Systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by a distinct peripheral T helper cell profile.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by multiple clinical manifestations. Vasculopathy is a main disease hallmark and ranges in severity from an exacerbated Raynaud phenomenon to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The potential involvement of immune system in SSc associated vascular abnormalities is not clear. Here, we set out to study SSc-related immune parameters and determine whether and which peripheral T cell subsets associate with vascular severity in SSc patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood and clinical data were collected from 30 SSc patients, 5 patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and 15 age and sex-matched healthy donors (HD). In this cross-sectional cohort SSc patients with PAH (n = 15) were matched for their age, sex and medication with SSc patients with no signs of PAH (n = 15). Lymphocyte subsets were quantified by multi-colour flow cytometry. RESULTS: SSc patients exhibited elevated percentages of T peripheral helper cells (Tph), CD4+GZMB+ T cells and decreased levels of Th1 cells compared with HD. Increased presence of both CD4+ and CD8+ exhausted-like (CD28-) T cells, characterized by raised cytokine and cytotoxic signature, was also observed in SSc compared with HD blood. Furthermore, IL-4 expressing CD4+CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in SSc peripheral blood. Interestingly, the presence of PAH in SSc was accompanied by a distinct T helper profile, characterized by raised percentages of Th17 and Tph cells. CONCLUSION: SSc patients with severe vasculopathy (presence of PAH) exhibited a distinct T cell profile, suggesting for a potential role of auto-immune inflammation in SSc vascular complications.

Alendronate modulates cytokine responses in healthy young individuals after BCG vaccination.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination induces memory characteristics in innate immune cells and their progenitors, a process called trained immunity mediated by epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming. Cholesterol synthesis plays an amplifying role in trained immunity through mevalonate release. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs), such as alendronate, can inhibit cholesterol synthesis. We explored their effects on trained immunity induced by BCG in a placebo-controlled clinical study (NL74082.091.20) in young, healthy individuals. Participants receiving single-dose oral alendronate on the day of BCG vaccination had more neutrophils and plasma cells one month after treatment. Alendronate led to reduced proinflammatory cytokine production by PBMCs stimulated with heterologous bacterial and viral stimuli one month later. Furthermore, the addition of alendronate transcriptionally suppressed multiple immune response pathways in PBMCs upon stimulation. Our findings indicate that N-BPs modulate the long-lasting effects of BCG vaccination on the cytokine production capacity of innate immune cells.

IL-6 and TNF are Potential Inflammatory Biomarkers in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy.

Background: FSHD is a highly prevalent inherited myopathy with a still poorly understood pathology. Objective: To investigate whether proinflammatory cytokines are associated with FSHD and which specific innate immune cells are involved in its pathology. Methods: First, we measured circulating cytokines in serum samples: IL-6 (FSHD, n = 150; HC, n = 98); TNF (FSHD, n = 150; HC, n = 59); IL-1α (FSHD, n = 150; HC, n = 66); IL-1ß (FSHD, n = 150; HC, n = 98); MCP-1 (FSHD, n = 14; HC, n = 14); VEGF-A (FSHD, n = 14; HC, n = 14). Second, we tested trained immunity in monocytes (FSHD, n = 15; HC, n = 15) and NK cells (FSHD, n = 11; HC, n = 11). Next, we explored the cytokine production capacity of NK cells in response to different stimuli (FSHD, n = 39; HC, n = 22). Lastly, we evaluated the cytokine production of ex vivo stimulated MRI guided inflamed (TIRM+) and paired MRI guided non inflamed (TIRM-) muscle biopsies of 21 patients and of 8 HC muscle biopsies. Results: We included a total of 190 FSHD patients (N = 190, 48±14 years, 49% men) and of 135 HC (N = 135, 44±15 years, 47% men). We found that FSHD patients had higher concentrations of IL-6 and TNF measured (a) in the circulation, (b) after ex-vivo stimulation of NK cells, and (c) in muscle specimens. Besides, IL-6 circulating concentrations, as well as its production by NK cells and IL-6 content of FSHD muscle specimens, showed a mild correlation with disease duration, disease severity, and muscle weakness. Conclusion: These results show that IL-6 and TNF may contribute to FSHD pathology and suggest novel therapeutic targets. Additionally, the activation of NK cells in FSHD may be a novel pathway contributing to FSHD pathology.

Multi-omics analysis of innate and adaptive responses to BCG vaccination reveals epigenetic cell states that predict trained immunity.

