nÃo hà / A ativaÃÃo das cÃlulas do sistema imunolÃgico à modulada atravÃs dos sinais acionados por uma diversidade de receptores de superfÃcie celular, incluindo os receptores ativadores, receptores coestimuladores e receptores inibidores. Receptores relacionados à molÃcula sinalizadora na ativaÃÃo do linfÃcito (SLAM) tÃm influÃncia na ativaÃÃo imunolÃgica celular. Neste trabalho, investigou-se a funÃÃo de SLAM na resposta imunolÃgica à Leishmania braziliensis, e se a resposta de indivÃduos alto (AP) ou baixo (BP) produtores de IFN-γ seria modulada pela via de sinalizaÃÃo SLAM. CÃlulas monocucleadas do sangue perifÃrico (CMSP) de 43 indivÃduos foram bloqueadas com α-SLAM, rIFN-γ, rIL-12 e fitohemaglutinina, apÃs estimulaÃÃo com L. brazilensis. Verificou-se que L. braziliensis promoveu uma significante reduÃÃo da expressÃo de SLAM nas cÃlulas T, com 120h de cultivo, possivelmente indicando ativaÃÃo desta via na resposta imunolÃgica inicial. A expressÃo de SLAM se comportou de modo diferenciado nos indivÃduos AP e BP. Nos indivÃduos BP, L. braziliensis nÃo alterou a expressÃo de SLAM nas cÃlulas T, na fase inicial da resposta imunolÃgica. O bloqueio da via de SLAM com α-SLAM reduziu significativamente a expressÃo desta proteÃna nos primeiros momentos da resposta imunolÃgica das CMSP estimuladas com L. braziliensis. O bloqueio com α-SLAM, avaliado com 120 horas, nÃo alterou a expressÃo de CD3+SLAM+, em ambos os grupos. As citocinas proinflamatÃrias, rIFN-γ e rIL-12, presentes no microambiente com L. braziliensis, reduziram a expressÃo de SLAM apenas em indivÃduos AP com 6h de sensibilizaÃÃo e nÃo modificaram esta resposta com 120h de cultivo, na presenÃa do antÃgeno. O bloqueio com α-SLAM, na concentraÃÃo de 10μg/ml, nÃo interferiu na produÃÃo das citocinas IFN-γ e IL-13, em ambos os grupos, entretanto aumentou de forma significativa a produÃÃo de IL-10 em indivÃduos AP. O bloqueio da via de SLAM associado à L. braziliensis e rIFN-γ nÃo modificou a produÃÃo de IFN-γ, IL-13 e IL-10. O bloqueio da via de SLAM associado à L. braziliensis e rIL-12 induziu aumento de IFN-γ, nos indivÃduos BP, e aumento de IL-13, nos indivÃduos AP. Os resultados deste trabalho sugerem que, na resposta in vitro de CMSP, sensibilizadas com L. braziliensis, a via de sinalizaÃÃo SLAM atua na modulaÃÃo da resposta Th1 em indivÃduos AP e induz uma condiÃÃo de imunossupressÃo temporÃria nos indivÃduos BP, nÃo descrita anteriormente na literatura. / Immune cells activation is modulated by balancing the signals triggered by a variety of cell surface receptors, including receptor activators, co-stimulating receptors and inhibitory receptors. Receptor-related signaling molecule in lymphocyte activation (SLAM) influences the immune cell activation. In this study we investigated the role of SLAM in immune response of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. braziliensis, as well as if the response of individuals high (HP) or low (LP) IFN-γ producers is modulated by SLAM signaling pathway. Peripheral blood monocuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from 43 health individuals were cultured in vitro with anti-SLAM, rIFN-γ, rIL-12 and phytohemagglutinin in the presence or in the absence of L. braziliensis. It was found that L. braziliensis promoted a significantly reduced SLAM expression in T cells, after 120 h of cultured, possibly indicating activation of this pathway in the initial immune response. SLAM expression behaved differently in HP and LP groups. In LP group, L. braziliensis did not modify SLAM expression in T cells in early immune response. The effect of anti-SLAM on SLAM pathway reduced the expression of this protein in the early stages of the immune response of PBMC stimulated with L. braziliensis. After 120 h the effect of anti-SLAM did not alter CD3+SLAM+ expression in both groups. The proinflammatory cytokines, rIFN-γ and rIL-12, present in the microenvironment with L. braziliensis, reduced SLAM expression only in HP group after 6 h of culture and did not change this response after 120 h. Anti-SLAM at a concentration of 10 μg/ml presented no effect on production of cytokines IFN-γ and IL-13 in both groups, but significantly increased IL-10 production in the HP group. Furthermore anti-SLAM associated with L. braziliensis and rIFN-γ simultaneously did not modify IFN-γ, IL-13 and IL-10 productions. Anti-SLAM associated with L. braziliensis and rIL-12 simultaneously induced an increase of IFN-γ in LP group, and increased IL-13 in HP group. These results suggest that in vitro immune response of PBMC exposed to L. braziliensis, the SLAM signaling pathway acts in modulating Th1 response in HP group and induces a condition of temporary immunosuppression in LP group, not previously described in literature.

