Laura Rivino

Surface phenotype and antigenic specificity of human interleukin 17–producing T helper memory cells

Interleukin 17 (IL-17)–producing T helper cells (TH-17 cells) have been characterized in mice as a distinct subset of effector cells, but their identity and properties in humans remain elusive. We report here that expression of CCR6 and CCR4 together identified human memory CD4+ T cells selectively producing IL-17 and expressing mRNA encoding the human ortholog of mouse RORγt, a transcription factor, whereas CCR6 and CXCR3 identified TH1 cells producing interferon-γ and T helper cells producing both interferon-γ and IL-17. Memory T cells specific for Candida albicans were present mainly in the CCR6+CCR4+ TH-17 subset, whereas memory T cells specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were present in CCR6+CXCR3+ T helper type 1 subset. The elicitation of IL-17 responses correlated with the capacity of C. albicans hyphae to stimulate antigen-presenting cells for the priming of TH-17 responses in vitro and for the production of IL-23 but not IL-12. Our results demonstrate that human TH-17 cells have distinct migratory capacity and antigenic specificities and establish a link between microbial products, T helper cell differentiation and homing in response to fungal antigens.

Chemokine receptor expression identifies pre-T helper (Th)1, pre-Th2, and nonpolarized cells among human CD4+ central memory T cells

We previously reported that central–memory T cells (TCM cells), which express lymph node homing receptors CCR7 and CD62L, are largely devoid of effector functions but acquire characteristics of effector–memory T cells (TEM cells) (i.e., CCR7− T helper [Th]1 or Th2 cells) after stimulation with T cell receptor agonists or homeostatic cytokines. Here we show that three chemokine receptors identify functional subsets within the human CD4+ TCM cell pool. TCM cells expressing CXCR3 secreted low amounts of interferon γ, whereas CCR4+ TCM cells produced some interleukin (IL)-4, but not IL-5. In response to IL-7 and IL-15, CXCR3+ TCM and CCR4+ TCM cells invariably generated fully differentiated CCR7− Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively, suggesting that they represent pre-Th1 and pre-Th2 cells. Conversely, CXCR5+ TCM cells lacking CXCR3 and CCR4 remained nonpolarized and retained CCR7 and CD62L expression upon cytokine-driven expansion. Unlike naive cells, all memory subsets had a low T cell receptor rearrangement excision circle content, spontaneously incorporated bromodeoxyuridine ex vivo, and contained cells specific for tetanus toxoid. Conversely, recall responses to cytomegalovirus and vaccinia virus were largely restricted to CXCR3+ TCM and TEM cells. We conclude that antigen-specific memory T cells are distributed between TEM cells and different subsets of TCM cells. Our results also explain how the quality of primary T cell responses could be maintained by TCM cells in the absence of antigen.

Differential Targeting of Viral Components by CD4+ versus CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Dengue Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Dengue virus (DENV) is the principal arthropod-borne viral pathogen afflicting human populations. While repertoires of antibodies to DENV have been linked to protection or enhanced infection, the role of T lymphocytes in these processes remains poorly defined. This study provides a comprehensive overview of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitope reactivities against the DENV 2 proteome in adult patients experiencing secondary DENV infection. Dengue virus-specific T cell responses directed against an overlapping 15mer peptide library spanning the DENV 2 proteome were analyzed ex vivo by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay, and recognition of individual peptides was further characterized in specific T cell lines. Thirty novel T cell epitopes were identified, 9 of which are CD4+ and 21 are CD8+ T cell epitopes. We observe that whereas CD8+ T cell epitopes preferentially target nonstructural proteins (NS3 and NS5), CD4+ epitopes are skewed toward recognition of viral components that are also targeted by B lymphocytes (envelope, capsid, and NS1). Consistently, a large proportion of dengue virus-specific CD4+ T cells have phenotypic characteristics of circulating follicular helper T cells (CXCR5 expression and production of interleukin-21 or gamma interferon), suggesting that they are interacting with B cells in vivo. This study shows that during a dengue virus infection, the protein targets of human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are largely distinct, thus highlighting key differences in the immunodominance of DENV proteins for these two cell types. This has important implications for our understanding of how the two arms of the human adaptive immune system are differentially targeted and employed as part of our response to DENV infection.