Immune responses are tightly regulated yet highly variable between individuals. To investigate human population variation of trained immunity, we immunized healthy individuals with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). This live-attenuated vaccine induces not only an adaptive immune response against tuberculosis but also triggers innate immune activation and memory that are indicative of trained immunity. We established personal immune profiles and chromatin accessibility maps over a 90-day time course of BCG vaccination in 323 individuals. Our analysis uncovered genetic and epigenetic predictors of baseline immunity and immune response. BCG vaccination enhanced the innate immune response specifically in individuals with a dormant immune state at baseline, rather than providing a general boost of innate immunity. This study advances our understanding of BCG's heterologous immune-stimulatory effects and trained immunity in humans. Furthermore, it highlights the value of epigenetic cell states for connecting immune function with genotype and the environment.

BCG vaccination-induced acquired control of mycobacterial growth differs from growth control preexisting to BCG vaccination.

Bacillus Calmette-Guèrin - vaccination induces not only protection in infants and young children against severe forms of tuberculosis, but also against non-tuberculosis related all-cause mortality. To delineate different factors influencing mycobacterial growth control, here we first investigate the effects of BCG-vaccination in healthy Dutch adults. About a quarter of individuals already control BCG-growth prior to vaccination, whereas a quarter of the vaccinees acquires the capacity to control BCG upon vaccination. This leaves half of the population incapable to control BCG-growth. Single cell RNA sequencing identifies multiple processes associated with mycobacterial growth control. These data suggest (i) that already controllers employ different mechanisms to control BCG-growth than acquired controllers, and (ii) that half of the individuals fail to develop measurable growth control irrespective of BCG-vaccination. These results shed important new light on the variable immune responses to mycobacteria in humans and may impact on improved vaccination against tuberculosis and other diseases.

Kinetics of Inflammatory Mediators in the Immune Response to Burn Injury: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies.

Burns are often accompanied by a dysfunctional immune response, which can lead to systemic inflammation, shock, and excessive scarring. The objective of this study was to provide insight into inflammatory pathways associated with burn-related complications. Because detailed information on the various inflammatory mediators is scattered over individual studies, we systematically reviewed animal experimental data for all reported inflammatory mediators. Meta-analyses of 352 studies revealed a strong increase in cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, particularly 19 mediators in blood and 12 in burn tissue. Temporal kinetics showed long-lasting surges of proinflammatory cytokines in blood and burn tissue. Significant time-dependent effects were seen for IL-1ß, IL-6, TGF-ß1, and CCL2. The response of anti-inflammatory mediators was limited. Burn technique had a profound impact on systemic response levels. Large burn size and scalds further increased systemic, but not local inflammation. Animal characteristics greatly affected inflammation, for example, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were highest in young, male rats. Time-dependent effects and dissimilarities in response demonstrate the importance of appropriate study design. Collectively, this review presents a general overview of the burn-induced immune response exposing inflammatory pathways that could be targeted through immunotherapy for burn patients and provides guidance for experimental set-ups to advance burn research.

11-deoxycortisol positively correlates with T cell immune traits in physiological conditions.

BACKGROUND: Endogenous steroid hormones have significant effects on inflammatory and immune processes, but the immunological activities of steroidogenesis precursors remain largely unexplored. METHODS: We conducted a systematic approach to examine the association between steroid hormones profile and immune traits in a cohort of 534 healthy volunteers. Serum concentrations of steroid hormones and their precursors (cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, 11-deoxycortisol and 17-OH progesterone) were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Immune traits were evaluated by quantifying cellular composition of the circulating immune system and ex vivo cytokine responses elicited by major human pathogens and microbial ligands. An independent cohort of 321 individuals was used for validation, followed by in vitro validation experiments. FINDINGS: We observed a positive association between 11-deoxycortisol and lymphoid cellular subsets numbers and function (especially IL-17 response). The association with lymphoid cellularity was validated in an independent validation cohort. In vitro experiments showed that, as compared to androstenedione and 17-OH progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol promoted T cell proliferation and Candida-induced Th17 polarization at physiologically relevant concentrations. Functionally, 11-deoxycortisol-treated T cells displayed a more activated phenotype (PD-L1high CD25high CD62Llow CD127low) in response to CD3/CD28 co-stimulation, and downregulated expression of T-bet nuclear transcription factor. INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest a positive association between 11-deoxycortisol and T-cell function under physiological conditions. Further investigation is needed to explore the potential mechanisms and clinical implications. FUNDING: Found in acknowledgements.

