R404 – Regulatory T Cells and Clinical Outcome in HNSCC Patients

2008 ◽  
Vol 139 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. P178-P178
Author(s):  
Osama Alhamarneh ◽  
Nicholas D. Stafford ◽  
John Greenman

Problem To determine the correlation between peripheral blood CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells (Treg), a suppressor cell population that dampen the immune response, and clinical outcome and survival in HNSCC patients. Methods Treg cell numbers in the peripheral blood of newly-presenting, untreated HNSCC patients (n=65) were determined pre-operatively, 4–6 weeks after treatment (n=30) and in a cohort of healthy controls (n=35) of similar age and sex, after Treg cell isolation using magnetic microbeads (Miltenyi Biotec) by flow cytometry. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse the correlations between Treg cell levels and clinical outcome. Results Treg cells were significantly higher in patients pre-operatively vs. controls (p=0.002). After treatment, patients showed a significant rise compared with their pre-treatment levels (p=0.022). Pre-treatment Treg cells levels did not correlate with survival or any of the other conventional clinicopathological parameters. However, higher Treg cells levels were discovered in the advanced disease stages (III/IV vs. I/II, median 6.3 vs 4.3) in the pre-treatment group that turned into significantly higher levels in the early disease stages post treatment (I/II vs. III/IV, median 10.8 vs. 5.67 p=0.044). Conclusion Although peripheral blood Treg cells levels were higher in patients when compared to controls, no correlation was found between this cell population and clinical outcome or survival. In contrast with gastric, colorectal and ovarian tumors, Treg cell levels did not normalize 4–6 weeks after curative treatment in this cohort of HNSCC patients. Studies into Treg cell function are thus required to try and elucidate the apparent paradox in Treg cell levels observed in HNSCC. Significance The presence of Regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of HNSCC patients may be detrimental to host defence against tumor. Further studies are needed to explore their role in the tumor microenvironment and their correlation with clinical outcome.

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Daniil Shevyrev ◽  
Valeriy Tereshchenko ◽  
Elena Blinova ◽  
Nadezda Knauer ◽  
Ekaterina Pashkina ◽  
...  

Homeostatic proliferation (HP) is a physiological process that reconstitutes the T cell pool after lymphopenia involving Interleukin-7 and 15 (IL-7 and IL-15), which are the key cytokines regulating the process. However, there is no evidence that these cytokines influence the function of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since lymphopenia often accompanies autoimmune diseases, we decided to study the functional activity of Tregs stimulated by HP cytokines from patients with rheumatoid arthritis as compared with that of those from healthy donors. Since T cell receptor (TCR) signal strength determines the intensity of HP, we imitated slow HP using IL-7 or IL-15 and fast HP using a combination of IL-7 or IL-15 with anti-CD3 antibodies, cultivating Treg cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at a 1:1 ratio. We used peripheral blood from 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 18 healthy volunteers. We also used anti-CD3 and anti-CD3 + IL-2 stimulation as controls. The suppressive activity of Treg cells was evaluated in each case by the inhibition of the proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. The phenotype and proliferation of purified CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127lo cells were assessed by flow cytometry. The suppressive activity of the total pool of Tregs did not differ between the rheumatoid arthritis and healthy donors; however, it significantly decreased in conditions close to fast HP when the influence of HP cytokines was accompanied by anti-CD3 stimulation. The Treg proliferation caused by HP cytokines was lower in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in the healthy individuals. The revealed decrease in Treg suppressive activity could impact the TCR landscape during lymphopenia and lead to the proliferation of potentially self-reactive T cell clones that are able to receive relatively strong TCR signals. This may be another explanation as to why lymphopenia is associated with the development of autoimmune diseases. The revealed decrease in Treg proliferation under IL-7 and IL-15 exposure can lead to a delay in Treg pool reconstitution in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the case of lymphopenia.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (13) ◽  
pp. 4953-4960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojgan Ahmadzadeh ◽  
Aloisio Felipe-Silva ◽  
Bianca Heemskerk ◽  
Daniel J. Powell ◽  
John R. Wunderlich ◽  
...  