Age-Associated Increase of Low-Avidity Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD8+ T Cells That Re-Express CD45RA

The mechanisms regulating memory CD8+ T cell function and homeostasis during aging are unclear. CD8+ effector memory T cells that re-express CD45RA increase considerably in older humans and both aging and persistent CMV infection are independent factors in this process. We used MHC class I tetrameric complexes that were mutated in the CD8 binding domain to identify CMV-specific CD8+ T cells with high Ag-binding avidity. In individuals who were HLA-A*0201, CD8+ T cells that expressed CD45RA and were specific for the pp65 protein (NLVPMVATV epitope) had lower avidity than those that expressed CD45RO and demonstrated decreased cytokine secretion and cytolytic potential after specific activation. Furthermore, low avidity NLVPMVATV-specific CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in older individuals. The stimulation of blood leukocytes with CMV lysate induced high levels of IFN-α that in turn induced IL-15 production. Moreover, the addition of IL-15 to CD45RA−CD45RO+ CMV-specific CD8+ T cells induced CD45RA expression while Ag activated cells remained CD45RO+. This raises the possibility that non-specific cytokine–driven accumulation of CMV-specific CD8+CD45RA+ T cells with lower Ag-binding avidity may exacerbate the effects of viral reactivation on skewing the T cell repertoire in CMV-infected individuals during aging.

CCR6 is expressed on an IL-10–producing, autoreactive memory T cell population with context-dependent regulatory function

Interleukin (IL)-10 produced by regulatory T cell subsets is important for the prevention of autoimmunity and immunopathology, but little is known about the phenotype and function of IL-10–producing memory T cells. Human CD4+CCR6+ memory T cells contained comparable numbers of IL-17– and IL-10–producing cells, and CCR6 was induced under both Th17-promoting conditions and upon tolerogenic T cell priming with transforming growth factor (TGF)–β. In normal human spleens, the majority of CCR6+ memory T cells were in the close vicinity of CCR6+ myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), and strikingly, some of them were secreting IL-10 in situ. Furthermore, CCR6+ memory T cells produced suppressive IL-10 but not IL-2 upon stimulation with autologous immature mDCs ex vivo, and secreted IL-10 efficiently in response to suboptimal T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation with anti-CD3 antibodies. However, optimal TCR stimulation of CCR6+ T cells induced expression of IL-2, interferon-γ, CCL20, and CD40L, and autoreactive CCR6+ T cell lines responded to various recall antigens. Notably, we isolated autoreactive CCR6+ T cell clones with context-dependent behavior that produced IL-10 with autologous mDCs alone, but that secreted IL-2 and proliferated upon stimulation with tetanus toxoid. We propose the novel concept that a population of memory T cells, which is fully equipped to participate in secondary immune responses upon recognition of a relevant recall antigen, contributes to the maintenance of tolerance under steady-state conditions.

The strength of T cell stimulation determines IL‐7 responsiveness, secondary expansion, and lineage commitment of primed human CD4+IL‐7Rhi T cells

Mouse memory T cell precursors express IL‐7 receptor‐α (IL‐7R), proliferate with homeostatic cytokines and undergo secondary expansions with antigen. Here, we analyzed how the strength of antigenic stimulation regulates IL‐7R expression, cytokine responsiveness and expansion potential of DC‐primed human CD4+ T cells. IL‐7R expression on proliferating T cells was highest at intermediate strength of stimulation, and purified CCR7+IL‐7Rhi and CCR7–IL‐7Rlo subsets had characteristics of memory and effector cells, respectively. However, CCR7+IL‐7Rhi cells generated under different priming conditions had strikingly different properties. Thus, increasing strength of stimulation promoted IL‐7 responsiveness that correlated with reduced phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression and enhanced s6 kinase activation, suggesting a tunable IL‐7R coupling to PI3 kinase‐dependent signaling pathways. Furthermore, functional and gene expression analysis revealed that intermediate‐stimulated CCR7+IL‐7Rhi cells were similar to non‐polarized central memory cells with high expansion potential. Conversely, high‐stimulated CCR7+IL‐7Rhi cells shared characteristics with circulating pre‐Th1 cells and differentiated spontaneously to Th1 effector cells. These results show that the strength of stimulation determines properties of activated IL‐7Rhi T cells, and suggest that memory T cell subsets could be derived from CCR7+ precursors that received different strengths of stimulation.