CD7 activation regulates cytotoxicity-driven pathology in systemic sclerosis, yielding a target for selective cell depletion.

OBJECTIVES: Cytotoxic T cells and natural killer (NK) cells are central effector cells in cancer and infections. Their effector response is regulated by activating and inhibitory receptors. The regulation of these cells in systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc) is less defined. METHODS: We conducted ex vivo analysis of affected skin and blood samples from 4 SSc patient cohorts (a total of 165 SSc vs 80 healthy individuals) using single-cell transcriptomics, flow cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence staining. We further analysed the effects of costimulatory modulation in functional assays, and in a severely affected SSc patient who was treated on compassionate use with a novel anti-CD3/CD7 immunotoxin treatment. RESULTS: Here, we show that SSc-affected skin contains elevated numbers of proliferating T cells, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells. These cells selectively express the costimulatory molecule CD7 in association with cytotoxic, proinflammatory and profibrotic genes, especially in recent-onset and severe disease. We demonstrate that CD7 regulates the cytolytic activity of T cells and NK cells and that selective depletion of CD7+ cells prevents cytotoxic cell-induced fibroblast contraction and inhibits their profibrotic phenotype. Finally, anti-CD3/CD7 directed depletive treatment eliminated CD7+ skin cells and stabilised disease manifestations in a severely affected SSc patient. CONCLUSION: Together, the findings imply costimulatory molecules as key regulators of cytotoxicity-driven pathology in systemic autoimmune disease, yielding CD7 as a novel target for selective depletion of pathogenic cells.

Severe Immune-Related Enteritis after In Utero Exposure to Pembrolizumab.

Immune checkpoint blockade has become standard treatment for many types of cancer. Such therapy is indicated most often in patients with advanced or metastatic disease but has been increasingly used as adjuvant therapy in those with early-stage disease. Adverse events include immune-related organ inflammation resembling autoimmune diseases. We describe a case of severe immune-related gastroenterocolitis in a 4-month-old infant who presented with intractable diarrhea and failure to thrive after in utero exposure to pembrolizumab. Known causes of the symptoms were ruled out, and the diagnosis of pembrolizumab-induced immune-related gastroenterocolitis was supported by the results of histopathological assays, immunophenotyping, and analysis of the level of antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). The infant's condition was successfully treated with prednisolone and infliximab.

Monocytes and T cells incorporated in full skin equivalents to study innate or adaptive immune reactions after burn injury.

Introduction: Thermal injury often leads to prolonged and excessive inflammation, which hinders the recovery of patients. There is a notable absence of suitable animal-free models for investigating the inflammatory processes following burn injuries, thereby impeding the development of more effective therapies to improve burn wound healing in patients. Methods: In this study, we established a human full skin equivalent (FSE) burn wound model and incorporated human peripheral blood-derived monocytes and T cells. Results: Upon infiltration into the FSEs, the monocytes differentiated into macrophages within a span of 7 days. Burn-injured FSEs exhibited macrophages with increased expression of HLA-DR+ and elevated production of IL-8 (CXCL8), in comparison to uninjured FSEs. Among the T cells that actively migrated into the FSEs, the majority were CD4+ and CD25+. These T cells demonstrated augmented expression of markers associated with regulatory T cell, Th1, or Th17 activity, which coincided with significant heightened cytokine production, including IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IP-10 (CXCL10), and TGF-ß1. Burn injury did not impact the studied effector T cell subsets or cytokine levels. Discussion: Collectively, this study represents a significant advancement in the development of an immunocompetent human skin model, specifically tailored for investigating burn-induced innate or adaptive immune reactions at the site of burn injury.