Abstract Regulatory T (Treg) cells are often found in human tumors; however, their functional characteristics have been difficult to evaluate due to low cell numbers and the inability to adequately distinguish between activated and Treg cell populations. Using a novel approach, we examined the intracellular cytokine production capacity of tumor-infiltrating T cells in the single-cell suspensions of enzymatically digested tumors to differentiate Treg cells from effector T cells. Similar to Treg cells in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals, tumor-infiltrating FOXP3+CD4 T cells, unlike FOXP3− T cells, were unable to produce IL-2 and IFN-γ upon ex vivo stimulation, indicating that FOXP3 expression is a valid biological marker for human Treg cells even in the tumor microenvironment. Accordingly, we enumerated FOXP3+CD4 Treg cells in intratumoral and peritumoral sections of metastatic melanoma tumors and found a significant increase in proportion of FOXP3+CD4 Treg cells in the intratumoral compared with peritumoral areas. Moreover, their frequencies were 3- to 5-fold higher in tumors than in peripheral blood from the same patients or healthy donors, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the tumor-infiltrating CD4 Treg cell population is accurately depicted by FOXP3 expression, they selectively accumulate in tumors, and their frequency in peripheral blood does not properly reflect tumor microenvironment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Jie Yang ◽  
Md Rezaul Karim ◽  
Jang Yuan ◽  
Xiao-Qian Peng ◽  
Pei Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of different concentrations of CCCP on mitophagy in human peripheral blood regulatory T cells. Methods: Tregs were isolated, identified, and then grouped, treating with CCCP at a concentration of 2.5 μM, 5 μM, 10 μM, 20 μM and 40 μM for 24h in an incubator. Flow cytometry detected the reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial quality, and fluorescence microscopy observed the co-localization of mitochondria and lysosomes in each group. Results: The purity of CD4+CD25+Tregs was (93.36 ± 1.87) %. With the increase of CCCP concentration, the ROS level gradually increased, while the MMP decreased gradually. About the mitochondria and lysosome fusion, the fluorescence intensity of orange (yellow) was the highest when the concentration of CCCP was in the range of 5-10 μM while decreased with the CCCP concentration continually increasing. The mitochondrial quality decreased with the increase of CCCP concentration. However, there was no significant difference between groups C, D and E. The mitochondrial quality of groups F and G were significantly lower than that of group E. Conclusions: With the concentration of CCCP gradually increased, the level of ROS in Treg cells increased, and MMP decreased, which promoted the mitophagy, mitochondrial quality maintains homeostasis. When ROS accumulated, and MMP decreased significantly, the mitophagy was inhibited, and the mitochondrial quality decreased significantly.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 301-301
Author(s):  
Tuna Mutis ◽  
Rozemarijn S. van Rijn ◽  
Elles R. Simonetti ◽  
Tineke Aarts ◽  
Maarten Emmelot ◽  
...  