Phenotype and Homing of CD4 Tumor-Specific T Cells Is Modulated by Tumor Bulk

Technical difficulties in tracking endogenous CD4 T lymphocytes have limited the characterization of tumor-specific CD4 T cell responses. Using fluorescent MHC class II/peptide multimers, we defined the fate of endogenous Leishmania receptor for activated C kinase (LACK)-specific CD4 T cells in mice bearing LACK-expressing TS/A tumors. LACK-specific CD44highCD62Llow CD4 T cells accumulated in the draining lymph nodes and had characteristics of effector cells, secreting IL-2 and IFN-γ upon Ag restimulation. Increased frequencies of CD44highCD62Llow LACK-experienced cells were also detected in the spleen, lung, liver, and tumor itself, but not in nondraining lymph nodes, where the cells maintained a naive phenotype. The absence of systemic redistribution of LACK-specific memory T cells correlated with the presence of tumor. Indeed, LACK-specific CD4 T cells with central memory features (IL-2+IFN-γ−CD44highCD62Lhigh cells) accumulated in all peripheral lymph nodes of mice immunized with LACK-pulsed dendritic cells and after tumor resection. Together, our data demonstrate that although tumor-specific CD4 effector T cells producing IFN-γ are continuously generated in the presence of tumor, central memory CD4 T cells accumulate only after tumor resection. Thus, the continuous stimulation of tumor-specific CD4 T cells in tumor-bearing mice appears to hinder the systemic accumulation of central memory CD4 T lymphocytes.

Virus-specific T lymphocytes home to the skin during natural dengue infection

Circulating virus-specific T lymphocytes may contribute to immune surveillance against dengue in the skin. Getting under dengue virus’s skin Dengue virus infection is transmitted by mosquitoes, suggesting that a vaccine targeting the immune response to the skin could have protective effects. Rivino et al. examined individuals with natural dengue infection to determine whether skin-mediated immunity indeed contributes to the fight against dengue. They found that dengue infection induced highly activated CD8+ T cells that express the skin-homing marker cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA). CLA expression by these cells correlated with their ability to traffic to the skin during dengue infection. Notably, CLA was not up-regulated in bystander HCMV-restricted cells in these individuals, suggesting that the skin-targeted homing is pathogen-specific. These data support a role for skin-directed immunosurveillance against dengue and reinforce a skin-targeted vaccine strategy for this virus. Dengue, which is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease afflicting human populations, causes a spectrum of clinical symptoms that include fever, muscle and joint pain, maculopapular skin rash, and hemorrhagic manifestations. Patients infected with dengue develop a broad antigen-specific T lymphocyte response, but the phenotype and functional properties of these cells are only partially understood. We show that natural infection induces dengue-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes that are highly activated and proliferating, exhibit antiviral effector functions, and express CXCR3, CCR5, and the skin-homing marker cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA). In the same patients, bystander human cytomegalovirus –specific CD8+ T cells are also activated during acute dengue infection but do not express the same tissue-homing phenotype. We show that CLA expression by circulating dengue-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells correlates with their in vivo ability to traffic to the skin during dengue infection. The juxtaposition of dengue-specific T cells with virus-permissive cell types at sites of possible dengue exposure represents a previously uncharacterized form of immune surveillance for this virus. These findings suggest that vaccination strategies may need to induce dengue-specific T cells with similar homing properties to provide durable protection against dengue viruses.

