Increased IL-10-competent regulatory B cells in the decidua of early human pregnancy.

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) may play a pivotal role in maintaining human pregnancy. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, this study noted that cell percentages of CD24hiCD38hi Bregs and CD24hiCD27+ Bregs, which can potentially produce IL-10, are increased in human decidua compared with the mid-luteal phase endometrium. In each case of decidua, the correlation between Bregs and dendritic cell (DC) or natural killer (NK) cell expression was further explored. A positive correlation between the percentage of CD24hiCD38hi Bregs and CD123-CD11c+ myeloid DCs (mDCs) was noted. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was also observed between the percentage of CD24hiCD27+ Bregs and CD94+CD56brightCD16- suppressive NK cells. These findings regarding decidual Bregs deepen the understanding of the harmonious immunological microenvironment that sustains early human pregnancy.

Refeeding activates neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus to inhibit food intake and promote positive valence.

OBJECTIVE: The regulation of food intake is a major research area in the study of obesity, which plays a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Gene targeting studies have clarified the roles of hypothalamic neurons in feeding behavior, but the deletion of a gene has a long-term effect on neurophysiology. Our understanding of short-term changes such as appetite under physiological conditions is therefore still limited. METHODS: Targeted recombination in active populations (TRAP) is a newly developed method for labeling active neurons by using tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombination controlled by the promoter of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1), a member of immediate early genes. Transgenic mice for TRAP were fasted overnight, re-fed with normal diet, and injected with 4-hydroxytamoxifen 1 h after the refeeding to label the active neurons. The role of labeled neurons was examined by expressing excitatory or inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). The labeled neurons were extracted and RNA sequencing was performed to identify genes that are specifically expressed in these neurons. RESULTS: Fasting-refeeding activated and labeled neurons in the compact part of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) that project to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Chemogenetic activation of the labeled DMH neurons decreased food intake and developed place preference, an indicator of positive valence. Chemogenetic activation or inhibition of these neurons had no influence on the whole-body glucose metabolism. The labeled DMH neurons expressed prodynorphin (pdyn), gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), cholecystokinin (CCK), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor (Trhr) genes. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a novel cell type of DMH neurons that can inhibit food intake and promote feeding-induced positive valence. Our study provides insight into the role of DMH and its molecular mechanism in the regulation of appetite and emotion.

Prostaglandin in the ventromedial hypothalamus regulates peripheral glucose metabolism.

The hypothalamus plays a central role in monitoring and regulating systemic glucose metabolism. The brain is enriched with phospholipids containing poly-unsaturated fatty acids, which are biologically active in physiological regulation. Here, we show that intraperitoneal glucose injection induces changes in hypothalamic distribution and amounts of phospholipids, especially arachidonic-acid-containing phospholipids, that are then metabolized to produce prostaglandins. Knockdown of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), a key enzyme for generating arachidonic acid from phospholipids, in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH), lowers insulin sensitivity in muscles during regular chow diet (RCD) feeding. Conversely, the down-regulation of glucose metabolism by high fat diet (HFD) feeding is improved by knockdown of cPLA2 in the VMH through changing hepatic insulin sensitivity and hypothalamic inflammation. Our data suggest that cPLA2-mediated hypothalamic phospholipid metabolism is critical for controlling systemic glucose metabolism during RCD, while continuous activation of the same pathway to produce prostaglandins during HFD deteriorates glucose metabolism.

Memory Lymphocyte Clusters in Genital Immunity: Role of Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells (TRM).

Development of front-line defenses in genital tissues is important to inhibit viral/bacterial replication and to eliminate sexually transmitted diseases. In this chapter, we discuss the cellular composition, location, and function of memory lymphocyte clusters deployed in mucosal tissues and compare them with those in secondary lymphoid organs and tertiary lymphoid structures.

Effector TH17 Cells Give Rise to Long-Lived TRM Cells that Are Essential for an Immediate Response against Bacterial Infection.

Adaptive immunity provides life-long protection by generating central and effector memory T cells and the most recently described tissue resident memory T (TRM) cells. However, the cellular origin of CD4 TRM cells and their contribution to host defense remain elusive. Using IL-17A tracking-fate mouse models, we found that a significant fraction of lung CD4 TRM cells derive from IL-17A-producing effector (TH17) cells following immunization with heat-killed Klebsiella pneumonia (Kp). These exTH17 TRM cells are maintained in the lung by IL-7, produced by lymphatic endothelial cells. During a memory response, neither antibodies, γδ T cells, nor circulatory T cells are sufficient for the rapid host defense required to eliminate Kp. Conversely, using parabiosis and depletion studies, we demonstrated that exTH17 TRM cells play an important role in bacterial clearance. Thus, we delineate the origin and function of airway CD4 TRM cells during bacterial infection, offering novel strategies for targeted vaccine design.

