As células dendríticas (DCs) são células apresentadoras de antígeno suscetíveis a muitos sinais de ativação, os quais induzem diferentes padrões de ativação e resposta de linfócitos T. Neste trabalho, estudamos os efeitos de dois sinais de perigo, a febre e o LPS, sobre o fenótipo e função de DCs. A exposição de DCs ao calor não afetou a expressão de CD80 e CD86, capacidade endocítica ou produção de citocinas, características que foram afetadas pelo LPS. Entretanto, DCs expostas ao calor apresentaram uma maior atividade aloestimuladora e maior expressão de CD40. Quando DCs ativadas com LPS foram também estimuladas pelo calor, nenhuma alteração fenotípica na superfície celular foi notada, mas as DCs induziram maior produção de IFN-<font face=\"symbol\">g por linfócitos T alogenêicos e favoreceram a proliferação de linfócitos T CD8+. Esses dados indicam que a febre pode favorecer uma resposta celular, através de sua ação sobre DCs ativadas, com provável participação do CD40. Além de seu significado fisiológico, esse fenômeno pode ter aplicação em estratégias imunoterapêuticas. / Dendritic cells (DCs) are the main antigen presenting cells and susceptible to many activation signals that will induce different patterns of DC activation and of T cell responses. In this work we studied the effects of two danger signals, fever and LPS, on DC phenotype and function. Exposure of immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells to heat did not affect CD80 and CD86 expression, their endocytic ability, or their cytokine production, characteristics that were affected by LPS. However, heat-exposed DCs presented a higher allo-stimulatory activity and enhanced CD40 expression. When LPS activated DCs were also stimulated by heat, no cell surface phenotypic change was noted but these cells induced a higher IFN-<font face=\"symbol\">g secretion by allogeneic T lymphocytes and favored the proliferation of CD8+ cells. These data indicate that fever may cause a bias toward cellular responses, through its action on activated DCs, probably through CD40. Besides its physiological meaning, this phenomenon may have applications in immunotherapeutic strategies.

Nosso objetivo, neste trabalho, foi verificar se a interação das células dendríticas (DCs) com antígenos da Hsp60 induz um efeito sinérgico no direcionamento de uma resposta imune reguladora, no sistema humano. Células dendríticas humanas maduras (mDC) e imaturas (iDC e iDC IL-10) foram geradas, in vitro, a partir de monócitos de 15 de indivíduos saudáveis. Estas células foram caracterizadas quanto à (i) morfologia, (ii) imunofentotipagem, (iii) produção de citocinas e, (iv) capacidade de estimular aloproliferação. Analisamos a auto-reatividade de linfócitos T (LT) dirigida a diferentes DCs (mDC, iDC e iDC IL-10). Na interação de antígenos da Hsp60 com essas diferentes DCs, verificamos: (i) a capacidade de induzir a produção de citocinas pelas DCs e de inibir a sua produção espontânea, (ii) a auto-reatividade de linfócitos T dirigida a esses antígenos (proliferação e produção de citocinas), (iii) a expressão gênica de um painel de moléculas reguladoras (TGFb, receptor de TGF-b, IL-10 e GATA3) e inflamatórias (IFNg, TNF-a e T-bet) em linfócitos, T no contexto de células dendríticas imaturas. As mDC apresentaram expressão de CD83, maior expressão de CD80, e CD86, assim como induziram respostas alogenéicas mais intensas do que as DCs imaturas. Apesar de haver variabilidade na produção de citocinas, apenas as DC imaturas produziram espontaneamente IL-10, e as DCs maduras produziram mais freqüentemente IFN-g e TNF-a. Analisando o efeito dos antígenos da Hsp60 sobre a produção de citocinas, observamos tanto indução quanto inibição da produção de IFN-g, TNF-a, IL-4 e IL-10 nos três grupos de DC. Porém, a inibição predominou sobre a produção nos três grupos de DC. A auto-reatividade proliferativa de LT dirigida às diferentes DCs foi mais freqüente nas culturas com as DCs maduras (6/10) do que com as DCs imaturas (4/10). Também detectamos produção das citocinas IFN-g, TNF-a, e IL-2 para todos os grupos de células, porém, mais freqüentemente na auto-reatividade contra as DCs maduras. Diversos antígenos da Hsp60 foram capazes de inibir esta auto-reatividade. O peptídeo N7 teve um efeito dominante na inibição da auto-reatividade proliferativa de linfócitos T dirigida às mDCs. A auto-reatividade a antígenos da Hsp60, de um modo geral, foi