Nailfold capillaroscopy and candidate-biomarker levels in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Pulmonary hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in systemic sclerosis. Early detection and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis is crucial. Nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy, vascular autoantibodies AT1R and ETAR, and several candidate-biomarkers have the potential to serve as noninvasive tools to identify systemic sclerosis patients at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension. Here, we explore the classifying potential of nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics and serum levels of selected candidate-biomarkers in a sample of systemic sclerosis patients with and without different forms of pulmonary hypertension. Methods: A total of 81 consecutive systemic sclerosis patients were included, 40 with systemic sclerosis pulmonary hypertension and 41 with no pulmonary hypertension. In each group, quantitative and qualitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, vascular autoantibodies AT1R and ETAR, and serum levels of 24 soluble serum factors were determined. For evaluation of the nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, linear regression analysis accounting for age, sex, and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide percentage predicted was used. Autoantibodies and soluble serum factor levels were compared using two-sample t test with equal variances. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in quantitative or qualitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, or vascular autoantibody ETAR and AT1R titer between systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension and systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension. In contrast, several serum levels of soluble factors differed between groups: Endostatin, sVCAM, and VEGFD were increased, and CXCL4, sVEGFR2, and PDGF-AB/BB were decreased in systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension. Random forest classification identified Endostatin and CXCL4 as the most predictive classifiers to distinguish systemic sclerosispulmonary hypertension from systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension. Conclusion: This study shows the potential for several soluble serum factors to distinguish systemic sclerosis-pulmonary hypertension from systemic sclerosis-no pulmonary hypertension. We found no classifying potential for qualitative or quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy characteristics, or vascular autoantibodies.

Evidence-based rationale for low dose nivolumab in critically ill patients with sepsis-induced immunosuppression.

A substantial part of critically ill patients suffer from sepsis-induced immunosuppression. Reversal of immunosuppression through PD-1 checkpoint inhibition has been proposed as a treatment strategy to overcome immunosuppression in these patients. The PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab, currently used in treatment of cancer, has been evaluated in phase I/II studies in patients with sepsis, demonstrating tolerability and signs of clinical efficacy. No proper dose finding was performed in these studies and, after a single high dose of 480 mg or 960 mg nivolumab, PD-1 inhibition persisted beyond 90 days in the majority of cases. As the duration of sepsis is ~7-10 days, prolonged PD-1 inhibition may unnecessarily induce longer-term immune-related side effects. Based on previously published pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data of nivolumab, a thorough in silico dose finding study for nivolumab in critically ill patients was performed. We found that volume of distribution and clearance of nivolumab were not higher in patients with sepsis compared to the cancer population for which nivolumab is currently approved and showed profound variability. We found that with a single dose of 20 mg nivolumab, the PD-1 receptor occupancy is predicted to stay above the 90% threshold for a median of 23 days (90% prediction interval of 7-78 days). We propose to investigate this dose in critically ill patients as a potential safe and cost-effective pharmacotherapeutic intervention to treat sepsis-induced immunosuppression.

Burn-injured skin is marked by a prolonged local acute inflammatory response of innate immune cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The systemic and local immune response in burn patients is often extreme and derailed. As excessive inflammation can damage healthy tissues and slow down the healing process, modulation of inflammatory responses could limit complications and improve recovery. Due to its complexity, more detailed information on the immune effects of thermal injury is needed to improve patient outcomes. We therefore characterized and quantified subsets of immune cells and mediators present in human burn wound tissue (eschar), sampled at various time points. This study shows that after burn injury, the number of immune cells were persistently increased, unlike the normal wound healing process. There was an immediate, strong increase in neutrophils and a moderate increase in monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes, especially in the second and third week post burn. The percentage of classical (CD14highCD16-) monocytes/macrophages demonstrated a steady decrease over time, whereas the proportion of intermediate (CD14highCD16+) monocytes/macrophages slowly increased. The absolute numbers of T cells, NK cells and B cells increased up to week 3, while the fraction of γδ T cells was increased only in week 1. Secretome profiling revealed high levels of chemokines and an overall pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu in burn tissue. The local burn immune response shows similarities to the systemic immune reaction, but differs in neutrophil maturity and lymphocyte composition. Altogether, the neutrophil surges, high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and limited immunosuppression might be key factors that prolong the inflammation phase and delay the wound healing process in burns.