Migrant memory B cells secrete luminal antibody in the vagina.

Antibodies secreted into mucosal barriers serve to protect the host from a variety of pathogens, and are the basis for successful vaccines1. In type I mucosa (such as the intestinal tract), dimeric IgA secreted by local plasma cells is transported through polymeric immunoglobulin receptors2 and mediates robust protection against viruses3,4. However, owing to the paucity of polymeric immunoglobulin receptors and plasma cells, how and whether antibodies are delivered to the type II mucosa represented by the lumen of the lower female reproductive tract remains unclear. Here, using genital herpes infection in mice, we show that primary infection does not establish plasma cells in the lamina propria of the female reproductive tract. Instead, upon secondary challenge with herpes simplex virus 2, circulating memory B cells that enter the female reproductive tract serve as the source of rapid and robust antibody secretion into the lumen of this tract. CD4 tissue-resident memory T cells secrete interferon-γ, which induces expression of chemokines, including CXCL9 and CXCL10. Circulating memory B cells are recruited to the vaginal mucosa in a CXCR3-dependent manner, and secrete virus-specific IgG2b, IgG2c and IgA into the lumen. These results reveal that circulating memory B cells act as a rapidly inducible source of mucosal antibodies in the female reproductive tract.

Rapid Quantification of NETs In Vitro and in Whole Blood Samples by Imaging Flow Cytometry.

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation involves the release of DNA outside the cell to neutralize pathogens. Techniques such as live microscopy, flow cytometry, and intravital imaging allow the characterization of NETs, but these either cannot be applied in vivo, lack specificity or require invasive procedures. We developed an automated analysis method to rapidly acquire and characterize cells as NETs or NET precursors, as opposed to cells undergoing other forms of cell death, using imaging flow cytometry. NETs were maintained in solution using a novel three-dimensional cell culture system in which cells are suspended at the interface of two liquids of different density. Critically, we identify NETs using an image analysis algorithm based on morphological data showing the extrusion of DNA beyond the cell boundaries. In vitro, we used this technique to demonstrate different requirements for NET formation in human and mouse neutrophils. We also measured NETs in whole blood during infection of mice with the malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii. We expect this technique will provide a valuable approach to better understand the process of NET formation and its importance in disease. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Immunological association of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue organogenesis in Ag85B-rHPIV2 vaccine-induced anti-tuberculosis mucosal immune responses in mice.

We previously reported that Ag85B-expressing human parainfluenza type 2 virus (Ag85B-rHPIV2) was effective as a nasal vaccine against tuberculosis in mice; however, the mechanism by which it induces an immune response remains to be investigated. In the present study, we found that organogenesis of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) played a role in the induction of antigen-specific T cells and IgA antibody responses in the lung of mice intra-nasally administered Ag85B-rHPIV2. We found that expression of Ag85B was dispensable for the development of iBALT, suggesting that HPIV2 acted as an iBALT-inducing vector. When iBALT organogenesis was disrupted in Ag85B-rHPIV2-immunized mice, either by neutralization of the lymphotoxin pathway or depletion of CD11b+ cells, Ag85B-specific immune responses (i.e. IFN γ-producing T cells and IgA antibody) were diminished in the lung. Furthermore, we found that immunization with Ag85B-rHPIV2 induced neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration temporally after the immunization in the lung. Thus, our results show that iBALT organogenesis contributes to the induction of antigen-specific immune responses by Ag85B-rHPIV2 and that Ag85B-rHPIV2 provokes its immune responses without inducing long-lasting inflammation.

Decidual CD68+ HLA-DR+ CD163- M1 macrophages increase in miscarriages with normal fetal chromosome.

PROBLEM: Is an abnormal increase or decrease of M1/M2 macrophages observed in the deciduae of miscarriages with normal fetal chromosome (MN)? METHODS OF STUDY: Deciduae of 18 MN and 26 miscarriages with abnormal fetal chromosome (MA) were obtained. Additionally, deciduae from 15 women whose pregnancies ended in induced abortions (IA) and endometriums at the mid-luteal phase from 19 non-pregnant women endomeriums of mid-luteal phases (EM) were obtained. Macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies for CD68, HLA-DR, and CD163. RESULTS: M1 macrophages, defined as CD68+ HLA-DR+ CD163- cells, increased in MN compared with MA or IA. M2 macrophages, defined as CD68+ HLA-DR- CD163+ cells, increased in the deciduae of MA and IA compared with EM. However, this increase was not observed in the deciduae of MN. CONCLUSION: Our findings of phenotypic characters of decidual macrophages in MN provide additional evidence that M2 polarization is favorable for the maintenance of early stages of pregnancy.

Divergence of helper, cytotoxic, and regulatory T cells in the decidua from miscarriage.