Le système immunitaire se doit d’être étroitement régulé afin d’éviter que des réponses immunologiques inappropriées ou de trop forte intensité ne surviennent. Ainsi, différents mécanismes permettent de maintenir une tolérance périphérique, mais aussi d’atténuer la réponse lorsque celle-ci n’est plus nécessaire. De tels mécanismes sont cependant aussi exploités par les tumeurs, qui peuvent ainsi échapper à une attaque par le système immunitaire et donc poursuivre leur progression. Ces mécanismes immunosuppresseurs nuisent non seulement à la réponse naturelle contre les cellules tumorales, mais font aussi obstacle aux tentatives de manipulation clinique de l’immunité visant à générer une réponse anti-tumorale par l’immunothérapie. L’un des mécanismes par lesquels les tumeurs s’évadent du système immunitaire est l’expression d’enzymes responsables du métabolisme des acides aminés dont l’une des principales est l’indoleamine 2,3-dioxygénase (IDO). Cette dernière dégrade le tryptophane et diminue ainsi sa disponibilité dans le microenvironnement tumoral, ce qui engendre des effets négatifs sur la prolifération, les fonctions et la survie des lymphocytes T qui y sont présents. Bien que la régulation de l’expression de cette enzyme ait été largement étudiée chez certaines cellules présentatrices d’antigènes, dont les macrophages et les cellules dendritiques, peu est encore connu sur sa régulation dans les cellules tumorales humaines. Nous avons posé l’hypothèse que différents facteurs produits par les cellules immunitaires infiltrant les tumeurs (TIIC) régulent l’expression de l’IDO dans les cellules tumorales. Nous avons effectivement démontré qu’une expression de l’IDO est induite chez les cellules tumorales humaines, suite à une interaction avec des TIIC. Cette induction indépendante du contact cellulaire résulte principalement de l’interféron-gamma (IFN-g) produit par les lymphocytes T activés, mais est régulée à la baisse par l’interleukine (IL)-13. De plus, la fludarabine utilisée comme agent chimiothérapeutique inhibe l’induction de l’IDO chez les cellules tumorales en réponse aux lymphocytes T activés. Cette observation pourrait avoir des conséquences importantes en clinique sachant qu’une forte proportion d’échantillons cliniques provenant de tumeurs humaines exprime l’IDO. Enfin, les lymphocytes B, qui sont retrouvés également dans certaines tumeurs et qui interagissent étroitement avec les lymphocytes T, sont aussi susceptibles à une induction transcriptionnelle et traductionnelle de l’IDO. Cette enzyme est cependant produite sous une forme inactive dans les lymphocytes B, ce qui rend peu probable l’utilisation de l’IDO par les lymphocytes B comme mécanisme pour freiner la réponse immunitaire. Nos travaux apportent des informations importantes quant à la régulation de l’expression de la molécule immunosuppressive IDO dans les cellules cancéreuses. Ils démontrent que l’expression de l’IDO est influencée par la nature des cytokines présentes dans le microenvironnement tumoral. De plus son expression est inhibée par la fludarabine, un agent utilisé pour le traitement de certains cancers. Ces données devraient être prises en considération dans la planification de futurs essais immunothérapeutiques, et pourraient avoir un impact sur les réponses cliniques anti-tumorales. / The immune system is under tight control to avoid inappropriate and excessive immunological responses. Many mechanisms allow the maintenance of peripheral tolerance and mediate attenuation of the immune response after pathogen clearance. Such mechanisms are also exploited by tumors, thereby favoring their escape from assault by the immune system. These immunosuppressive mechanisms hamper host natural immune responses against tumor cells, but also represent an obstacle to the successful clinical manipulation of the immune system in attempts to generate an anti-tumor response through immunotherapy. One immune escape mechanism used by tumors is the production of enzymes responsible for amino acid metabolism, amongst which indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is of major importance. IDO degrades tryptophan, thus leading to its depletion from intracellular pools and local microenvironments. This culminates in multi-pronged negative effects on T lymphocytes neighboring IDO-expressing cells, notably on proliferation, function and survival. The regulation of IDO expression has been largely studied in antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, but its regulation in human tumor cells must still be characterized. We hypothesized that different factors produced by tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) regulate