ImmUniverse Consortium: Multi-omics integrative approach in personalized medicine for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a heterogeneous group of debilitating, multifactorial and unrelated conditions featured by a dysregulated immune response leading to destructive chronic inflammation. The immune dysregulation can affect various organ systems: gut (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease), joints (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), skin (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis), resulting in significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, increased risk for comorbidities, and premature death. As there are no reliable disease progression and therapy response biomarkers currently available, it is very hard to predict how the disease will develop and which treatments will be effective in a given patient. In addition, a considerable proportion of patients do not respond sufficiently to the treatment. ImmUniverse is a large collaborative consortium of 27 partners funded by the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI), which is sponsored by the European Union (Horizon 2020) and in-kind contributions of participating pharmaceutical companies within the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). ImmUniverse aims to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying two immune-mediated diseases, ulcerative colitis (UC) and atopic dermatitis (AD), by pursuing an integrative multi-omics approach. As a consequence of the heterogeneity among IMIDs patients, a comprehensive, evidence-based identification of novel biomarkers is necessary to enable appropriate patient stratification that would account for the inter-individual differences in disease severity, drug efficacy, side effects or prognosis. This would guide clinicians in the management of patients and represent a major step towards personalized medicine. ImmUniverse will combine the existing and novel advanced technologies, including multi-omics, to characterize both the tissue microenvironment and blood. This comprehensive, systems biology-oriented approach will allow for identification and validation of tissue and circulating biomarker signatures as well as mechanistic principles, which will provide information about disease severity and future disease progression. This truly makes the ImmUniverse Consortium an unparalleled approach.

Trio-based whole exome sequencing in patients with suspected sporadic inborn errors of immunity: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: De novo variants (DNVs) are currently not routinely evaluated as part of diagnostic whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis in patients with suspected inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Methods: This study explored the potential added value of systematic assessment of DNVs in a retrospective cohort of 123 patients with a suspected sporadic IEI that underwent patient-parent trio-based WES. Results: A (likely) molecular diagnosis for (part) of the immunological phenotype was achieved in 12 patients with the diagnostic in silico IEI WES gene panel. Systematic evaluation of rare, non-synonymous DNVs in coding or splice site regions led to the identification of 14 candidate DNVs in genes with an annotated immune function. DNVs were found in IEI genes (NLRP3 and RELA) and in potentially novel candidate genes, including PSMB10, DDX1, KMT2C, and FBXW11. The FBXW11 canonical splice site DNV was shown to lead to defective RNA splicing, increased NF-κB p65 signalling, and elevated IL-1ß production in primary immune cells extracted from the patient with autoinflammatory disease. Conclusions: Our findings in this retrospective cohort study advocate the implementation of trio-based sequencing in routine diagnostics of patients with sporadic IEI. Furthermore, we provide functional evidence supporting a causal role for FBXW11 loss-of-function mutations in autoinflammatory disease. Funding: This research was supported by grants from the European Union, ZonMW and the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences.

Targeted plasma proteomics reveals upregulation of distinct inflammatory pathways in people living with HIV.

Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART), people living with HIV (PLHIV) display persistent inflammation leading to non-AIDS-related co-morbidities. To better understand underlying mechanisms, we compared targeted plasma inflammatory protein concentration (n = 92) between a cohort of 192 virally suppressed PLHIV, who were followed-up for five years, and 416 healthy controls (HC). Findings were validated in an independent cohort of 649 virally suppressed PLHIV and 98 HC. Compared to HC, PLHIV exhibited distinctively upregulated inflammatory proteins, including mucosal defense chemokines, CCR5 and CXCR3 ligands, and growth factors. Unsupervised clustering of inflammatory proteins clearly differentiated PLHIV with low (n = 123) and high inflammation (n = 65), the latter having a 3.4 relative risk (95% confidence interval 1.2-9.8) to develop malignancies and trend for cardiovascular events during a 5-year follow-up. The best protein predictors discriminating the two inflammatory endotypes were PD-L1, VEGFA, LAP TGF ß-1, and TNFRSF9. Our data provide insights into co-morbidities associated inflammatory changes in PLHIV on long-term ART.

People with HIV have higher percentages of circulating CCR5+ CD8+ T cells and lower percentages of CCR5+ regulatory T cells.

CCR5 is the main HIV co-receptor. We aimed to (1) compare CCR5 expression on immune cells between people living with HIV (PLHIV) using combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and HIV-uninfected controls, (2) relate CCR5 expression to viral reservoir size and (3) assess determinants of CCR5 expression. This cross-sectional study included 209 PLHIV and 323 controls. Percentages of CCR5+ cells (%) and CCR5 mean fluorescence intensity assessed by flow cytometry in monocytes and lymphocyte subsets were correlated to host factors, HIV-1 cell-associated (CA)-RNA and CA-DNA, plasma inflammation markers and metabolites. Metabolic pathways were identified. PLHIV displayed higher percentages of CCR5+ monocytes and several CD8+ T cell subsets, but lower percentages of CCR5+ naive CD4+ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs). HIV-1 CA-DNA and CA-RNA correlated positively with percentages of CCR5+ lymphocytes. Metabolome analysis revealed three pathways involved in energy metabolism associated with percentage of CCR5+ CD8+ T cells in PLHIV. Our results indicate that CCR5 is differently expressed on various circulating immune cells in PLHIV. Hence, cell-trafficking of CD8+ T cells and Tregs may be altered in PLHIV. Associations between energy pathways and percentage of CCR5+ CD8+ T cells in PLHIV suggest higher energy demand of these cells in PLHIV.