PROBLEM: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate phenotypic differences of helper T (Th), cytotoxic T (Tc), and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the deciduae of missed miscarriage with a normal chromosome karyotype of a fetus (MN) and missed miscarriage with an abnormal chromosome karyotype of a fetus (MA). METHODS OF STUDY: The decidua of 19 MN and 28 MA was obtained. Additionally, the decidua of 15 induced abortion (IA) and the endometrium of 19 non-pregnant women (EM) were obtained. IFN-γ(+) , IL-17(+) , CD25(high) Foxp3(+) cells in CD4(+) (Th) cells, and IFN-γ(+) cells in CD8(+) (Tc) cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The percentages of IFN-γ(+) Tc and CD4(+) CD25(high) Foxp3(+) (Treg) cells in MN were significantly increased as compared with MA and IA. The percentage of IFN-γ(+) Th in MN was increased as compared with IA. CONCLUSION: Activation of IFN-γ(+) Tc and Treg cells in the decidua might be associated with the pathophysiology underlying MN.

Access of protective antiviral antibody to neuronal tissues requires CD4 T-cell help.

Circulating antibodies can access most tissues to mediate surveillance and elimination of invading pathogens. Immunoprivileged tissues such as the brain and the peripheral nervous system are shielded from plasma proteins by the blood-brain barrier and blood-nerve barrier, respectively. Yet, circulating antibodies must somehow gain access to these tissues to mediate their antimicrobial functions. Here we examine the mechanism by which antibodies gain access to neuronal tissues to control infection. Using a mouse model of genital herpes infection, we demonstrate that both antibodies and CD4 T cells are required to protect the host after immunization at a distal site. We show that memory CD4 T cells migrate to the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord in response to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2. Once inside these neuronal tissues, CD4 T cells secrete interferon-γ and mediate local increase in vascular permeability, enabling antibody access for viral control. A similar requirement for CD4 T cells for antibody access to the brain is observed after intranasal challenge with vesicular stomatitis virus. Our results reveal a previously unappreciated role of CD4 T cells in mobilizing antibodies to the peripheral sites of infection where they help to limit viral spread.

Tissue instruction for migration and retention of TRM cells.

During infection, a subset of effector T cells seeds the lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues and gives rise to tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). Recent findings have provided insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tissue instruction of TRM cell homing, as well as the programs involved in their retention and maintenance. We review these findings here, highlighting both common features and distinctions between CD4 TRM and CD8 TRM cells. In this context we examine the role of memory lymphocyte clusters (MLCs), and propose that the MLCs serve as an immediate response center consisting of TRM cells on standby, capable of detecting incoming pathogens and mounting robust local immune responses to contain and limit the spread of infectious agents.

T cell memory. A local macrophage chemokine network sustains protective tissue-resident memory CD4 T cells.

CD8 tissue-resident memory T (T(RM)) cells provide efficient local control of viral infection, but the role of CD4 T(RM) is less clear. Here, by using parabiotic mice, we show that a preexisting pool of CD4 T(RM) cells in the genital mucosa was required for full protection from a lethal herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection. Chemokines secreted by a local network of macrophages maintained vaginal CD4 T(RM) in memory lymphocyte clusters (MLCs), independently of circulating memory T cells. CD4 T(RM) cells within the MLCs were enriched in clones that expanded in response to HSV-2. Our results highlight the need for vaccine strategies that enable establishment of T(RM) cells for protection from a sexually transmitted virus and provide insights as to how such a pool might be established.

High-risk human papillomavirus E6 inhibits monocyte differentiation to Langerhans cells.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause a variety of malignancies of the mucosal epithelium. However, the local immune evasion strategies used by HPV-transformed cells remain unclear. Here, we examined the effect of HPV-positive cancer cells on human peripheral blood monocytes, which are precursors of Langerhans cells, key antigen-presenting cells in the squamous epithelium. HPV-positive cervical cancer cells and HPV-E6 expressing cells inhibited monocyte differentiation to Langerhans cells in a contact-dependent manner. Unlike Langerhans cells, monocytes that differentiated in the presence of HPV16 E6-expressing cells exhibited high levels of endocytic activity. Our results suggest that cells infected by high-risk HPV evade immune surveillance by blocking the differentiation of monocytes into competent antigen presenting cells.

A neuron-specific role for autophagy in antiviral defense against herpes simplex virus.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are considered to be the universal mechanism by which viral infections are controlled. However, many IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) rely on antiviral pathways that are toxic to host cells, which may be detrimental in nonrenewable cell types, such as neurons. We show that dorsal root ganglionic (DRG) neurons produced little type I IFNs in response to infection with a neurotropic virus, herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1). Further, type I IFN treatment failed to completely block HSV-1 replication or to induce IFN-primed cell death in neurons. We found that DRG neurons required autophagy to limit HSV-1 replication both in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, mucosal epithelial cells and other mitotic cells responded robustly to type I IFNs and did not require autophagy to control viral replication. These findings reveal a fundamental difference in the innate antiviral strategies employed by neurons and mitotic cells to control HSV-1 infection.

