The influential T cell in B-cell neoplasms.

1983 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 810-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
N E Kay ◽  
M M Oken ◽  
R T Perri

Investigations of human B-cell malignancies have generally focused on the monoclonal B-cell populations. Until recently there has been little emphasis on the thymus (T) lymphocyte in these disorders. Current studies, however, suggest that quantitative and qualitative disorders of T cells are generally seen both in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in multiple myeloma. This review will focus on two major concepts. First, it will define the quantitative and functional T-cell abnormalities in B-cell malignancies including evidence suggesting a causal link between the T-cell abnormalities and certain observed disease manifestations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma. Secondly, it will review data demonstrating that these T cells may be influenced by in vivo and in vitro manipulations and will outline some of the possible resultant clinical effects.

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billy Michael Chelliah Jebaraj ◽  
Annika Müller ◽  
Rashmi Priyadharshini Dheenadayalan ◽  
Sascha Endres ◽  
Philipp M. Roessner ◽  
...  

Covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors such as ibrutinib have proven to be highly beneficial in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Interestingly, the off-target inhibition of IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) by ibrutinib may also play a role in modulating the tumor microenvironment, potentially enhancing the treatment benefit. However, resistance to covalently binding BTK inhibitors can develop by a mutation in cysteine 481 of BTK (C481S), which prevents the irreversible binding of the drugs. In the present study we performed pre-clinical characterization of vecabrutinib, a next generation non-covalent BTK inhibitor, with ITK inhibitory properties similar to those of ibrutinib. Unlike ibrutinib and other covalent BTK inhibitors, vecabrutinib showed retention of the inhibitory effect on C481S BTK mutants in vitro, similar to that of wildtype BTK. In the murine Eµ-TCL1 adoptive transfer model, vecabrutinib reduced tumor burden and significantly improved survival. Vecabrutinib treatment led to a decrease in CD8+ effector and memory T-cell populations, while the naïve populations were increased. Of importance, vecabrutinib treatment significantly reduced frequency of regulatory CD4+ T-cells (Tregs) in vivo. Unlike ibrutinib, vecabrutinib treatment showed minimal adverse impact on activation and proliferation of isolated T-cells. Lastly, combination treatment of vecabrutinib with venetoclax was found to augment treatment efficacy, significantly improve survival and lead to favourable reprogramming of the microenvironment in the murine Eµ-TCL1 model. Thus, non-covalent BTK/ITK inhibitors such as vecabrutinib may be efficacious in C481S BTK mutant CLL, while preserving the T-cell immunomodulatory function of ibrutinib.


Blood ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
JS Moore ◽  
MB Prystowsky ◽  
RG Hoover ◽  
EC Besa ◽  
PC Nowell

The consistent occurrence of T cell abnormalities in patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) suggest that the non- neoplastic host T cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of this B cell neoplasm. Because potential defects of immunoglobulin regulation are evident in B-CLL patients, we investigated one aspect of this by studying the T cell-mediated immunoglobulin isotype-specific immunoregulatory circuit in B-CLL. The existence of class-specific immunoglobulin regulatory mechanisms mediated by Fc receptor-bearing T cells (FcR + T) through soluble immunoglobulin binding factors (IgBFs) has been well established in many experimental systems. IgBFs can both suppress and enhance B cell activity in an isotype-specific manner. We investigated the apparently abnormal IgA regulation in a B-CLL patient (CLL249) whose B cells secrete primarily IgA in vitro. Enumeration of FcR + T cells showed a disproportionate increase in IgA FcR + T cells in the peripheral blood of this patient. Our studies showed that the neoplastic B cells were not intrinsically unresponsive to the suppressing component of IgABF produced from normal T cells, but rather the IgABF produced by the CLL249 host T cells was defective. CLL249 IgABF was unable to suppress IgA secretion by host or normal B cells and enhanced the in vitro proliferation of the host B cells. Size fractionation of both normal and CLL249 IgABF by gel-filtration high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated differences in the ultraviolet-absorbing components of IgABF obtained from normal T cells v that from our patient with defective IgA regulation. Such T cell dysfunction may not be restricted to IgA regulation, since we have found similar expansion of isotype-specific FcR + T cells associated with expansion of the corresponding B cell clone in other patients with B-CLL. These data suggest that this T cell-mediated regulatory circuit could be significantly involved in the pathogenesis of B-CLL.