maior com as DCs imaturas. Diversos antígenos foram capazes de induzir proliferação e produção de citocinas. Todavia, o peptídeo C3 foi imunodominante (6/10) na indução de resposta linfoproliferativa, no contexto das iDCs. A expressão gênica de moléculas reguladoras e inflamatórias foi verificada em linfócitos T, na auto-reatividade a antígenos da Hsp60. Observamos modificações importantes de praticamente todas as moléculas estudadas. Verificamos um predomínio de modificações reguladoras para os genes TGFb, TGF-bR, GATA3, TNF-a e T-bet. O peptídeo N7 induziu modificações dominantemente reguladoras em todas as condições em que ele foi testado. Em conclusão, verificamos que antígenos da Hsp60 têm efeito direto na produção de citocinas das diferentes DCs. Também têm a capacidade de ativar, simultaneamente, em linfócitos T, na interação com as células dendríticas, genes funcionalmente antagônicos. Isto reafirma a diversidade funcional da Hsp60. Ademais, identificamos o peptídeo N7 como potencialmente imunorregulador e o consideramos um candidato a ser testado em protocolos para indução de tolerância. / The aim of the present study was to determine whether the interaction of dendritic cells (DCs) with antigens derived from Hsp60 is capable of inducing a synergistic effect in directing a regulatory immune response, using a human system. Human DCs with mature (mDC) and immature (iDC and iDC IL-10) phenotype were generated in vitro from monocytes obtained from 15 healthy subjects. These cells were characterized according to (i) morphology, (ii) expression of surface markers, (iii) cytokine production, and (iv) ability to stimulate alloproliferation. We analyzed the autoreactivity of T lymphocytes (TL) directed against different DC types (mDC, iDC, and iDC IL-10). For the interaction of Hsp60 antigens with these different DCs, we determined: (i) the ability to induce cytokine production by DCs as well as to inhibit their spontaneous production, (ii) the autoreactivity of TL to these antigens (proliferation and cytokine production), and (iii) gene expression levels of a panel of regulatory (TGFb, TGF-b receptor, IL-10, and GATA3) and inflammatory (IFN-g, TNF-a, and T-bet) molecules by TL when stimulated by mDC. mDC expressed CD83 and showed higher levels of CD80 and CD86 and induced stronger allogeneic responses than immature DCs. Although cytokine production varied, only immature DCs spontaneously produced IL- 10, and mature DCs more frequently produced IFN- and TNF-. An analysis of the effects of Hsp60 antigens on cytokine production showed both induction and inhibition of production of IFN-g, TNF-a, IL-4, and IL-10 by the three sets of DCs; however, inhibition predominated over induction in all three DC groups. The proliferative autoreactivity of LT directed towards the different DCs was more frequent in cultures containing mDCs (6/10) than in those containing immature DCs (4/10). We also detected production of IFN-g, TNFa, and IL-2 by all groups of cells; however this was more frequent in the context of autoreactivity against mDCs. Several Hsp60 antigens were capable of inhibiting this autoreactivity. Peptide N7 had a dominant effect on the inhibition of the proliferative autoreactivity of LT directed towards mDCs. Autoreactivity to Hsp60 antigens was generally greater in cultures containing immature DCs. Several antigens were capable of inducing proliferation and cytokine secretion. However, peptide C3 was immunodominant (6/10) in the induction of a lymphoproliferative response in cultures containing iDCs. Gene expression of regulatory and inflammatory molecules was determined in LTs in the context of autoreactivity to Hsp60 antigens. There were important modifications in virtually all molecules studied. There was a predominance of regulatory-oriented changes in expression of TGFb, TGF-bR, GATA3, TNFa, and T-bet. Peptide N7 induced dominantly regulatory changes in gene expression in all conditions in which it was tested. In conclusion, we have shown that Hsp60 antigens have a direct effect on cytokine production by different DCs. These antigens are also able to activate, during the interaction of LT with DCs, genes that are functionally antagonistic. This finding reinforces the functional diversity of Hsp60. Furthermore, we have identified peptide N7 as potentially immunoregulatory, and consider it as a candidate to be tested in protocols for the induction of tolerance.