Recruited inflammatory monocytes stimulate antiviral Th1 immunity in infected tissue.

Monocytes patrol various tissues for signs of infection and inflammation. Inflammatory monocytes enter peripheral tissues at sites of microbial infection and differentiate into dendritic cells and macrophages. Here, we examined the importance of monocytes in primary mucosal infection with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), and demonstrate that monocyte-derived APCs are required to elicit IFN-γ secretion from effector Th1 cells to mediate antiviral protection. However, monocyte-derived APCs were dispensable for the generation of Th1 immunity and for the restimulation of memory Th1 cells during secondary viral challenge. These results demonstrate that distinct APC subsets are dedicated for CD4 T cell priming, elicitation, and memory recall responses to a given viral pathogen within the same mucosal tissue and reveal a specialized role for monocyte-derived APCs in the emergency response to infection.

Differential roles of migratory and resident DCs in T cell priming after mucosal or skin HSV-1 infection.

Although mucosal surfaces represent the main portal of entry for pathogens, the mechanism of antigen presentation by dendritic cells (DCs) that patrol various mucosal tissues remains unclear. Instead, much effort has focused on the understanding of initiation of immune responses generated against antigens delivered by injection. We examined the contributions of migratory versus lymph node-resident DC populations in antigen presentation to CD4 and CD8 T cells after needle injection, epicutaneous infection, or vaginal mucosal herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 infection. We show that upon needle injection, HSV-1 became lymph-borne and was rapidly presented by lymph node-resident DCs to CD4 and CD8 T cells. In contrast, after vaginal HSV-1 infection, antigens were largely presented by tissue-derived migrant DCs with delayed kinetics. In addition, migrant DCs made more frequent contact with HSV-specific T cells after vaginal infection compared with epicutaneous infection. Thus, both migrant and resident DCs play an important role in priming CD8 and CD4 T cell responses, and their relative importance depends on the mode of infection in vivo.

Dendritic cells and B cells maximize mucosal Th1 memory response to herpes simplex virus.

Although the importance of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and neutralizing antibodies for antiviral defense is well known, the antiviral mechanism of Th1 remains unclear. We show that Th1 cells mediate noncytolytic antiviral protection independent of direct lysis through local secretion of IFN-gamma after herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 infection. IFN-gamma acted on stromal cells, but not on hematopoietic cells, to prevent further viral replication and spread throughout the vaginal mucosa. Importantly, unlike other known Th1 defense mechanisms, this effector function did not require recognition of virally infected cells via MHC class II. Instead, recall Th1 response was elicited by MHC class II(+) antigen-presenting cells at the site of infection. Dendritic cells (DCs) were not required and only partially sufficient to induce a recall response from memory Th1 cells. Importantly, DCs and B cells together contributed to restimulating memory CD4 T cells to secrete IFN-gamma. In the absence of both DCs and B cells, immunized mice rapidly succumbed to HSV-2 infection and death. Thus, these results revealed a distinct mechanism by which memory Th1 cells mediate noncytolytic IFN-gamma-dependent antiviral protection after recognition of processed viral antigens by local DCs and B cells.

Novel vaccination protocol with two live mucosal vectors elicits strong cell-mediated immunity in the vagina and protects against vaginal virus challenge.

Most HIV infections result from heterosexual transmission to women. Because cellular immunity plays a key role in the control of the infection, we sought to strengthen cellular immune responses in vaginal tissue. We explored a novel prime-boost protocol that used two live mucosal agents that trigger different pathways of innate immunity and induce strong cellular immunity. Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) has frequently been used as a boost for DNA vaccines. In this study we used attenuated, recombinant L. monocytogenes-gag (rLm-gag) to prime mice by various mucosal routes-oral, intrarectal, and intravaginally (ivag)-followed by a systemic or mucosal boost with replication-defective rAd5-gag. Mice primed with a single administration of rLm-gag by any route and then boosted with rAd5-gag intramuscularly exhibited abundant Gag-specific CD8 T cells in spleen and vaginal lamina propria. Conversely, when boosted with rAd5-gag ivag, the immune response was reoriented toward the vagina with strikingly higher CD8 T cell responses in that tissue, particularly after ivag immunization by both vectors (ivag/ivag). Five weeks to 5 mo later, ivag/ivag-immunized mice continued to show high levels of effector memory CD8 T cells in vagina, while the pool of memory T cells in spleen assumed a progressively more central memory T cell phenotype. The memory mice showed high in vivo CTL activity in vagina, a strong recall response, and robust protection after ivag vaccinia-gag challenge, suggesting that this prime-boost strategy can induce strong cellular immunity, especially in vaginal tissues, and might be able to block the heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 at the vaginal mucosa.