design. To address this issue, we generated a novel mouse model deficient for all FcγRs (FcγRI/II/III/IV−/− mice). These mice displayed normal development and lymphoid and myeloid ontogeny. Although IgG effector pathways were impaired, adaptive immune responses to a variety of challenges, including bacterial infection and IgG immune complexes, were not. Like FcγRIIb-deficient mice, FcγRI/II/III/IV−/− mice developed higher Ab titers but no autoantibodies. These observations indicate a redundant role for activating FcγRs in the modulation of the adaptive immune response in vivo. We conclude that FcγRs are downstream IgG effector molecules with a restricted role in the ontogeny and maintenance of the immune system, as well as the regulation of adaptive immunity.

FcγRI expression on macrophages is required for antibody-mediated tumor protection by cytomegalovirus-based vaccines

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-based vaccine vectors are promising vaccine platforms because they induce strong and long-lasting immune responses. Recently it has been shown that vaccination with a mouse CMV (MCMV) vector expressing the melanoma-specific antigen TRP2 (MCMV-TRP2) protects mice against outgrowth of TRP2-positive B16 melanoma tumors, and this protection was dependent on the induction of IgG antibodies. Here we demonstrate that, although mice lacking all receptors for the Fc part of IgG (FcγRs) develop normal IgG responses after MCMV-TRP2 vaccination, the protection against B16 melanoma was completely abrogated, indicating that FcγRs are indispensable in the downstream effector pathway of the polyclonal anti-TRP2 antibody response. By investigating compound FcγR-deficient mouse strains and by using immune cell type-specific cell ablation we show that the IgG antibody-mediated tumor protection elicited by MCMV-TRP2 mainly depends on FcγRI expression on macrophages, whereas FcγRIV plays only a modest role. Thus, tumor-specific antibody therapy might benefit from combination therapy that recruits FcγRI-expressing pro-inflammatory macrophages to the tumor micro-environment.

FcγR interaction is not required for effective anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy but can add additional benefit depending on the tumor model: FcγR interaction is not required for effective anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy but can add additional benefit depending on the tumor model

Immunomodulatory antibodies blocking interactions of coinhibitory receptors to their ligands such as CTLA‐4, PD1 and PD‐L1 on immune cells have shown impressive therapeutic efficacy in clinical studies. The therapeutic effect of these antibodies is mainly mediated by reactivating antitumor T cell immune responses. Detailed analysis of anti‐CTLA4 antibody therapy revealed that an optimal therapeutic efficacy also requires binding to Fc receptors for IgG, FcγR, mediating depletion of intratumoral regulatory T cells. Here, we investigated the role of Fc binding in anti‐PD‐L1 antibody therapy in the MC38 C57BL/6 and CT26 BALB/c colon adenocarcinoma tumor models. In the MC38 tumor model, all IgG subclasses anti‐PD‐L1 showed similar therapeutic efficacy when compared to each other in either wild‐type mice or in mice deficient for all FcγR. In contrast, in the CT26 tumor model, anti‐PD‐L1 mIgG2a, the IgG subclass with the highest affinity for activating FcγR, showed stronger therapeutic efficacy than other IgG subclasses. This was associated with a reduction of a myeloid cell subset with high expression of PD‐L1 in the tumor microenvironment. This subclass preference for mIgG2a was lost in C57BL/6 × BALB/c F1 mice, indicating that the genetic background of the host may determine the additional clinical benefit of the high affinity antibody subclasses. Based on these data, we conclude that FcγR are not crucial for anti‐PD‐L1 antibody therapy but might play a role in some tumor models.