Estudos conduzidos por vários grupos demonstraram que é possível direcionar antígenos para diferentes subtipos células de dendríticas (DCs) utilizando anticorpos monoclonais (mAbs). Neste trabalho, fusionamos o mAb &#945;DEC205 a dois fragmentos de massa molecular aproximada de 42 e 19 kDa derivados da proteína 1 de superfície do merozoíto (MSP1) do Plasmodium vivax, um importante candidato para o desenvolvimento de uma vacina contra a malária. Para estudar a resposta induzida pelo direcionamento da proteína MSP142 e MSP119 para o subtipo de DCs DEC205+CD8&#945;+, administramos duas doses dos mAbs na presença de poly (I:C), que é um agonista de TLR3 e MDA5. Nossos resultados indicam que o direcionamento da MSP142 para o subtipo de DCs DEC205+CD8&#945;+ é capaz de induzir uma potente resposta celular contra o fragmento de 33 kDa e elevados títulos de anticorpos contra a porção de 19 kDa nas duas linhagens de camundongos. / Studies conducted by several groups have shown that it is possible to target antigens to different subtypes dendritic cell (DC) using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Our group has been using a mAb that is able to direct the antigen to subtype of DCs DEC205+CD8&#945;+ . In this work, we fused the &#945;DEC205 mAb with a 42 and 19 kDa fragment derived from the Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), a major candidate for the development of a malaria vaccine. In order to study the response induced by the MSP142 targeting to the DEC205+CD8&#945;+ DC subtype, we administered two doses of the mAbs in the presence of poly (I: C), a TLR3 and MDA5 agonist. Our results indicate that MSP142 targeting to the DEC205+CD8&#945;+ DC subtype is able to induce strong cellular response against the 33 kDa fragment, and high antibody titers against the 19 kDa portion in two strains of mice.

Notre équipe a démontré précédemment que les cellules dendritiques (DC) traitées par l’Acide Mycophénolique (DC-MPA) induisaient des lymphocytes T (LT) CD4+ régulateurs (iTreg). Dans ce travail, nous avons démontré que les iTreg supprimaient l’allocytotoxicité des LT CD8+ indépendants des LT CD4+. D’autre part, nous avons montré que des LT préactivés en conditions inflammatoires induisaient via CTLA-4 la synthèse d’IL-12 par les DC. Le blocage de CD28 dans les mêmes conditions inhibait la production d’IL-10 et d’Interferon-g mais n’affectait pas celle d’IL-12. Enfin, des LT préactivés par des DC allogéniques différenciées en présence d’IL-10 (DC-10) étaient hyporéactifs, mais de façon surprenante, étaient dénués d’activité régulatrice. Ce travail a montré pour la première fois chez l’homme la capacité des Treg induits à réguler l’allocytotoxicité des LT CD8+. Il suggère aussi que CTLA-4 exprimée par des LT préactivés orientait la réponse immunitaire vers Th1, via un ligand sur la DC, non commun avec CD28. / This work has studied several aspects of the regulation of the immune response in human. Works in our laboratory have previously demonstrated that Mycophenolic Acid-Treated Dendritic Cells (MPA-DC) induced CD4+ regulatory T cells (iTreg). In this work and for the first time in human, we demonstrated that allospecific iTreg suppressed helpless CD8+ T-Cells allocytotoxicity. On the other hand, we have shown that preactivated T-Cells in inflammatory conditions induce IL-12 synthesis by DC through CTLA-4 engagement. Blockade of CD28 in this interaction inhibited the production of IL-10 and Interferon-g without affecting that of IL-12. Finally, allogeneic DC differentiated in the presence of IL-10 (DC-10) induced T cell hyporesponsiveness without any regulatory activity. This work has highlighted the ability of allospecific iTreg to regulate CD8+ T-Cells allocytotoxicity and suggested that the engagement of CTLA-4 expressed by preactivated T cells polarized the immune response towards Th1, via a ligand on DC, different from that of CD28.