Blood ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Lauria ◽  
D Raspadori ◽  
S Tura

Abstract Abnormalities of T lymphocytes in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) have been extensively documented by several immunologic investigations. Following recent studies pointing to the favorable effect of TP-1, a partially purified extract of calf thymus, on the T cell-mediated immunity of several diseases, including Hodgkin's disease, we have used monoclonal antibodies and the enriched T lymphocytes of 16 untreated B-CLL patients to evaluate the proportion of T cell subsets before and after the administration of TP-1. In addition, the proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the helper function in a pokeweed mitogen (PWM) system were assessed. In ten cases, the effect of TP-1 was also studied in vitro by evaluating the same parameters before and after incubation of B-CLL T cells with the drug. The study demonstrated that in vivo administration of TP-1 increases significantly (P less than .001) the proportion of the defective helper/inducer T cell population (OKT4-positive cells) in B-CLL, leading to a near normal OKT4/OKT8 ratio. Furthermore, the improved phenotypic profile was accompanied by an increased proliferative response to PHA and, in particular, by a significant increase (P less than .01) of T helper capacity; this increase was, however, insufficient to enable the normalization of the serum immunoglobulin levels. The in vitro incubation of B-CLL T lymphocytes did not succeed in producing significant modifications in distribution and function.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 3123-3123 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Lucas ◽  
Ryan B. Edwards ◽  
Michael D. De Lay ◽  
Derek A. West ◽  
Gerard Lozanski ◽  
...  

Abstract Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is an incurable disease with limited therapeutic options, especially for high-risk populations such as the del(17p13) patient subset. Currently available therapies for CLL, even if effective, can have significant detrimental effects on remaining T cells, leaving patients at risk of potentially lethal opportunistic infections. New agents with unique mechanisms of action, independence of key resistance pathways, and selectivity for tumor cells are crucial to make an impact on patient survival. Silvestrol, a structurally unique compound isolated from the plant genus Aglaia, exhibited potent activity against several tumor cell lines and moderate in vivo activity in the P388 mouse leukemia model (J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69:3350; ibid. 69:6156). Based on these results, we tested silvestrol against tumor cells obtained from CLL patients. The LC50 (concentration lethal to 50% of cells relative to untreated control) of silvestrol was 6.5 nM at 72 hours by MTT assay. We performed assays to determine CLL patient cell viability at 72 hours with or without drug washout at various times. In these studies, silvestrol showed up to 50% killing at 72 hours with only a four hour exposure, and reached maximum efficacy with a 24 hour exposure. Silvestrol was similarly effective against cells from CLL patients with or without del(17p13). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in silvestrol-mediated cytotoxicity between lymphoblastic cells with a ten-fold overexpression of Bcl-2 relative to control cells. In MTT assays using isolated CD3+ or CD19+ cells, and in whole blood from healthy volunteers and CLL patients, silvestrol demonstrated substantially more cytotoxicity toward B cells than T cells. We then tested silvestrol using Tcl-1 transgenic mice, which are initially normal but develop a slow-progressing B cell leukemia very similar to human CLL. Lymphocytes obtained from spleens of Tcl-1 mice with leukemia were incubated ex vivo with 80 nM silvestrol and analyzed by flow cytometry. Silvestrol produced an 88% reduction in the B cell percentage after 24 hours with no negative effect on the T cell percentage (8% increase), in contrast to 1 μM fludarabine, which affected both B cell (22% reduction) and T cell (14% reduction) subsets. Non-leukemic mice of the Tcl-1 background strain were treated with 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg/day silvestrol for 5 days to determine a tolerable dose. Three of five mice treated with 2.5 mg/kg/day died at the beginning of the second week of treatment. However, none of the animals treated at 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg showed signs of toxicity or weight loss even after two full weeks of treatment and were normal at pathological examination. Tcl-1 mice with evidence of leukemia as determined by elevated leukocyte counts and enlarged spleens were then treated with silvestrol at 1.5 mg/kg/day × 5 days for two weeks. Treated mice experienced decreased overall leukocyte counts relative to vehicle controls. Furthermore, CD19+ cell numbers and percentages diminished substantially while the T cells were only mildly affected. Additional leukemic Tcl-1 mice are currently being treated and studies are underway examining the mechanism of action of silvestrol in CLL cells.


Blood ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 1063-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad-Reza Rezvany ◽  
Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani ◽  
Hans Wigzell ◽  
Anders Österborg ◽  
Håkan Mellstedt