Abstract The curative Graft-versus-Leukemia (GvL) effect of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) and Donor Lymphocyte Infusions (DLI) is frequently complicated by Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD). To date, it is not possible to prevent GvHD without sacrificing the GvL effect. Recently, in a number of murine transplantation studies, administration of naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in recipients of allogeneic bone marrow effectively prevented GvHD without abrogating GvL. If human (hu)CD4+CD25+ Treg cells also possess such properties, they may become new cellular immunotherapeutics for the prevention of GvHD. Therefore, we have started to investigate the impact of huTreg cells on GvHD in a recently developed, highly relevant xenogeneic(x)-GvHD model in immunodeficient Rag2−/− γc−/− mice. This model represents several features of human allo-GvHD, such as the involvement of both CD4 and CD8 T cells, the association of GvHD with a “cytokine storm” of several Th1/Th2 and inflammatory cytokines and the similarity of skin histopathology to the human allo-GvHD(1). As in this model the x-GvHD is induced by the i.v. injection of huPBMC and the severity of x-GvHD correlates with the number of T cells in the administered PBMC, we explored the impact of Treg cells on x-GvHD either by depletion of Treg cells from huPBMC at different administration doses of effector T cells (4-15 x106 CD25− T cells) and or co-injection of autologous Treg cells at high doses of effector T cells (12-15 x106 T cells). PBMC were isolated from the buffycoats of healthy blood bank donors. Part of the PBMC was used as effector cells, the remaining cells were fractionated into CD25+ and CD25− subsets, which contain Treg cells and conventional T cells, respectively. Different groups of mice were injected with low to high doses of Treg-cell-depleted-PBMC or with high doses PBMC supplemented with 4-6 x106 Treg cell-enriched CD25+ cells. Control mice received equivalent numbers of unmodified PBMC only. The development of x-GvHD was monitored weekly by determination of body weight, clinical scores (ruffled fur, alopecia, mobility) and survival. Peripheral blood obtained from orbital vein was analyzed for human T cell engraftment and expansion. In three independent experiments, depletion of Treg cells significantly exacerbated the x-GvHD signs and lethality. In striking contrast, the development of x-GvHD was significantly inhibited by the co-injection of Treg cell enriched cell fractions. In two independent experiments Treg cells completely protected mice from lethal x-GvHD. Phenotypical analyses of peripheral blood revealed that addition of Treg cells did not disturb huT cell engraftment, but inhibited the expansion of huT cells between 3-5 weeks of administration. These results demonstrate the effective control of x-GvHD in Rag2−/− γc−/− mice by huTreg cells. Studies are underway to reveal the mechanism of GvHD inhibition and the impact of huTreg cells on GvL. (1) R.S. van Rijn, E.R. Simonetti, M.C.H. Hogenes, G. Storm, A. Hagenbeek, H. Spits, K. Weijer, A. C. M. Martens, and S.B. Ebeling. A new in vivo model for graft-versus-host disease by intravenous transfer of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in RAG2−/− γc−/− double mutant mice.


2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (12) ◽  
pp. 5834-5842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichiro Watanabe ◽  
Varada P. Rao ◽  
Theofilos Poutahidis ◽  
Barry H. Rickman ◽  
Masahiro Ohtani ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expressed at high levels by CD4+ CD25+ CD45RBlow regulatory T cells (Treg) is essential to their homeostatic and immunoregulatory functions. However, its relevance to anti-inflammatory roles of Treg in the context of colitogenic innate immune response during pathogenic bacterial infections has not been examined. We showed earlier in Rag2-deficient 129/SvEv mice that Treg cells are capable of suppressing colitis and colon cancer triggered by Helicobacter hepaticus, a widespread murine enterohepatic pathogen. Using this model, we now examined the effects of antibody blockade of CTLA-4 on Treg function during innate immune inflammatory response. Consistent with our previous findings, we found that a single adoptive transfer of Treg cells prior to infection prevented colitis development despite persistent H. hepaticus infection in recipient mice. However, when infected mice were injected with anti-CTLA-4 antibody along with Treg cell transfer, they developed a severe acute colitis with poor body condition that was not observed in Rag2−/− mice without Treg cell transfer. Despite high numbers of Foxp3+ Treg cells, evident by immunohistochemical analyses in situ, the CTLA-4 antibody-treated mice had severely inflamed colonic mucosa and increased rather than decreased expression levels of cytokines gamma interferon and interleukin-2. These findings indicate that antibody blockade of CTLA-4 clearly abrogates Treg cell ability to suppress innate immune-driven colitis and suggest that Treg cell CTLA-4 cognate interactions may be necessary to maintain homeostasis among cells of innate immunity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Mensink ◽  
Ellen Schrama ◽  
Maartje van den Biggelaar ◽  
Derk Amsen ◽  
Jannie Borst ◽  
...  

The CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cell lineage, as defined by FOXP3 expression, comprises thymus-derived (t)Treg cells and peripherally induced (p)Treg cells. In human, naive tTreg cells can be purified from blood, but occur in low abundance, while effector pTreg and tTreg cell populations cannot be purified for lack of discriminating cell surface markers. Therefore, studies often employ TGF-β-induced (i)Treg cells that are generated from CD4+ conventional T (Tconv) cells in vitro. Here, we describe the relationship of iTreg cells to tTreg and Tconv cells, as optimally purified from human blood. Global proteomic analysis revealed that iTreg, tTreg and Tconv cell populations each have a unique protein expression pattern. We next used as a benchmark a previously defined proteomic signature that discerns ex vivo naive and effector phenotype Treg cells from Tconv cells and reflects unique Treg cell properties. This Treg cell core signature was largely absent from iTreg cells, while clearly present in simultaneously analyzed tTreg cells. In addition, we used a proteomic signature that distinguishes ex vivo effector Treg cells from Tconv cells and naive Treg cells. This effector Treg cell signature was partially present in iTreg cells. Thus, iTreg cells are distinct from tTreg cells and largely lack the common Treg cell proteomic signature. However, they do have certain protein expression features in common with ex vivo effector Treg cells. These data demonstrate the utility of the core and effector Treg cell signatures as tools to define Treg cell populations and encourage the use of ex vivo Treg cells for functional analyses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviana Volta ◽  
Sandra Pérez-Baos ◽  
Columba de la Parra ◽  
Olga Katsara ◽  
Amanda Ernlund ◽  
...  

AbstractRegulatory T cells (Treg cells) inhibit effector T cells and maintain immune system homeostasis. Treg cell maturation in peripheral sites requires inhibition of protein kinase mTORC1 and TGF-beta-1 (TGF-beta). While Treg cell maturation requires protein synthesis, mTORC1 inhibition downregulates it, leaving unanswered how Treg cells achieve essential mRNA translation for development and immune suppression activity. Using human CD4+ T cells differentiated in culture and genome-wide transcription and translation profiling, here we report that TGF-beta transcriptionally reprograms naive T cells to express Treg cell differentiation and immune suppression mRNAs, while mTORC1 inhibition impairs translation of T cell mRNAs but not those induced by TGF-beta. Rather than canonical mTORC1/eIF4E/eIF4G translation, Treg cell mRNAs utilize the eIF4G homolog DAP5 and initiation factor eIF3d in a non-canonical translation mechanism that requires cap-dependent binding by eIF3d directed by Treg cell mRNA 5’ noncoding regions. Silencing DAP5 in isolated human naive CD4+ T cells impairs their differentiation into Treg cells. Treg cell differentiation is mediated by mTORC1 downregulation and TGF-beta transcriptional reprogramming that establishes a DAP5/eIF3d-selective mechanism of mRNA translation.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4642-4642
Author(s):  
H. Toh ◽  
Y. P. Phoon ◽  
R. Quek ◽  
A. H. Banham ◽  
S. Y. Tan

