The deficiency of DNASE1L3 does not affect systemic sclerosis pathogenesis in two inducible murine models of the disease.

We induced systemic sclerosis (SSc)-like disease in both wild-type and Dnase1l3-deficient mice using two distinct approaches involving bleomycin and hypochlorous acid injections. Our observations revealed that the deficiency in DNASE1L3 did not affect tissue fibrosis or inflammation caused by these treatments. Despite the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in humans with SSc pathogenesis, our study demonstrates that DNASE1L3 is dispensable in two inducible murine models of SSc-like pathogenesis.

Human NLRC4 promotes cancer survival and is associated to type-I interferon signaling and immune infiltration.

The immune system can control cancer progression. However, even though some innate immune sensors of cellular stress are expressed intrinsically in epithelial cells, their potential role in cancer aggressiveness and subsequent overall survival in humans is mainly unknown. Here, we show that NLR family CARD Domain Containing 4 (NLRC4) is downregulated in epithelial tumor cells of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients by using spatial tissue imaging. Strikingly, only the loss of tumor NLRC4 but not stromal is associated with poor immune infiltration (mainly dendritic and CD4+/CD8+ T cells) and accurately predicts progression to metastatic Stage IV and decrease of overall survival. By combining multi-omics approaches, we show that restoring NLRC4 expression in human colorectal cancer cells triggers a broad inflammasome-independent immune reprogramming consisting of Type-I IFN signaling genes and the release of chemokines and myeloid growth factors involved in the tumor infiltration and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) and T cells. Consistently, such reprogramming in cancer cells is sufficient to directly mature human DCs towards a Th1 antitumor immune response through IL-12 production in vitro. In multiple human carcinomas (colorectal, lung, and skin), we confirmed that NLRC4 expression in patient tumors is strongly associated with Type-I IFN genes, immune infiltrates and high microsatellite instability. Thus, we shed light on the epithelial innate immune sensor NLRC4 as a novel therapeutic target to promote an efficient antitumor immune response against the aggressiveness of various carcinomas.

Systematic Aetiological Assessment of Myocarditis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Myocarditis is commonly diagnosed in the intensive care cardiology unit (ICCU). No current recommendation nor guideline aids exist for aetiological assessments. METHODS: From September 2021 to October 2023, 84 patients with acute myocarditis underwent thorough and systematic serum and blood cell panel evaluations to determine the most common causes of myocarditis. RESULTS: Of the 84 patients (median age 34 years, range 22-41 years, 79% male), 16 presented with complicated myocarditis. The systematic aetiological assessment revealed that 36% of patients were positive for lupus anticoagulant, 12% for antinuclear antibodies, 8% for anti-heart antibodies, and 12% for anti-striated muscle antibodies. Viral serology did not yield any significant results. After the aetiological assessment, one patient was diagnosed with an autoimmune inflammatory disorder (Still's disease). T-cell subset analyses indicated that myocarditis severity tended to increase with the T-cell lymphopenia status. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, systematic aetiological assessment was of limited value in terms of predicting the clinical or therapeutic outcomes in myocarditis patients presenting to the ICCU.

Influence of Splenomegaly and Splenectomy on the Immune Cell Profile of Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disease.

PURPOSE: About 25% of patients with common variable immunodeficiency disease (CVID) have splenomegaly, necessitating sometimes splenectomy whom consequences on the immunological profile of CVID patients have never been studied. We analyzed 11 CVID patients' comprehensive blood immune cell phenotypes pre- and post-splenectomy. METHODS: Flow cytometry analyses of immune cell populations. RESULTS: Among 89 CVID cohort patients, 41 with splenomegaly, splenomegaly was strongly associated with granulomatous disease, autoimmune disorders, lymphoid hyperplasia, and/or portal hypertension. CVID patients with splenomegaly have significant peripheral lymphopenia (p = 0.001), and significantly fewer peripheral class-switched memory B cells (smBs) (p = 0.001), CD4+ T lymphocytes (p = 0.001), NK (p = 0.0001) and dendritic cells (p ≤ 0.01), and significantly more circulating CD4+ and CD8+ (p = 0.00001) T cell subset activation (p = 0.00005), than CVID patients without splenomegaly. Examination of splenectomy impact on circulating lymphocyte subset distributions demonstrated the drastically enhanced total circulating lymphocyte count post-splenectomy, predominantly B lymphocytes and CD8+ T cells. However, splenectomy did not change B cell distribution, with smBs remaining persistently low, in contrast to complete inversion of the circulating T cell composition, with reversal of the CD4+/CD8+ ratio suggesting that amplification of the CD8+ T cell compartment is a CVID characteristic in patients with splenomegaly. Our results highlight this CD8+ amplification in CVID-splenomegaly patients that might be explained by a homing effect to the spleen and/or possible chronic virus replication, which in turn could induce T cell expansions. CONCLUSION: Splenectomizing CVID patients with splenomegaly restores the absolute circulating lymphocyte count, suggesting that the decreased T cell count in the presence of splenomegaly cannot be used as an exclusive criterion for combined immunodeficiency.