IDO expression in tumor cells. Accordingly, we have demonstrated that IDO expression is induced in human tumor cells upon interaction with TIIC. This induction is cell contact-independent, and results mainly from interferon-gamma (IFN-g) produced by activated T lymphocytes, while being antagonised by interleukin (IL)-13. Moreover, the chemotherapeutic agent fludarabine inhibits activated T lymphocyte-dependent IDO induction in tumor cells. This observation could have major clinical consequences, considering the large proportion of human cancer clinical samples expressing IDO. Finally, B lymphocytes, which interact closely with T lymphocytes and are found infiltrating human tumors, are also susceptible to transcriptional and translational IDO induction. This enzyme is however produced in an inactive form, suggesting that B lymphocytes do not exploit this mechanism to impede the immune response. In conclusion, our work brings crucial information on the regulation of the immunosuppressive molecule IDO in human tumor cells. We demonstrate that IDO expression is dependent on the nature of cytokines present in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, its expression is inhibited by fludarabine, a compound used to treat some types of cancer. These data should be taken into consideration in planning future immunotherapy trials and could impact anti-tumor clinical responses.

Le système immunitaire se doit d’être étroitement régulé afin d’éviter que des réponses immunologiques inappropriées ou de trop forte intensité ne surviennent. Ainsi, différents mécanismes permettent de maintenir une tolérance périphérique, mais aussi d’atténuer la réponse lorsque celle-ci n’est plus nécessaire. De tels mécanismes sont cependant aussi exploités par les tumeurs, qui peuvent ainsi échapper à une attaque par le système immunitaire et donc poursuivre leur progression. Ces mécanismes immunosuppresseurs nuisent non seulement à la réponse naturelle contre les cellules tumorales, mais font aussi obstacle aux tentatives de manipulation clinique de l’immunité visant à générer une réponse anti-tumorale par l’immunothérapie. L’un des mécanismes par lesquels les tumeurs s’évadent du système immunitaire est l’expression d’enzymes responsables du métabolisme des acides aminés dont l’une des principales est l’indoleamine 2,3-dioxygénase (IDO). Cette dernière dégrade le tryptophane et diminue ainsi sa disponibilité dans le microenvironnement tumoral, ce qui engendre des effets négatifs sur la prolifération, les fonctions et la survie des lymphocytes T qui y sont présents. Bien que la régulation de l’expression de cette enzyme ait été largement étudiée chez certaines cellules présentatrices d’antigènes, dont les macrophages et les cellules dendritiques, peu est encore connu sur sa régulation dans les cellules tumorales humaines. Nous avons posé l’hypothèse que différents facteurs produits par les cellules immunitaires infiltrant les tumeurs (TIIC) régulent l’expression de l’IDO dans les cellules tumorales. Nous avons effectivement démontré qu’une expression de l’IDO est induite chez les cellules tumorales humaines, suite à une interaction avec des TIIC. Cette induction indépendante du contact cellulaire résulte principalement de l’interféron-gamma (IFN-g) produit par les lymphocytes T activés, mais est régulée à la baisse par l’interleukine (IL)-13. De plus, la fludarabine utilisée comme agent chimiothérapeutique inhibe l’induction de l’IDO chez les cellules tumorales en réponse aux lymphocytes T activés. Cette observation pourrait avoir des conséquences importantes en clinique sachant qu’une forte proportion d’échantillons cliniques provenant de tumeurs humaines exprime l’IDO. Enfin, les lymphocytes B, qui sont retrouvés également dans certaines tumeurs et qui interagissent étroitement avec les lymphocytes T, sont aussi susceptibles à une induction transcriptionnelle et traductionnelle de l’IDO. Cette enzyme est cependant produite sous une forme inactive dans les lymphocytes B, ce qui rend peu probable l’utilisation de l’IDO par les lymphocytes B comme mécanisme pour freiner la réponse immunitaire. Nos travaux apportent des informations importantes quant à la régulation de l’expression de la molécule immunosuppressive IDO dans les cellules cancéreuses. Ils démontrent que l’expression de l’IDO est influencée par la nature des cytokines présentes dans le microenvironnement tumoral. De plus son expression est inhibée par la fludarabine, un agent utilisé pour le traitement de certains cancers. Ces données devraient être prises en considération dans la planification de futurs essais immunothérapeutiques, et pourraient avoir un impact sur les réponses