Les vésicules extracellulaires (EVs) participent à la communication intercellulaire. Dans la littérature actuelle, elles sont divisées en deux classes principales selon leur origine intracellulaire. En premier lieu, les exosomes sont formés à l'intérieur des endosomes multivésiculaires et sont libérés lors de la fusion de ces compartiments avec la membrane plasmique (MP). La taille des exosomes est contrôlée au cours de leur biogenèse et varie de 50 à 150 nm. Deuxièmement, les EVs sont formées par bourgeonnement direct et sécrétion à partir de la MP. Ces EVs sont plus hétérogènes et leur taille varie de 50 à 1000 nm. Malgré le fait que la nature hétérogène de EVs soit clairement documentée dans la littérature, la composition en protéines et les mécanismes exacts de la biogenèse des différentes EVs restent un sujet de débat en cours. Le but principal de ce travail était de redéfinir autant de sous-types différents d’EVs que possible, en trouvant des marqueurs protéiques spécifiques, et d'étudier les outils possibles pour affecter spécifiquement leur sécrétion. Dans ce projet, nous avons mis en place plusieurs outils utiles pour la caractérisation d’EVs. Tout d'abord, mes principaux efforts ont été concentrés sur la mise en place de plusieurs protocoles d'isolation et d'analyse d’EVs. Cela a conduit à la production d'une cartographie des protéines vésiculaires, qui si elle est appliquée pour caractériser les EVs, permettra de mieux les identifier par leur composition. Deuxièmement, j'ai étudié la façon dont la sécrétion de ces sous-populations d’EVs peut être modulée par l'inhibition de quelques protéines de la famille RAB et par certaines drogues. Enfin, grâce à une collaboration établie au sein de l'unité, j'ai eu l'occasion de participer à une comparaison des propriétés fonctionnelles entre les EVs et les virus sécrétés simultanément par les cellules infectées. Mes résultats confirment l'hypothèse selon laquelle l'origine intracellulaire des EVs sera reflétée dans leur composition. Les résultats présentés confirment la coexistence de plusieurs classes d'EVs et donnent un aperçu sur les moyens de les caractériser dans une préparation d’EVs donnée. En outre, nous fournissons un exemple de l'application de notre ensemble de protéines dans les études portant sur la biogenèse des EVs. / Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are participating in intercellular communication. Classically, in the current literature, they are divided into two main classes depending on their intracellular origin. Firstly, exosomes are formed within multivesicular endosomes and released upon fusion of these compartments with plasma membrane. The size of exosomes is controlled during their biogenesis and ranges from 50 to 150 nm. Secondly, EVs are formed by direct budding and pinching off from the plasma membrane. These EVs are more heterogeneous and their size varies from 50 to 1000 nm. Despite the fact that a heterogeneous nature of EVs is clearly documented in the literature, the exact protein content and biogenesis mechanisms of different EVs remain a matter of on-going debate. The principal goal of this work was to re-define as many different subtypes of EVs as possible, by finding specific protein markers, and investigate possible tools to affect specifically their secretion. In this project, we set up several tools useful for EV characterization. Firstly, my main efforts were concentrated on establishment of several protocols to isolate and analyse EVs. This led to the foundation of a vesicle protein cartography, which if applied to characterize EVs, will allow better understanding of the composition of the studied EVs. Secondly, I investigated how secretion of these EV subpopulations might be modulated by inhibition of a few RAB proteins and by some drugs. Finally, thanks to a collaboration established within the unit, I had the opportunity to participate in a comparison of the functional properties between EVs and viruses secreted simultaneously by infected cells. My results confirmed the hypothesis that the intracellular origin of EVs will be reflected in their composition. The results presented in this study point at the coexistence of several EV classes and provide insights on how to demonstrate their presence in a given EV preparation. In addition, we provide an example of the application of our set of proteins in studies addressing EV biogenesis.