Abstract T-cell receptor–B-variable (TCR-BV) gene usage and the CDR3 size distribution pattern were analyzed by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) to assess the T-cell repertoire. The use of TCR-BV families in CD4 and CD8 T cells stimulated with autologous activated leukemic cells was compared with that of freshly obtained blood T cells. Overexpression of individual TCR-BV families was found in freshly isolated CD4 and CD8 T cells. Polyclonal, oligoclonal, and monoclonal TCR-CDR3 patterns were seen within such overexpressed native CD4 and CD8 TCR-BV families. In nonoverexpressed TCR-BV families, monoclonal and oligoclonal populations were noted only within the CD8 subset. After in vitro stimulation of T cells with autologous leukemic B cells, analyses of the CDR3 length patterns showed that in expanded TCR-BV populations, polyclonal patterns frequently shifted toward a monoclonal/oligoclonal profile, whereas largely monoclonal patterns in native overexpressed TCR-BV subsets remained monoclonal. Seventy-five percent of CD8 expansions found in freshly obtained CD8 T cells further expanded on in vitro stimulation with autologous leukemic B cells. This suggests a memory status of such cells. In contrast, the unusually high frequency of CD4 T-cell expansions found in freshly isolated peripheral blood cells did not correlate positively to in vitro stimulation as only 1 of 9 expansions continued to expand. Our data suggest that leukemia cell–specific memory CD4 and CD8 T cells are present in vivo of patients with CLL and that several leukemia cell–associated antigens/epitopes are recognized by the patients' immune system, indicating that whole leukemia cells might be of preference for vaccine development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Mancikova ◽  
Helena Peschelova ◽  
Veronika Kozlova ◽  
Aneta Ledererova ◽  
Adriana Ladungova ◽  
...  

BackgroundWhile achieving prolonged remissions in other B cell-derived malignancies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells still underperform when injected into patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We studied the influence of genetics on CLL response to anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.MethodsFirst, we studied 32 primary CLL samples composed of 26 immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene variable (IGHV)-unmutated (9ATM-mutated, 8TP53-mutated, and 9 without mutations inATM,TP53,NOTCH1orSF3B1) and 6IGHV-mutated samples without mutations in the above-mentioned genes. Then, we mimicked the leukemic microenvironment in the primary cells by ‘2S stimulation’ through interleukin-2 and nuclear factor kappa B. Finally, CRISPR/Cas9-generatedATM-knockout andTP53-knockout clones (four and seven, respectively) from CLL-derived cell lines MEC1 and HG3 were used. All these samples were exposed to CAR T cells. In vivo survival study in NSG mice using HG3 wild-type (WT),ATM-knockout orTP53-knockout cells was also performed.ResultsPrimary unstimulated CLL cells were specifically eliminated after >24 hours of coculture with CAR T cells. ‘2S’ stimulated cells showed increased survival when exposed to CAR T cells compared with unstimulated ones, confirming the positive effect of this stimulation on CLL cells’ in vitro fitness. After 96 hours of coculture, there was no difference in survival among the genetic classes. Finally, CAR T cells were specifically activated in vitro in the presence of target knockout cell lines as shown by the production of interferon-γ when compared with control (CTRL) T cells (p=0.0020), but there was no difference in knockout cells’ survival. In vivo, CAR T cells prolonged the survival of mice injected with WT,TP53-knockout andATM-knockout HG3 tumor cells as compared with CTRL T cells (p=0.0485, 0.0204 and <0.0001, respectively). When compared withATM-knockout,TP53-knockout disease was associated with an earlier time of onset (p<0.0001), higher tumor burden (p=0.0002) and inefficient T-cell engraftment (p=0.0012).ConclusionsWhile in vitro no differences in survival of CLL cells of various genetic backgrounds were observed, CAR T cells showed a different effectiveness at eradicating tumor cells in vivo depending on the driver mutation. Early disease onset, high-tumor burden and inefficient T-cell engraftment, associated withTP53-knockout tumors in our experimental setting, ultimately led to inferior performance of CAR T cells.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 1182-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Ponader ◽  
Shih-Shih Chen ◽  
Joseph J. Buggy ◽  
Kumudha Balakrishnan ◽  
Varsha Gandhi ◽  
...  

Abstract B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling is a critical pathway in the pathogenesis of several B-cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and can be targeted by inhibitors of BCR-associated kinases, such as Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk). PCI-32765, a selective, irreversible Btk inhibitor, is a novel, molecularly targeted agent for patients with B-cell malignancies, and is particularly active in patients with CLL. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism of action of PCI-32765 in CLL, using in vitro and in vivo models, and performed correlative studies on specimens from patients receiving therapy with PCI-32765. PCI-32765 significantly inhibited CLL cell survival, DNA synthesis, and migration in response to tissue homing chemokines (CXCL12, CXCL13). PCI-32765 also down-regulated secretion of BCR-dependent chemokines (CCL3, CCL4) by the CLL cells, both in vitro and in vivo. In an adoptive transfer TCL1 mouse model of CLL, PCI-32765 affected disease progression. In this model, PCI-32765 caused a transient early lymphocytosis, and profoundly inhibited CLL progression, as assessed by weight, development, and extent of hepatospenomegaly, and survival. Our data demonstrate that PCI-32765 effectively inhibits CLL cell migration and survival, possibly explaining some of the characteristic clinical activity of this new targeted agent.