Anifrolumab: first biologic approved in the EU not restricted to patients with a high degree of disease activity for the treatment of moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus.

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 interferons (IFNs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and various type I IFNs targeting therapeutic approaches have been developed. Anifrolumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to the subunit 1 of the type I IFN receptor, has acquired considerable interest and has entered different clinical human trials willing to evaluate its efficacy and safety. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes the data obtained in phases 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials of anifrolumab for SLE patients. A focus is made on data of clinical efficacy and safety obtained in MUSE, TULIP-1 and TULIP-2 trials. EXPERT OPINION/COMMENTARY: Anifrolumab is a promising therapeutic option for patients with SLE, currently authorized for moderate-to-severe SLE. Extensive real-world use is now going to generate data required to gain experience on the type of patients who benefit the most from the drug, and the exact positioning of anifrolumab in the therapeutic plan.

STAT expression and TFH1 cells in CVID granulomatosis and sarcoidosis: immunological and histopathological comparisons.

Granulomatous disease is a serious complication of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID-GD) that occurs in 8-22% of these patients and can mimic sarcoidosis, with which it shares certain clinical, biological, and radiological features. However, few studies to date have compared the two pathologies immunologically and histologically. Therefore, we analyzed the immunological-histological findings for different tissue samples from ten patients with CVID-GD and compared them to those of biopsy-proven sarcoidosis. Specifically, we wanted to know whether or not the signaling abnormalities observed in sarcoidosis granulomas are also present in CVID-GD. Morphological differences were found between CVID-GD histology and classical sarcoidosis: mainly, the former's notable lymphoid hyperplasia associated with granulomas not observed in the latter. All CVID-GD involved organs contained several follicular helper-T (TFH) cells within the granulomatosis, while those cells were inconstantly and more weakly expressed in sarcoidosis. Moreover, CVID and sarcoidosis granulomas expressed the phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription (pSTAT)1 and pSTAT3 factors, regardless of the organ studied and without any significant difference between entities. Our results suggest that the macrophage-activation mechanism in CVID resembles that of sarcoidosis, thereby suggesting that Janus kinase (JAK)-STAT-pathway blockade might be useful in currently difficult-to-treat CVID-GD.

Clusterin Neutralizes the Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Properties of Extracellular Histones in Sepsis.

Rationale: Extracellular histones, released into the surrounding environment during extensive cell death, promote inflammation and cell death, and these deleterious roles have been well documented in sepsis. Clusterin (CLU) is a ubiquitous extracellular protein that chaperones misfolded proteins and promotes their removal. Objectives: We investigated whether CLU could protect against the deleterious properties of histones. Methods: We assessed CLU and histone expression in patients with sepsis and evaluated the protective role of CLU against histones in in vitro assays and in vivo models of experimental sepsis. Measurements and Main Results: We show that CLU binds to circulating histones and reduces their inflammatory, thrombotic, and cytotoxic properties. We observed that plasma CLU levels decreased in patients with sepsis and that the decrease was greater and more durable in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Accordingly, CLU deficiency was associated with increased mortality in mouse models of sepsis and endotoxemia. Finally, CLU supplementation improved mouse survival in a sepsis model. Conclusions: This study identifies CLU as a central endogenous histone-neutralizing molecule and suggests that, in pathologies with extensive cell death, CLU supplementation may improve disease tolerance and host survival.

