NFκB and NLRP3/NLRC4 inflammasomes regulate differentiation, activation and functional properties of monocytes in response to distinct SARS-CoV-2 proteins.

Increased recruitment of transitional and non-classical monocytes in the lung during SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with COVID-19 severity. However, whether specific innate sensors mediate the activation or differentiation of monocytes in response to different SARS-CoV-2 proteins remain poorly characterized. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 but not nucleoprotein induce differentiation of monocytes into transitional or non-classical subsets from both peripheral blood and COVID-19 bronchoalveolar lavage samples in a NFκB-dependent manner, but this process does not require inflammasome activation. However, NLRP3 and NLRC4 differentially regulated CD86 expression in monocytes in response to Spike 1 and Nucleoprotein, respectively. Moreover, monocytes exposed to Spike 1 induce significantly higher proportions of Th1 and Th17 CD4 + T cells. In contrast, monocytes exposed to Nucleoprotein reduce the degranulation of CD8 + T cells from severe COVID-19 patients. Our study provides insights in the differential impact of innate sensors in regulating monocytes in response to different SARS-CoV-2 proteins, which might be useful to better understand COVID-19 immunopathology and identify therapeutic targets.

MICa/b-dependent activation of natural killer cells by CD64+ inflammatory type 2 dendritic cells contributes to autoimmunity.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder largely mediated by type I and II interferon (IFN). The potential contribution of innate immune cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DC), to the pSS pathology remains understudied. Here, we identified an enriched CD16+ CD56hi NK cell subset associated with higher cytotoxic function, as well as elevated proportions of inflammatory CD64+ conventional dendritic cell (cDC2) subtype that expresses increased levels of MICa/b, the ligand for the activating receptor NKG2D, in pSS individuals. Circulating cDC2 from pSS patients efficiently induced activation of cytotoxic NK cells ex vivo and were found in proximity to CD56+ NK cells in salivary glands (SG) from pSS patients. Interestingly, transcriptional activation of IFN signatures associated with the RIG-I/DDX60 pathway, IFN I receptor, and its target genes regulate the expression of NKG2D ligands on cDC2 from pSS patients. Finally, increased proportions of CD64hi RAE-1+ cDC2 and NKG2D+ CD11b+ CD27+ NK cells were present in vivo in the SG after poly I:C injection. Our study provides novel insight into the contribution and interplay of NK and cDC2 in pSS pathology and identifies new potential therapy targets.

T regulatory lymphocytes specific for SARS-CoV-2 display increased functional plasticity.

The study of phenotypic and functional characteristics of immune cells involved in host response to SARS-CoV-2 is relevant for understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis and individual differences in disease progression. We have analyzed chemokine receptor expression in SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes from vaccinated donors, and have found an increase of CCR9+ and CCR6+ cells. CCR9+ specific CD4+ cells are enriched in T regulatory (Treg) lymphocytes. These cells specifically show heterogeneous regulatory activity, associated with different profiles of CCR9/CCR6 expression, individual differences in IL-10 and IL-17 production, and variable FoxP3 and Notch4 expression. A higher heterogeneity in FoxP3 is selectively observed in convalescent individuals within vaccinated population. Accordingly, SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ lymphocytes from COVID-19 patients are also enriched in CCR9+ and CCR6+ cells. CCR6+ specific Treg lymphocytes are mainly increased in critically ill individuals, indicating a preferential role for these cells in lung injury pathogenesis. We provide experimental evidence for a SARS-CoV-2-specific Treg population with increased plasticity, which may contribute to the differential pathogenic response against SARS-CoV-2 among individuals, and underlie the development of autoimmune conditions following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

NLRC4-mediated activation of CD1c+ DC contributes to perpetuation of synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis.

The individual contribution of specific myeloid subsets such as CD1c+ conventional DC (cDC) to perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathology remains unclear. In addition, the specific innate sensors driving pathogenic activation of CD1c+ cDC in patients with RA and their functional implications have not been characterized. Here, we assessed phenotypical, transcriptional, and functional characteristics of CD1c+ and CD141+ cDC and monocytes from the blood and synovial fluid of patients with RA. Increased levels of CCR2 and the IgG receptor CD64 on circulating CD1c+ cDC was associated with the presence of this DC subset in the synovial membrane in patients with RA. Moreover, synovial CD1c+ cDC are characterized by increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and high abilities to induce pathogenic IFN-γ+IL-17+CD4+ T cells in vitro. Finally, we identified the crosstalk between Fcγ receptors and NLRC4 as a potential molecular mechanism mediating pathogenic activation, CD64 upregulation, and functional specialization of CD1c+ cDC in response to dsDNA-IgG in patients with RA.

Antiretroviral therapy duration and immunometabolic state determine efficacy of ex vivo dendritic cell-based treatment restoring functional HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in people living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of CD8+ T cells in people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has restricted the efficacy of dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapies against HIV-1. Heterogeneous immune exhaustion and metabolic states of CD8+ T cells might differentially associate with dysfunction. However, specific parameters associated to functional restoration of CD8+ T cells after DC treatment have not been investigated. METHODS: We studied association of restoration of functional HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses after stimulation with Gag-adjuvant-primed DC with ART duration, exhaustion, metabolic and memory cell subsets profiles. FINDINGS: HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses from a larger proportion of PLWH on long-term ART (more than 10 years; LT-ARTp) improved polyfunctionality and capacity to eliminate autologous p24+ infected CD4+ T cells in vitro. In contrast, functional improvement of CD8+ T cells from PLWH on short-term ART (less than a decade; ST-ARTp) after DC treatment was limited. This was associated with lower frequencies of central memory CD8+ T cells, increased co-expression of PD1 and TIGIT and reduced mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis induction upon TCR activation. In contrast, CD8+ T cells from LT-ARTp showed increased frequencies of TIM3+ PD1- cells and preserved induction of glycolysis. Treatment of dysfunctional CD8+ T cells from ST-ARTp with combined anti-PD1 and anti-TIGIT antibodies plus a glycolysis promoting drug restored their ability to eliminate infected CD4+ T cells. INTERPRETATION: Together, our study identifies specific immunometabolic parameters for different PLWH subgroups potentially useful for future personalized DC-based HIV-1 vaccines. FUNDING: NIH (R21AI140930), MINECO/FEDER RETOS (RTI2018-097485-A-I00) and CIBERINF grants.