cliniques anti-tumorales. / The immune system is under tight control to avoid inappropriate and excessive immunological responses. Many mechanisms allow the maintenance of peripheral tolerance and mediate attenuation of the immune response after pathogen clearance. Such mechanisms are also exploited by tumors, thereby favoring their escape from assault by the immune system. These immunosuppressive mechanisms hamper host natural immune responses against tumor cells, but also represent an obstacle to the successful clinical manipulation of the immune system in attempts to generate an anti-tumor response through immunotherapy. One immune escape mechanism used by tumors is the production of enzymes responsible for amino acid metabolism, amongst which indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is of major importance. IDO degrades tryptophan, thus leading to its depletion from intracellular pools and local microenvironments. This culminates in multi-pronged negative effects on T lymphocytes neighboring IDO-expressing cells, notably on proliferation, function and survival. The regulation of IDO expression has been largely studied in antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells, but its regulation in human tumor cells must still be characterized. We hypothesized that different factors produced by tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) regulate IDO expression in tumor cells. Accordingly, we have demonstrated that IDO expression is induced in human tumor cells upon interaction with TIIC. This induction is cell contact-independent, and results mainly from interferon-gamma (IFN-g) produced by activated T lymphocytes, while being antagonised by interleukin (IL)-13. Moreover, the chemotherapeutic agent fludarabine inhibits activated T lymphocyte-dependent IDO induction in tumor cells. This observation could have major clinical consequences, considering the large proportion of human cancer clinical samples expressing IDO. Finally, B lymphocytes, which interact closely with T lymphocytes and are found infiltrating human tumors, are also susceptible to transcriptional and translational IDO induction. This enzyme is however produced in an inactive form, suggesting that B lymphocytes do not exploit this mechanism to impede the immune response. In conclusion, our work brings crucial information on the regulation of the immunosuppressive molecule IDO in human tumor cells. We demonstrate that IDO expression is dependent on the nature of cytokines present in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, its expression is inhibited by fludarabine, a compound used to treat some types of cancer. These data should be taken into consideration in planning future immunotherapy trials and could impact anti-tumor clinical responses.

Mast cells play pivotal roles in immunoglobulin (Ig) E-mediated airway inflammation, expressing interleukin (IL)-13 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), which in turn regulate IgE synthesis and/or inflammatory cell recruitment. The molecular effects of IL-1beta on cytokine expression by human mast cells (HMC) have not been studied well. In this report, we provide evidence that human umbilical cord blood-derived mast cells (CBDMC) and HMC-1 cells express the type 1 receptor for IL-1. We also demonstrate that IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha are able to induce, individually or additively, dose-dependent expression of IL-13 and MCP-1 in these cells. The induction of IL-13 and MCP-1 gene expression by IL-1beta was accompanied by the activation of IL-1 receptor-associated kinase and translocation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF) kappaB into the nucleus. Accordingly, Bay-11 7082, an inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation, inhibited IL-1beta-induced IL-13 and MCP-1 expression. IL-1beta also induced IL-13 promoter activity while enhancing the stability of IL-13 messenger RNA transcripts. Dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid, inhibited IL-1beta-induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and also the secretion of IL-13 from mast cells. Our data suggest that IL-1beta can serve as a pivotal costimulus of inflammatory cytokine synthesis in human mast cells, and this may be partly mediated by IL-1 receptor-binding and subsequent signaling via nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB. Because IL-1beta is a ubiquitously expressed cytokine, these findings have important implications for non-IgE-mediated signaling in airway mast cells as well as for innate immunity and airway inflammatory responses, such as observed in extrinsic and intrinsic asthma.