Assessment of circulating blood lymphocytes in adult patients on rituximab to treat immune thrombocytopenia: Circulating number of NK cells is associated with the response at 6 months.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is defined by a low platelet count that can trigger potentially life-threatening haemorrhages. Three-quarters of adult patients exhibit persistent or chronic disease and require second-line treatments. Among these, rituximab, an anti-CD20 antibody, has yielded valuable results, with global responses in 60% of patients at 6 months and complete responses in 30% at 5 years. Factors predictive of response to ITP therapy would help physicians choose optimal treatments. We retrospectively analysed clinical courses, biological markers and blood lymphocyte subset numbers of 72 patients on rituximab to treat persistent/chronic ITP followed-up in our department between 2007 and 2021, divided into three groups according to the platelet count at 6 months: complete, partial or no response. Among all studied parameters, a low number of CD3- CD16+ CD56+ circulating NK cells was associated with the complete response to rituximab. We also found that, after rituximab therapy, complete responders exhibited increased NK and decreased activated CD8+ T cell percentages. These results emphasize that the role played by NK cells in ITP remains incompletely known but that factors predictive of response to rituximab can be easily derived using blood lymphocyte subset data.

Elevated levels of circulatory follicular T helper cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia contribute to B cell expansion.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by an expansion of mature B cells in the bone marrow, peripheral lymphoid organs, and blood. CD4 T helper (Th) lymphocytes significantly contribute to the physiopathology of CLL, but the subset(s) of Th cell involved in CLL pathogenesis is (are) still under debate. In this study, we performed flow cytometry analysis of the circulatory T cells of untreated CLL patients and observed an increase in follicular helper T cells (Tfh), which is a subset of T cells specialized in B cell help. Elevated numbers of Tfh cells correlated with disease severity as measured by the Binet staging system. Tfh from CLL patients were activated and skewed toward a Th1 profile as evidenced by their PD-1+IL-21+IFNγ+ phenotype and their CXCR3+CCR6- chemokine receptor profile. Tfh efficiently enhanced B-CLL survival and proliferation through IL-21 but independently of IFNγ. Finally, we observed an inverse correlation between the Tfh1 and IgA and IgG serum levels in patients, suggesting a role for this Tfh subset in the immune dysfunction associated with CLL. Altogether, our data highlight an impairment in circulatory Tfh subsets in CLL patients and their critical role in CLL physiopathology.

Correction: The Naturally Processed CD95L Elicits a c-Yes/Calcium/PI3K-Driven Cell Migration Pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001090.].

The role of platelets in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are characterized by excessive and uncontrolled inflammation and thrombosis, both of which are responsible for organ damage, morbidity and death. Platelets have long been known for their role in primary haemostasis, but they are now also considered to be components of the immune system and to have a central role in the pathogenesis of IMIDs. In patients with IMIDs, platelets are activated by disease-specific factors, and their activation often reflects disease activity. Here we summarize the evidence showing that activated platelets have an active role in the pathogenesis and the progression of IMIDs. Activated platelets produce soluble factors and directly interact with immune cells, thereby promoting an inflammatory phenotype. Furthermore, platelets participate in tissue injury and promote abnormal tissue healing, leading to fibrosis. Targeting platelet activation and targeting the interaction of platelets with the immune system are novel and promising therapeutic strategies in IMIDs.

Pilot study on accelerated aging in lupus using epigenetic biomarkers of age.

OBJECTIVE: Despite an important increase in lifespan over the last decades, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) still have to face a high morbi-mortality, particularly related to cardiovascular diseases, infections and cancers. Such events are more commonly found during old age in the general population, raising the hypothesis of an acceleration of the aging process in SLE patients. In this pilot study, we wanted to test the hypothesis that SLE would be associated with an accelerated biological aging measured by the epigenetic clocks models. METHODS: We applied DNA methylation-based biomarkers of age in publicly available datasets of SLE patients. For every SLE patient and control included in the dataset, we calculated their epigenetic age and a measure of epigenetic age acceleration, according to Horvath's epigenetic clock model. RESULTS: We included in our analysis two distinct DNA methylation datasets of 30 subjects (among which 15 with SLE) and 55 subjects (among which 30 with SLE), respectively. In both datasets, there was a statistically significant correlation between chronological age and epigenetic age. We did not observe any statistically significant difference in the measure of epigenetic age acceleration between SLE patients and controls. CONCLUSION: We did not observe any evidence of an accelerated biological aging in SLE patients, according to Horvath's epigenetic clock model.

Fas/CD95 Signaling Pathway in Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern (DAMP)-Sensing Receptors.

Study of the initial steps of the CD95-mediated signaling pathways is a field of intense research and a long list of actors has been described in the literature. Nonetheless, the dynamism of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) occurring in the presence or absence of its natural ligand, CD95L, and the cellular distribution where these PPIs take place render it difficult to predict what will be the cellular outcome associated with the receptor engagement. Accordingly, CD95 stimulation can trigger apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, or pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). Recent data suggest that CD95 can also activate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) known to sense damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as DNA debris and dead cells. This activation might contribute to the pro-inflammatory role of CD95 and favor cancer development or severity of chronic inflammatory and auto-immune disorders. Herein, we discuss some of the molecular links that might connect the CD95 signaling to DAMP sensors.

Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium and other sexually transmitted pathogens in male urethritis in a sexual health centre in New Caledonia.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is high in New Caledonia (NC), but there are no data on Mycoplasma genitalium (MG). However, the syndromic treatment of urethritis used in the territory includes a single dose of azithromycin, which could generate resistance in MG. METHODS: We recruited 217 men referred to the Noumea public medical centre (CMP) with signs of urethritis and meeting the inclusion criteria from May 2016 to March 2018. Each was tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and for the first time in NC for MG by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The prevalence of MG was 10.1% (22/217). Azithromycin resistance of MG (mutation in the 23S rRNA gene) could only be assessed for 10 of the 22 strains. Only one (1/10; 10%) was resistant. The prevalence of other STIs tested was high, as CT, NG and/or TV were associated in 77.3% (17/22) of MG-positive cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although co-infections further justify syndromic management, the presence of MG in NC urethritis cases could call treatment guidelines into question.

Central Nervous System Cryptococcosis in Patients With Sarcoidosis: Comparison With Non-sarcoidosis Patients and Review of Potential Pathophysiological Mechanisms.

Introduction: Cryptococcus spp. infection of the central nervous system (CINS) is a devastating opportunistic infection that was historically described in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cryptococcus spp. infections are also associated with sarcoidosis; the impairment of cell-mediated immunity and long-term corticosteroid therapy being evoked to explain this association. Nevertheless, this assertion is debated and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are still unknown. The aims of this study were (i) to describe the clinical and biological presentation, treatments, and outcomes of CINS patients with and without sarcoidosis and (ii) to review the pathophysiological evidence underlying this clinical association. Patients and Methods: Every patient with positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cryptococcal antigen testing, India ink preparation, and/or culture from January 2015 to December 2020 at a tertiary university hospital were included, and patients with sarcoidosis were compared with non-sarcoidosis patients. Quantitative variables are presented as mean ± SD and are compared using the Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Categorical variables are expressed as the number of patients (percentage) and compared using the χ2 or Fisher's tests. Results: During the study period, 16 patients experienced CINS, of whom 5 (31%) were associated with sarcoidosis. CINS symptoms, biological, and CSF features were similar between CINS patients with and without sarcoidosis except regarding CD4 cells percentages and CD4/CD8 ratio that was higher in those with sarcoidosis (47 ± 12 vs. 22 ± 18, p = 0.02 and 2.24 ± 1.42 vs. 0.83 ± 1.10, p = 0.03, respectively). CINS patients with sarcoidosis had less often positive blood antigen testing than those without sarcoidosis (2/5 vs. 11/11, p = 0.02). CINS patients with and without sarcoidosis were treated with similar drugs, but patients with sarcoidosis had a shorter length of treatment. CD4 cell levels do not seem to explain the association between sarcoidosis and cryptococcosis. Conclusion: Sarcoidosis was the most frequently associated condition with CINS in this study. CINS patients associated with sarcoidosis had overall similar clinical and biological presentation than CINS patients associated with other conditions but exhibited a lower rate of positive blood cryptococcal antigen testing and higher CD4/CD8 T cells ratio. Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood but B-1 cell deficiency or lack of IgM could be a part of the explanation. Another plausible mechanism is the presence of anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) antibodies in a subset of patients with sarcoidosis, which could impair macrophage phagocytic function. Further studies are strongly needed to better understand those mechanisms and to identify at-risk patients.