L’athérosclérose est une maladie inflammatoire chronique. L’une des caractéristiques des lésions d’athérosclérose est l’accumulation anormale de corps apoptotiques et nécrotiques, due à un défaut d’efferocytose, ceci entraînant la formation du cœur nécrotique. L’évolution de ce cœur nécrotique est également associée à une augmentation de l’inflammation et de la taille des plaques d’athérosclérose, mais aussi dans la survenue de complications telle que la rupture de plaque. Clec9a est un récepteur transmembranaire de type lectine C, majoritairement exprimé par une sous population de cellules dendritiques les DC-CD8α+. Il est capable de reconnaître un ligand spécifiquement exprimé par les corps nécrotiques, l’actine F. L’objectif de notre travail a été de savoir si Clec9a, qui est capable de reconnaître les corps nécrotiques, pouvait être impliqué dans la modulation de l’inflammation observée au cours du développement de l’athérosclérose. Au cours de cette étude, nous avons montré, in vivo partir de deux modèles murins (ApoE-/- et LDLr-/-), que la délétion de Clec9a entraîne une diminution significative de la taille des lésions dans un contexte d’hypercholestérolémie modérée. Cette athéro-protection observée en l’absence de Clec9a, est associée à une augmentation de l’expression de l’IL-10, qui est une interleukine anti-athérogène et anti-inflammatoire. Cet effet athéroprotecteur de l’absence de Clec9a n’est plus observé lorsque l’IL-10 est totalement invalidée. De plus, nous avons montré que l’invalidation de Clec9a spécifiquement dans les DC-CD8α+ entraîne, in vivo, une diminution de l’infiltration des macrophages et des lymphocytes T dans les lésions, ainsi qu’une augmentation de l’expression de l’IL-10, favorisant une diminution de la taille des lésions. La compréhension des mécanismes inflammatoires dans l’athérosclérose constitue un enjeu majeur pour prévenir les risques de complications comme la rupture de plaque ou la thrombose. Ainsi, ce travail met en évidence un nouveau rôle de Clec9a dans la régulation de l’inflammation dans l’athérosclérose et pourrait donc représenter une cible thérapeutique potentielle. / Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. One of the characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions is the abnormal accumulation of apoptotic and necrotic cells, due to a deficiency of efferocytosis, which leads to the formation of the necrotic heart. The evolution of this necrotic core is also associated with an increase in inflammation and lesions of atherosclerosis, but also in the occurrence of complications such as plaque rupture. Clec9a is a C type lectin receptor, mainly expressed by a subpopulation of dendritic cells, which are the CD8α+ dendritic cells. This receptor is able to recognize a ligand expressed by necrotic cells, the actin F. The aim of our work was to find out if Clec9a, which can sense necrotic cells, could be involved in modulating the inflammation observed during the development of atherosclerosis. In this study, we have shown, in vivo with two mouse models (ApoE - / - and LDLr - / -), that the deletion of Clec9a leads to a significant decrease in the incidence of moderate hypercholesterolemia. This athero-protection observed in the absence of Clec9a, is associated with an increase in the expression of IL-10, which is an anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory cytokine. This athero-protective effect of the absence of Clec9a is abolished after total invalidation of IL-10. Furthermore, we report that specific knockdown of Clec9a in CD8α+-DC, in vivo, leads to a decrease in macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration in lesions, as well as an increase in IL-1 expression. 10, which promotes a decrease in lesions size. Understanding of inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis is a major challenge to prevent the risk of complications such as plaque rupture or thrombosis. Thus, this work highlights a new role of Clec9a in the regulation of inflammation in atherosclerosis and could be therefore a potential therapeutic target.

A indução de tolerância ao alotransplante, sem auxílio de drogas imunossupressoras é um dos maiores desafios da Imunologia. Considerando o potencial tolerogênico das células dendríticas e a atividade imunorreguladora da Hsp60, objetivamos determinar a capacidade das células dendríticas (DCs) na interação com a Hsp60, de induzir imunorregulação, in vitro, e tolerância ao aloenxerto de pele, no sistema murino. Para tal, geramos três tipos de DCs derivadas de células da medula óssea de camundongos Balb/c: DCs imaturas (iDCs e iDCs IL-10 tratadas com IL-10) e DCs maduras (mDCs). As DCs foram caracterizadas quanto à sua: (i) morfologia, (ii) imunofenótipo, (iii) estabilidade do fenótipo imaturo; (iv) produção espontânea de citocinas; (v) resposta linfocitária alogenéica. Os três tipos de DCs gerados, neste trabalho, (mDCs, iDCs e iDCs IL- 10) apresentaram diferenças imunofenotípicas e funcionais em relação à estimulação de uma resposta proliferativa alogenéica. As mDCs tiveram maior expressão de moléculas coestimuladoras e maior indução de proliferação de linfócitos T (LT) alogenéicos. As iDCs IL-10 apresentaram estabilidade do fenótipo imaturo, após desafio com LPS e mostraram baixa capacidade de induzir proliferação de LT alogenéicos. Não observamos um perfil diferencial em relação à produção espontânea de citocinas pelos três tipos de DCs, no tempo analisado. No entanto, TNF- foi a citocina mais freqüentemente detectada nos 3 tipos