Immunological Effects of Anti‒IL-17/12/23 Therapy in Patients with Psoriasis Complicated by Candida Infections.

Biologics that block the T helper (Th) 17 pathway are very effective in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases. However, IL-17 is also crucial for antifungal host defense, and clinical trial data suggest an increase in the incidence of Candida infections during IL-17 inhibitor (IL-17i) therapy. We investigated the innate and adaptive immune responses of patients with psoriasis with a history of skin and/or mucosal candidiasis during IL-17i or IL-12/23 inhibitor therapy, comparing those responses with those of healthy controls. Patients with psoriasis with IL-17i showed significantly lower CD4+Th1-like (CCR6‒CXCR3+CCR4‒) and Th1 Th17-like (CD4+CCR6+CXCR3+CCR4‒) cell percentages. Patient cells stimulated with Candida albicans produced significantly lower IL-6 in the IL-12/23 inhibitor group and IL-1ß in the IL-17i group, whereas the release of TNF-α and ROS was similar between patients and controls. IFN-γ and IL-10 production in response to several stimuli after 7 days was particularly decreased in patients receiving IL-17i therapy. Finally, after stimulation with the polarizing cytokines IL-1ß and IL-23, the Th17 cytokine response was significantly lower in the IL-17i patient group. These innate and adaptive immune response defects can diminish antifungal host immune response and thereby increase susceptibility to candidiasis in patients treated with IL-17i or IL-12/23 inhibitor.

Comprehensive phenotyping of circulating immune cell subsets in people living with HIV.

Systemic chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction are recognized as drivers of the development of non-AIDS related comorbidities (NARCs) in people living with HIV (PLHIV). In order to lower the risk of NARCs, it is critical to elucidate what is the contribution of alterations in the composition and function of circulating immune cells to NARCs-related pathogenesis. Findings from previous immunophenotyping studies in PLHIV are highly heterogeneous and it is not fully understood to what extent phenotypic changes on immune cells play a role in the dysregulated inflammatory response observed. In this study, three flow cytometry panels were designed and standardized to phenotypically and functionally identify the main circulating immune cell subsets in PLHIV. To reduce variability, up to 10 markers out of the approximately 20 markers in each panel were used in a custom dry format DURA Innovations (LUCID product line). Intra-assay precision tests performed for the selected cell subsets showed that the three panels had a %CV below 18% for percent of positive cells and the MFI (mean fluorescent intensity) of lineage markers. Our reported pipeline for immunophenotypic analysis facilitated the discrimination of 1153 cell populations, providing an integrated overview of circulating innate and adaptative immune cells as well as the cells' functional status in terms of activation, exhaustion, and maturation. When combined with unsupervised computational techniques, this standardized immunophenotyping approach may support the discovery of novel phenotypes with clinical relevance in NARCs and demonstrate future utility in other immune-mediated diseases.

Mature neutrophils and a NF-κB-to-IFN transition determine the unifying disease recovery dynamics in COVID-19.

Disease recovery dynamics are often difficult to assess, as patients display heterogeneous recovery courses. To model recovery dynamics, exemplified by severe COVID-19, we apply a computational scheme on longitudinally sampled blood transcriptomes, generating recovery states, which we then link to cellular and molecular mechanisms, presenting a framework for studying the kinetics of recovery compared with non-recovery over time and long-term effects of the disease. Specifically, a decrease in mature neutrophils is the strongest cellular effect during recovery, with direct implications on disease outcome. Furthermore, we present strong indications for global regulatory changes in gene programs, decoupled from cell compositional changes, including an early rise in T cell activation and differentiation, resulting in immune rebalancing between interferon and NF-κB activity and restoration of cell homeostasis. Overall, we present a clinically relevant computational framework for modeling disease recovery, paving the way for future studies of the recovery dynamics in other diseases and tissues.