Interleukin-1ß-Activated Microvascular Endothelial Cells Promote DC-SIGN-Positive Alternatively Activated Macrophages as a Mechanism of Skin Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the role of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) in the generation of alternatively activated macrophages in the skin, and to explore their role in the development of skin fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma). METHODS: Conditioned medium prepared with MVECs purified from the skin of healthy donors and the skin of SSc patients was used to generate monocyte-derived macrophages. Flow cytometry, multiplex protein assessment, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and tissue immunofluorescence were used to characterize MVEC-induced polarization of alternatively activated macrophages. Coculture experiments were conducted to assess the role of MVEC-induced alternatively activated macrophages in fibroblast activation. Alternatively activated macrophages were characterized in the skin of healthy donors and SSc patients using multiparametric immunofluorescence and multiplex immunostaining for gene expression. Based on our in vitro data, we defined a supervised macrophage gene signature score to assess correlation between the macrophage score and clinical features in patients with SSc, using the Spearman's test. RESULTS: IL-1ß-activated MVECs from SSc patients induced monocytes to differentiate into DC-SIGN+ alternatively activated macrophages producing high levels of CCL18, CCL2, and CXCL8 but low levels of IL-10. DC-SIGN+ alternatively activated macrophages showed significant enhancing effects in promoting the production of proinflammatory fibroblasts and were found to be enriched in perivascular regions of the skin of SSc patients who had a high fibrosis severity score. A novel skin transcriptomic macrophage signature, defined from our in vitro findings, correlated with the extent of skin fibrosis (Spearman's r = 0.6, P = 0.0018) and was associated with early disease manifestations and lung involvement in patients with SSc. CONCLUSION: Our findings shed new light on the vicious circle implicating unabated IL-1ß secretion, MVEC activation, and the generation of DC-SIGN+ alternatively activated macrophages in the development of skin fibrosis in patients with SSc.

Eurolupus cyclophosphamide plus repeated pulses of methyl-prednisolone for the induction therapy of class III, IV and V lupus nephritis.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether adding repeated 125 mg methyl-prednisolone pulses (MP) to Eurolupus fortnightly intravenous cyclophosphamide (CYC) improves remission of lupus nephritis (LN) compared with recommended schedules. METHODS: Observational comparative study of patients with biopsy-confirmed class III, IV or V LN: 30 in the mycophenolate (MMF) group, 25 in the CYC group and 38 in the CYC-MP group. The main efficacy outcome was complete response at 12 months. RESULTS: Patients in the CYC-MP group received lower doses of prednisone within 6 months (mean 8.5 mg/d, vs. 15 mg/d in the MMF group vs. 24 mg/d in the CYC group, respectively). The complete response rates at 12 months were: CYC-MP 86%; CYC 56%; MMF 47% (p = 0.002) at Pr/Cr <0.5; CYC-MP 86%; CYC 65%; MMF 63% (p = 0.07) at Pr/Cr ≤0.7. The cumulative 12-month response rates for the CYC-MP, CYC and MMF groups were, respectively, 0.90, 0.58 and 0.63 (p = 0.004). In the adjusted Cox model, patients receiving CYC-MP were more likely to achieve complete response at Pr/Cr <0.5 than those in the MMF (HR vs. CYC-MP 0.33, 95%CI 0.16-0.65) and the CYC groups (HR vs. CYC-MP 0.47, 95%CI 0.21-1.04). Glucocorticoid-related toxicity was seen in 2.6% of the CYC-MP group, 24% of the CYC group and 20% of the MMF group (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The addition MP of 125 mg to each fortnightly dose of 500 mg of CYC improves response rates and reduces the need for oral glucocorticoids in patients with class III, IV and V LN.

TGFß promotes low IL10-producing ILC2 with profibrotic ability involved in skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Innate lymphoid cells-2 (ILC2) were shown to be involved in the development of lung or hepatic fibrosis. We sought to explore the functional and phenotypic heterogeneity of ILC2 in skin fibrosis within systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Blood samples and skin biopsies from healthy donor or patients with SSc were analysed by immunostaining techniques. The fibrotic role of sorted ILC2 was studied in vitro on dermal fibroblast and further explored by transcriptomic approach. Finally, the efficacy of a new treatment against fibrosis was assessed with a mouse model of SSc. RESULTS: We found that ILC2 numbers were increased in the skin of patients with SSc and correlated with the extent of skin fibrosis. In SSc skin, KLRG1- ILC2 (natural ILC2) were dominating over KLRG1+ ILC2 (inflammatory ILC2). The cytokine transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß), whose activity is increased in SSc, favoured the expansion of KLRG1- ILC2 simultaneously decreasing their production of interleukin 10 (IL10), which regulates negatively collagen production by dermal fibroblasts. TGFß-stimulated ILC2 also increased myofibroblast differentiation. Thus, human KLRG1- ILC2 had an enhanced profibrotic activity. In a mouse model of SSc, therapeutic intervention-combining pirfenidone with the administration of IL10 was required to reduce the numbers of skin infiltrating ILC2, enhancing their expression of KLRG1 and strongly alleviating skin fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a novel role for natural ILC2 and highlight their inter-relationships with TGFß and IL10 in the development of skin fibrosis, thereby opening up new therapeutic approaches in SSc.