Pro-inflammatory NK-like T cells are expanded in the blood and inflamed intestine in Crohn's disease

Chiarolla CM, Schulz AR, Meir M, Ferrara S, Xiao Y, Reu-Hofer S, Romero-Olmedo AJ, Falcone V, Hoffmann K, Büttner-Herold M, Prelog M, Rosenwald A, Hengel H, Lohoff M, Chang HD, Schlegel N, Mei HE, Berberich-Siebelt F (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Mucosal Immunology Nature Publishing Group: Open Access Hybrid Model Option A

DOI: 10.1016/j.mucimm.2024.11.001

Abstract

Altered intestinal immune homeostasis leads to chronic inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD). To address disease- and tissue-specific alterations, we performed a T cell-centric mass cytometry analysis of peripheral and intestinal lymphocytes from patients with CD and healthy donors’ PBMCs. Chronic intestinal inflammation enforced activation, exhaustion, and terminal differentiation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a relative enrichment of CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells. Moreover, enigmatic rare Treg subsets appeared upon inflammation, e.g. CD4+FOXP3+HLA-DR+TIGIT– and CD4+FOXP3+CD56+, expressing pro-inflammatory IFN-γ upon in vitro stimulation. Some conventional T (Tcon) cells acquired NK-like features. In CD patients’ blood, not well studied CD16+CCR6+CD127+ T cells appeared, being CD4+ or CD8+, a phenotype inducible on healthy T cells by CD blood plasma. Upon CD16-mediated antibody binding, they could attain effector function. These findings suggest an uncommon pro-inflammatory innate-like differentiation of Treg and Tcon cells with acquisition of non-specific cytotoxicity. Most likely, this is both cause and consequence of intestinal inflammation during CD.

Authors with CRIS profile

Maike Büttner-Herold Department of Nephropathology

Involved external institutions

Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ) DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Philipps-Universität Marburg DE Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Freiburg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Chiarolla, C.M., Schulz, A.R., Meir, M., Ferrara, S., Xiao, Y., Reu-Hofer, S.,... Berberich-Siebelt, F. (2024). Pro-inflammatory NK-like T cells are expanded in the blood and inflamed intestine in Crohn's disease. Mucosal Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mucimm.2024.11.001

MLA:

Chiarolla, Cristina M., et al. "Pro-inflammatory NK-like T cells are expanded in the blood and inflamed intestine in Crohn's disease." Mucosal Immunology (2024).

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