de DCs, principalmente nas mDCs, enquanto que a IL-6 foi produzida em maiores quantidades pelas mDCs e a IL-10 pelas iDCs IL-10. Após a caracterização das diferentes DCs, estas células foram tratadas com os fragmentos da Hsp60, por 24 horas. Avaliamos se esses fragmentos tiveram a capacidade de modificar nas DCs: (i) a expressão de moléculas coestimuladoras; (ii) a produção de citocinas; (iii) a capacidade de induzir e inibir proliferação e citocinas em coculturas autólogas; (iv) a capacidade de inibir proliferação e a produção de citocinas em resposta ao estímulo de CD3; (v) a capacidade de induzir tolerância ao transplante de pele em camundongos via injeção de DCs tratadas com fragmentos da Hsp60 ou com a injeção do anticorpo DEC205-N3. A interação dos fragmentos da Hsp60 com as diferentes DCs induziu modificação na expressão de moléculas coestimuladoras e na produção de citocinas. Alguns peptídeos se destacaram como predominantemente indutores de citocinas imunorreguladoras, (IL-10 e TGF-; peptídeos p277 e N7), e outros como predominantemente indutores de citocinas pró-inflamatórias (TNF-, IFN- e IL-12; peptídeos I8 e I2). Além disso, o peptídeo N7 foi o maior inibidor da expressão de moléculas coestimuladoras, enquanto a proteína C-Hsp60 ora aumentou ora inibiu essa expressão. O peptídeo N7 teve um efeito dominante na inibição da auto-reatividade de LT dirigida às DCs, tanto proliferativa como na produção de citocinas, principalmente inflamatórias. Alguns fragmentos da Hsp60 (C-Hsp60, p277 e principalmente o peptídeo N7) foram capazes de, em alguns experimentos, inibir a proliferação e a produção de citocinas inflamatórias das coculturas de LT com DCs estimuladas com o anticorpo CD3. Apesar da dupla atividade funcional da Hsp60 na interação com as DCs observada, in vitro, nesse trabalho, houve um predomínio de imunorregulação. Destacamos que o peptídeo N7 teve o perfil mais imunorregulador. Nossos dados sugerem o envolvimento de múltiplos mecanismos de ação para a atividade imunorreguladora da Hsp60, na interação com as DCs. Apesar dos nossos protocolos não terem induzido tolerância ao aloenxerto de pele em camundongos, observamos que os animais injetados com as iDCs IL-10 tratadas com p277 ou N7, tiveram uma maior sobrevida do enxerto (16 e 17 dias versus 14 dias). Assim, acreditamos que esses protocolos de indução de tolerância possam ser otimizados para o uso em modelos murinos, visando futuras aplicações na clínica em transplantes e doenças auto-imunes. / The induction of tolerance to allotransplant without the help of immunosupressive drugs is one of the major challenges in immunology. Considering the tolerogenic potential of dendritic cells and the immunoregulatory activity of Hsp60, our objective was to determine the capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) of inducing immunoregulation through the interaction with Hsp60, in vitro, and tolerance to the skin allograft, in the murine system. For this, we have generated three types of DCs derived from bone marrow of Balb/c mice: immature DCs (iDCs and IL-10 iDCs treated with IL-10) and mature DCs (mDCs). The DCs were characterized as to their: (i) morphology, (ii) immunophenotype, (iii) immature phenotype stability; (iv) spontaneous cytokine production; (v) induction of allogeneic LT proliferation. The three types of DCs generated in this work (mDCs, iDCs and IL-10 iDCs) have presented immunophenotypic and functional differences in relation to the stimulation of allogeneic proliferative response. The mDCs presented the highest expression of coestimulatory molecules and the strongest induction of allogeneic T lymphocyte proliferation. The IL-10 iDCs presented stability of the immature phenotype after LPS challenge and showed low capacity of inducting allogeneic TL proliferation. We did not observe a differential profile in relation to the spontaneous cytokine production by all three types of DCs in the period analyzed. However, TNF- was the most frequent cytokine detected in the three types of DCs, especially in the mDCs, while IL-6 was mostly produced by mDCs, and IL-10 by IL-10 iDCs. After the characterization of the different DCs, these cells were treated with the fragments of Hsp60 for 24 hours. We evaluated if these fragments had the capacity of modifying in the DCs: (i) the expression of coestimulatory molecules; (ii) the production of cytokines; (iii) the capacity of inducing and inhibiting proliferation and cytokine in autologous cocultures; (iv) the capacity of inhibiting proliferation and cytokine production in response to CD3 stimulation; (v) the capacity of inducing tolerance to skin allotransplantation in mice by the injection of DCs treated with fragments of Hsp60 or by the injection of the antibody DEC205-N3. The interaction of Hsp60 fragments with the different DCs induced a modification in the expression of coestimulatory molecules and in the production of cytokines. Some peptides stood out as predominately inductors of immunoregulatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-; peptides p277 and N7), and others as predominately inductors of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-, IFN- and IL-12; peptides I8 and I2). In addition, the peptide N7 was the greatest inhibitor of the expression of coestimulatory molecules, while the protein CHsp60 at times increased, and at times decreased this expression. The peptide N7 presented a dominant effect in the inhibition of autoreactivity of TLs directed to the DCs, both in proliferative response and in the production of cytokines, especially inflammatory ones. Some fragments of Hsp60 (C-Hsp60, p277 and especially the peptide N7) were capable of inhibiting proliferation and production of inflammatory cytokines in cocultures of TLs with DCs stimulated with CD3 antibody. Despite the dual functional activity of Hsp60 in the interaction with DCs, in vitro, in this work we observed a predominance of immunoregulation. We highlight that the peptide N7 presented the most immunoregulatory profile. Our data suggest the involvement of multiple mechanisms of action for the immunoregulatory activity of Hsp60 in the interaction with DCs. Although our protocols have not induced tolerance to the skin allograft in mice, we have observed that the animals injected with the IL-10 iDCS treated either with p277 or N7 presented increased allograft survival (16 and 17 days versus 14 days). Therefore, we believe that these protocols for tolerance induction can be optimized for the use in murine models, aiming future applications in the clinic in transplants and auto-immune diseases

A Paracoccidioidomicose (PCM), causada pelo fungo dimórfico Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, é uma importante micose endêmica na América Latina. Afeta principalmente trabalhadores rurais em idade produtiva. A doença é associada com vários graus de disfunções da imunidade celular de acordo com a severidade da apresentação clínica. Neste trabalho analisamos a atividade fagocítica, apresentação antigênica e a capacidade linfoproliferativa de células dendríticas derivadas de monócitos (moDC) in vitro, frente a glicoproteína de 43 kDa (gp43) do P. brasiliensis, um exoantígeno secretado pela parede do fungo que possui atividade proteolítica e o antígeno somático de Candida albicans (CSA) usado como controle. A suspensão de células enriquecida de monócitos foi obtida através do gradiente de densidade Ficoll-Hypaque/Percoll, utilizando-se amostras de indivíduos saudáveis e pacientes com PCM. Os monócitos foram então cultivados na presença do fator de crescimento para granulócitos e monócitos (GM-CSF) e interleucina-4 (IL-4). Após a diferenciação em células dendríticas (DC), foram realizados ensaios de fagocitose, estimulação antigênica, linfoproliferação e análise da expressão das moléculas de superfície CD14, CD11c, CD86, HLA-DR e CD1a por citometria de fluxo. Sobrenadantes foram coletados para análise da produção de citocinas. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a gp43 inibe a ativação das DCs dos pacientes por um mecanismo que envolve diminuição da expressão de moléculas de superfície, causando disfunção na resposta imune associada com altos níveis de secreção de IL-10. As DCs de indivíduos saudáveis fagocitam a gp43 e apresentam o antígeno de forma eficiente, enquanto que as DCs dos pacientes apresentaram diminuição da função fagocítica. Por outro lado, foram encontrados altos níveis de fator de necrose tumoral alfa (TNF-alfa) produzidos pelas DCs dos pacientes, havendo uma contribuição para a resposta inflamatória e imunidade inata de pacientes com PCM / Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), caused by the dimorfic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, is the most important endemic mycosis in Latin America. It affects rural workers at their productive period of live. PCM is associated with varying degrees of cellular immune dysfunction according to the severity of the clinical presentation. Here, we analyzed the phagocytic activity, antigen presentation and lymphoproliferation capacity of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) in vitro challenged with the exoantigen 43 kDa of P. brasiliensis (gp43) and Candida albicans somatic antigen as control (CSA). The monocytes enriched suspension was obtained through gradient of Ficoll-Hypaque/Percoll density from health individuals and patients with PCM. The cells were cultivated in the presence of granulocytemonocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). After differentiation, DCs were stimulated with gp43 and CSA and analysed phagocytosis capacity. The following surfaces molecules such as CD14, CD11c, CD86, HLA-DR and CD1a were analyzed by flow cytometry. The supernatants were collected for cytokine analysis. In addition, we also verify the cellular morphology by microscopy examination. Taken together, these results suggest that P. brasiliensis inhibits activation of immature DC of patients by a mechanism that involves decreased expression of the surfaces molecules and this can result in dysfunction of the hostimmune response, associated with and high levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) secretion. The results suggest that health individuals DC internalized gp43 and produced antigen presentation very efficient, while the patients DC inhibits activation by a mechanism involving lesser expression of the surfaces molecules. On the other hand, the high levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-a) in patients DC could contribute to inflammatory response and innate immunity in human PCM