Blood ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-671
Author(s):  
F Lauria ◽  
D Raspadori ◽  
S Tura

Abnormalities of T lymphocytes in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) have been extensively documented by several immunologic investigations. Following recent studies pointing to the favorable effect of TP-1, a partially purified extract of calf thymus, on the T cell-mediated immunity of several diseases, including Hodgkin's disease, we have used monoclonal antibodies and the enriched T lymphocytes of 16 untreated B-CLL patients to evaluate the proportion of T cell subsets before and after the administration of TP-1. In addition, the proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the helper function in a pokeweed mitogen (PWM) system were assessed. In ten cases, the effect of TP-1 was also studied in vitro by evaluating the same parameters before and after incubation of B-CLL T cells with the drug. The study demonstrated that in vivo administration of TP-1 increases significantly (P less than .001) the proportion of the defective helper/inducer T cell population (OKT4-positive cells) in B-CLL, leading to a near normal OKT4/OKT8 ratio. Furthermore, the improved phenotypic profile was accompanied by an increased proliferative response to PHA and, in particular, by a significant increase (P less than .01) of T helper capacity; this increase was, however, insufficient to enable the normalization of the serum immunoglobulin levels. The in vitro incubation of B-CLL T lymphocytes did not succeed in producing significant modifications in distribution and function.


Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Brown ◽  
David L. Porter ◽  
Susan M. O'Brien

The last several years have seen an explosion of novel therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These include the antibody obintutuzumab (GA-101), as well as small-molecule inhibitors of key pathways involved in the pathogenesis of CLL, specifically the B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway (especially Bruton's tyrosine kinase [BTK] and P13K), and the antiapoptotic pathway (especially BCL-2). We will consider each in turn, focusing on the molecules most advanced in clinical development. There has also been extensive development in rewiring the patient's own immune system to treat CLL. This has been done through modifying autologous T cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Thus far all CAR-T preparations have targeted the CD19 antigen. This is a good rational for B-cell malignancies as CD19 expression is limited to B-cell malignancies and normal B cells. The in vivo amplification of the transduced T cells relies on signaling and co-signaling domains and provides significant killing of CLL cells. As exciting as these novel agents and approaches are, they obviously beg the question, will chemotherapy as a treatment for CLL soon be obsolete? Although chemotherapy is associated with known short-term toxicities, it has the advantage of being completed in a short period of time and being relatively inexpensive in comparison to novel therapies. In addition, long-term follow-up of results with chemoimmunotherapy have now identified a group of patients whose remissions are maintained for more than 10 years. An important question that will arise going forward is how to incorporate novel agents without eliminating the long term benefits possible with chemoimmunotherapy in a subset of patients with CLL.


Blood ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
JS Moore ◽  
MB Prystowsky ◽  
RG Hoover ◽  
EC Besa ◽  
PC Nowell

Abstract The consistent occurrence of T cell abnormalities in patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) suggest that the non- neoplastic host T cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of this B cell neoplasm. Because potential defects of immunoglobulin regulation are evident in B-CLL patients, we investigated one aspect of this by studying the T cell-mediated immunoglobulin isotype-specific immunoregulatory circuit in B-CLL. The existence of class-specific immunoglobulin regulatory mechanisms mediated by Fc receptor-bearing T cells (FcR + T) through soluble immunoglobulin binding factors (IgBFs) has been well established in many experimental systems. IgBFs can both suppress and enhance B cell activity in an isotype-specific manner. We investigated the apparently abnormal IgA regulation in a B-CLL patient (CLL249) whose B cells secrete primarily IgA in vitro. Enumeration of FcR + T cells showed a disproportionate increase in IgA FcR + T cells in the peripheral blood of this patient. Our studies showed that the neoplastic B cells were not intrinsically unresponsive to the suppressing component of IgABF produced from normal T cells, but rather the IgABF produced by the CLL249 host T cells was defective. CLL249 IgABF was unable to suppress IgA secretion by host or normal B cells and enhanced the in vitro proliferation of the host B cells. Size fractionation of both normal and CLL249 IgABF by gel-filtration high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated differences in the ultraviolet-absorbing components of IgABF obtained from normal T cells v that from our patient with defective IgA regulation. Such T cell dysfunction may not be restricted to IgA regulation, since we have found similar expansion of isotype-specific FcR + T cells associated with expansion of the corresponding B cell clone in other patients with B-CLL. These data suggest that this T cell-mediated regulatory circuit could be significantly involved in the pathogenesis of B-CLL.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document