4642 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) endemic in Asia is aggressive and mainly hepatitis B-related. In ovarian and breast cancer, higher levels of foxp3+ regulatory T cells predicts for a poorer clinical outcome. The reverse is true with follicular lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease. We hypothesize that foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T lymphocyte (Treg) frequency predicts for clinical outcome in HCC. We also examined the recently identified IL17-producing, RORγt-expressing, CD4+ pathogenic Th17 cells in HCC. Methods: We analyzed Treg cells (n=116) and CD8+ T cells (n=24) expression by CD3/Foxp3 double immunoenzymatic using a anti-Foxp3 murine monoclonal antibody (Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Oxford University, UK) and CD3/CD8 double immunofluorescence, respectively. Treg cells and CD8 cells expression were reported as a percentage of CD3+ T cells. RORγt (for Th17) and Foxp3 mRNA were measured using real-time PCR. Results: Median age (n=116) was 62 years, 65.5% were hepatitis B+ (n=76), 4.3% were hepatitis C+ (n=5), 1.7% were both hepatitis B+ and C+ (n=2) and 28.4% were not virus-related (n=33). Treg numbers were significantly higher in all 116 HCC (median 9.3% of CD3+ T cells) compared to paired adjacent liver (median 1.9%) (p<0.001). Conversely, CD8+ T cell numbers were significantly lower in 24 HCC (median 21.1%) vs paired liver (median 49.5%) (p<0.001). Stage 1 and II HCC patients (n=24) with superior overall survival (= 6 years) compared with stage I and II patients (n=29) with inferior survival (≤ 1 year) had a significantly higher Treg frequency (median 10.9% versus 8.4%) (p=0.035). Stage I and II HCC patients (n=66) who were relapse-free at ≥ 1 year vs Stage I and II HCC patients (n=21) who were relapse-free at ≤ 0.5 years had higher Treg frequency (median 10.2% vs 6.8%) (p = 0.005). Hepatitis B+ HCC patients (n=76) had significantly higher Treg (median 10.2%) compared to non-viral associated HCC patients (n=33) (p=0.013). No correlation was seen between ROR and foxp3 mRNA. ROR mRNA was over-expressed (> 1 fold) in 20 (54%) HCC (analysis ongoing). Conclusions: Treg expression was significantly higher in HCC compared to paired liver. Increased Treg frequency predicts for a superior relapse-free and overall survival in HCC. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2009 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 639-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Mellanby ◽  
David C. Thomas ◽  
Jonathan Lamb

There has been considerable historical interest in the concept of a specialist T-cell subset which suppresses over-zealous or inappropriate T-cell responses. However, it was not until the discovery that CD4+CD25+ T-cells had suppressive capabilities both in vitro and in vivo that this concept regained credibility and developed into one of the most active research areas in immunology today. The notion that in healthy individuals there is a subset of Treg-cells (regulatory T-cells) involved in ‘policing’ the immune system has led to the intensive exploration of the role of this subset in disease resulting in a number of studies concluding that a quantitative or qualitative decline in Treg-cells is an important part of the breakdown in self-tolerance leading to the development of autoimmune diseases. Although Treg-cells have subsequently been widely postulated to represent a potential immunotherapy option for patients with autoimmune disease, several studies of autoimmune disorders have demonstrated high numbers of Treg-cells in inflamed tissue. The present review highlights the need to consider a range of other factors which may be impairing Treg-cell function when considering the mechanisms involved in the breakdown of self-tolerance rather than focussing on intrinsic Treg-cell factors.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3194
Author(s):  
Pierre Stéphan ◽  
Raphaëlle Lautraite ◽  
Allison Voisin ◽  
Yenkel Grinberg-Bleyer

Extensive research in the past decades has highlighted the tight link between immunity and cancer, leading to the development of immunotherapies that have revolutionized cancer care. However, only a fraction of patients display durable responses to these treatments, and a deeper understanding of the cellular and mechanisms orchestrating immune responses to tumors is mandatory for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Among the most scrutinized immune cells, Forkhead Box Protein P3 (Foxp3)+ Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are central inhibitors of protective anti-tumor immunity. These tumor-promoting functions render Treg cells attractive immunotherapy targets, and multiple strategies are being developed to inhibit their recruitment, survival, and function in the tumor microenvironment. In this context, it is critical to decipher the complex and multi-layered molecular mechanisms that shape and stabilize the Treg cell transcriptome. Here, we provide a global view of the transcription factors, and their upstream signaling pathways, involved in the programming of Treg cell homeostasis and functions in cancer. We also evaluate the feasibility and safety of novel therapeutic approaches aiming at targeting specific transcriptional regulators.


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