Multifunctional cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific CD8+ T cells are not restricted by telomere-related senescence in young or old adults

Antigen‐specific multifunctional T cells that secrete interferon‐γ, interleukin‐2 and tumour necrosis factor‐α simultaneously after activation are important for the control of many infections. It is unclear if these CD8+ T cells are at an early or late stage of differentiation and whether telomere erosion restricts their replicative capacity. We developed a multi‐parameter flow cytometric method for investigating the relationship between differentiation (CD45RA and CD27 surface phenotype), function (cytokine production) and replicative capacity (telomere length) in individual cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen‐specific CD8+ T cells. This involves surface and intracellular cell staining coupled to fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect telomeres (flow‐FISH). The end‐stage/senescent CD8+ CD45RA+ CD27− T‐cell subset increases significantly during ageing and this is exaggerated in CMV immune‐responsive subjects. However, these end‐stage cells do not have the shortest telomeres, implicating additional non‐telomere‐related mechanisms in inducing their senescence. The telomere lengths in total and CMV (NLV)‐specific CD8+ T cells in all four subsets defined by CD45RA and CD27 expression were significantly shorter in old compared with young individuals in both a Caucasian and an Asian cohort. Following stimulation by anti‐CD3 or NLV peptide, similar proportions of triple‐cytokine‐producing cells are found in CD8+ T cells at all stages of differentiation in both age groups. Furthermore, these multi‐functional cells had intermediate telomere lengths compared with cells producing only one or two cytokines after activation. Therefore, global and CMV (NLV)‐specific CD8+ T cells that secrete interferon‐γ, interleukin‐2 and tumour necrosis factor‐α are at an intermediate stage of differentiation and are not restricted by excessive telomere erosion.

Dengue Virus Infection with Highly Neutralizing Levels of Cross-Reactive Antibodies Causes Acute Lethal Small Intestinal Pathology without a High Level of Viremia in Mice

ABSTRACT Severe dengue virus (DENV)-associated diseases can occur in patients who have preexisting DENV antibodies (Abs) through antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection. It is well established that during ADE, DENV-antibody immune complexes (ICs) infect Fcγ receptor-bearing cells and increase the systemic viral burden that can be measured in the blood. For protection against infection with DENV serotypes 1 to 4, strongly neutralizing Abs must be elicited to overcome the effect of ADE. Clinical observations in infants who have maternal DENV Abs or recent phase II/III clinical trials with a leading tetravalent dengue vaccine suggested a lack of correlation between Ab neutralization and in vivo disease prevention. In addressing this gap in knowledge, we found that inoculation of ICs formed with serotype cross-reactive Abs that are more than 98% neutralized in vitro promotes high mortality in AG129 mice even though peak viremia was lower than that in direct virus infection. This suggests that the serum viremia level is not always correlated with disease severity. We further demonstrated that infection with the ICs resulted in increased vascular permeability, specifically in the small intestine, accompanied with increased tissue viral load and cytokine production, which can be suppressed by anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) Abs. Flow cytometric analysis identified increased infection in CD11bint CD11cint/hi CD103− antigen-presenting cells by IC inoculation, suggesting that these infected cells may be responsible for the increase in TNF-α production and vascular permeability in the small intestine that lead to mortality in mice. Our findings may have important implications for the development of dengue therapeutics. IMPORTANCE We examined the relationship between the neutralizing level of Abs at the time of infection and subsequent disease progression in a mouse model in order to understand why patients who are shown to have a neutralizing quantity of Abs still allow sufficient DENV replication to induce severe dengue manifestations, which sometimes do not correlate with viremia level. Strikingly, we found that high mortality was induced in AG129 mice by the increase in TNF-α-induced vascular permeability accompanied by an increased viral load, specifically in the small intestine, even when the initial infection level is suppressed to less than 5% and the peak viremia level is not enhanced. This suggests that ADE overcomes the protective efficacy of Abs in a tissue-dependent manner that leads to severe small intestinal pathology. Our findings may serve to address the pathogenic role of Abs on severe dengue disease and also help to develop safe Ab-based therapeutic strategies.