A imunoterapia baseada em MoDC constitui uma estratégia para tratamento de indivíduos HIV+. Protocolos para obtenção de MoDC em geral utilizam IL-4 e GM-CSF (IL4-DC). Alguns estudos utilizam as IFN-DC (IFN-&alpha; + GM-CSF), que exibem um fenótipo combinado de DC mielóide, DC plasmocitóide (pDC) e célula NK. Esse perfil misto pode aperfeiçoar a imunoterapia para pacientes HIV+. Para tanto, monócitos de pacientes HIV+ foram cultivados com GM-CSF e IL-4 ou IFN-&alpha; por 5 dias e estimuladas por 48 horas com pulso de HIV inativado por AT-2 e/ou coquetel de citocinas pró-inflamatórias. Avaliamos a expressão de moléculas de superfície de IFN-DC e ativação de linfócitos T por citometria de fluxo; produção de citocinas IL-12 e IL-10 por ELISA. IFN-DC apresentaram morfologia e fenótipo basais ativados e características de pDC e célula NK, diferente das IL4-DC. As IFN-DC foram capazes de produzir IL-12, estimular a proliferação e produção de IFN-&gamma; de linfócitos TCD4 e CD8, porém similares às IL4-DCs. IFN-DC são capazes de estimular resposta de linfócitos T tanto quanto IL4-DC. / Immunotherapy based on MDDCs is a strategy for treating HIV-infected patients. Alternatively to the conventional protocol for DC differentiation based on IL-4 and GM-CSF (IL4-DC) some studies suggest the use of IFN-DC (IFN-&alpha; + GM-CSF). These cells exhibit a combined phenotype of myeloid DC, plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and NK. Considering the mixed profile of IFN-DCs alternative protocols can bring novel elements for immunotherapy. Monocytes isolated from HIV-infected patients were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 or IFN-&alpha;. On day 5 DCs were pulsed with AT-2-inactivated HIV and stimulated for 48 hours with a cocktail of proinflammatory cytokines. We assessed IFN-DC surface markers expression and T cell activation by flow cytometry; IL-10 and IL-12 production by ELISA. IFN-DC showed activated morphological and phenotypic features during basal state of maturity and exhibited features of pDC and NK different from IL4-DC. The IFN-DC like IL4-DC were able to produce IL-12 and stimulated T cells. So, the IFN-DC were able to stimulate the T cells as well as IL4-DCs.

Células dendríticas são as principais células apresentadoras de antígeno e apresentam alterações em pacientes com câncer. As vias de sinalização ERK 1/2 e p38 MAPK participam da diferenciação de DCs derivadas de monócitos (Mo-DCs). A exposição ao sobrenadante tumoral (ST) da linhagem MCF-7 levou à diminuição de CD1a e aumento de CD14 (frequência), além do aumento de IL-6 e IL-10. A inibição da via ERK1/2 MAPK corrigiu a expressão de CD14 e corrigiu parcialmente a produção das citocinas. A inibição da via p38 MAPK corrigiu a expressão de CD1a e CD14 e diminuiu parcialmente a produção das citocinas. Identificamos a proteína de choque térmico HSP27. A exposição à HSP27 não levou às alterações observados quando as células foram expostas ao ST. Por fim, em Mo-DCs de pacientes com câncer de mama o tratamento com o inibidor da p38 MAPK diminuiu a expressão de CD86 e HLA-DR. Portanto, os resultados deste trabalho sugerem que a inibição da via p38 MAPK não parece ser uma abordagem interessante na manipulação de Mo-DCs de pacientes com carcinoma ductal invasivo de mama. / Dendritic cells are the main presenting cells and present alterations in cancer patients. The signaling pathways p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK participate of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs) differentiation. Exposition to MCF-7s supernatant (TS) decreased CD14 and CD1a expression (frequency) while enhanced IL-6 and IL-10 production. Inhibition of ERK1/2 MAPK reverted CD14 expression and partially reverted cytokines production. Inhibition of p38 MAPK reverted CD1a and CD14 expression and partially reverted cytokines production too. We identified the heat shock protein HSP27. Exposition to HSP27 did not cause the observed alterations seen when the cells were exposed to TS. Lastly, treatment of Mo-DCs from breast cancer patients with the p38 inhibitor decreased CD86 and HLA-DR expression. Therefore, the data presented in this study suggest that p38 MAPK inhibition does not appear to be an interesting approach in the manipulation of Mo-DCs from breast cancer patients.