Worm infection tips the balance in favor of Crohn's disease soothing gut flora

This week Science magazine published yet another study that revealed a complex biological inter-species relationship called defensive symbiosis. Here, the authors showed that worm infection of mammalian host favors gut flora species that soothe intestinal inflammation in a T_H2-dependent manner.

Mice deficient in Nod2 develop small intestinal abnormalities that resemble human Crohn's disease (for example, goblet cell defect that compromises intestinal mucus layer). This new study showed that experimental infection of Nod2-deficient mice with the parasitic worm Trichuris muris (T. muris) could restore small intestinal goblet cell numbers and morphology.

Earlier reports showed that intestinal abnormalities in Nod2-deficient mice dependent on gut flora species, Bacteroides vulgatus. Now, the authors showed that T. muris worm infection could reduce Bacteroides vulgatus burden in Nod2-deficient mice in a manner dependent on STAT6 signaling and IL-13 (type II immunity). Similar results were seen with a second worm infection, Heligmosomoides polygyrus.

Finally, the authors showed that worm infection specifically expanded another gut flora species, Clostridiales, that could directly inhibit pro-inflammatory Bacteroides vulgatus.

In summary, this study showed that in Nod2-deficient mice gut species Clostridiales represent defensive symbionts with an antagonistic interaction with another commensal bacteria, Bacteroidales. Worm infection of Nod2-deficient mice tips the balance in favor anti-inflammatory Clostridiales species. This knowledge could be utilized in treatment of Crohn's disease (for example, therapeutic worm infection or application of its derivative that promote type II immunity). 

David Usharauli

Steady-state IL-12p70-producing CD103+ DCs control magnitude of type II immunity

In my previous post I reviewed the role of microbiota and MyD88/TRIF pathway in CD103⁺ DC-derived TGF-β dependent IgA production. In the following review I will continue analyzing immunobiology of CD103⁺ DCs. Surprisingly, new paper published in JEM claims that CD103+ DCs naturally producing biologically active IL-12p70 restrain type II immunity during worm infection.

I have done some work on IL-12, so I was curious to review this paper. So lets begin. I will only show the data that I believe are relevant for the story. In first set of experiments, the authors showed that Batf3 ^-/- mice that lack CD103⁺ DCs have exaggerated type II response to S. mansoni eggs and worm infection itself (a typical Th2 trigger).

Similar exaggerated Th2 response were observed in Batf3 ^-/- mice infected with another Th2 trigger H. polygyrus. 

More importantly, Batf3 ^-/- mice showed increased resistance to H. polygyrus infection. 

To understand how Batf3-dependent CD103⁺ DCs influenced Th2 response, the authors analysed expression of IL-12, a cytokine known for its role in inhibiting Th2 response. Indeed, Batf3-dependent CD103⁺ DCs were main producers of steady-state IL-12 as measured by YFP expression under p40 promoter (p40 is a β chain of heterodimeric IL-12p70).

Finally, using bone marrow chimera, the authors showed that lack of biologically active IL-12 (IL-12p70) derived from Batf3-dependent CD103⁺ DCs was indeed responsible for exaggerated [and protective] Th2 response of Batf3^-/- mice to H. polygyrus.

Of note, in separate set of experiments with germ-free and MyD88/TRIF DKO mice, the authors claim that Batf3-dependent CD103⁺ DCs were producing biologically active IL-12p70 independently of microbiota or TLR signaling. However, in contrast to YFP expression, flow staining pattern with antibody against p40 revealed little staining of IL-12p40 in CD103⁺ DCs from any of the mice analyzed. So, if not the data with IL-12p35^-/-/Batf3^-/- BM chimera, I would have dismissed this whole study as an artifact (to be convincing the authors need to show these results with p40-YFP mice on GF and MyD88/TRIF background).

In summary, this study suggests that Batf3-dependent CD103⁺ DC-derived IL-12p70 influences magnitude of type II immunity.

David Usharauli

Adaptive Th2 cells can double as innate cells during allergy and helminth infection

Antigen specificity is a dominant feature of adaptive immune system. However, on occasions, fully differentiated effector T cells do show TCR-independent responsiveness to cytokines. Whether this is a good or bad thing is not easy to tell. 

For example, lets examine new paper published in Nature Immunology. This study, led by Bill Paul at National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that in absence of TCR signalling, fully differentiated Th2 cells could respond to type II priming cytokine IL-33 and secrete type II effector cytokine IL-13. These results could impact our understanding of allergy therapy.    

For this study the authors had used a dual-reporter mouse model, called 4C13R, where both cytokine IL-4 and IL-13 are genetically labeled. Initially, the authors showed that adoptively transferred in vitro differentiated Th2 OT-II transgenic T cells, on 4C13R background, could secrete IL-13 (but not IL-4) in response to cytokine IL-33 (in combination with STAT5 activator IL-7 or TSLP).

Similarly, the authors observed TCR-independent IL-13 secretion by in vivo differentiated Th2 OT-II 4C13R cells to a Papain challenge (Papain is a protease and has been shown to induce type II immune response).

This TCR-independent secretion of IL-13 by differentiated Th2 cells was driven by IL-33.

Since type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are known to respond to IL-33, the authors analyzed secretion of IL-13 by both Th2 and ILC cells after Papain challenge (here, mice were initially exposed to N. brasiliensis, a type II activator helminth). Both population could respond to Papain by secreting IL-13 (but not IL-4).

Similar results were obtained with another allergen, house dust mite extract (HDM).

Further experiments with RAG2-IL-2Rγ DKO hosts, which lack endogenous T and ILC2 cells, revealed that adoptive transfer of in vitro differentiated Th2 cells was sufficient to induce eosinophilia in lung tissue upon HDM exposure (allergen exposure).

The authors reasoned that in physiological situations initial antigenic priming would increase the number of Th2 cells to the level comparable to that of ILC2 and this would play a significant role in host protection or response to type II irritants (worm or allergen). Indeed, the authors showed that Th2 cells developed after first helminth infection could provide partial host protection to a second helminth infection, even in absence of ILC2 cells (in RORα bone marrow chimera).

In summary, these results suggest that adaptive immune cells can take the function of innate cells when necessary. Here, IL-13 appears to be a dominant cytokine that drives type II immune effector function (in 1990s ad early 2000s, the prevalent hypothesis positioned IL-4 in the center of type II immune effector response).

Such TCR-independent responsiveness has important implications for treatments of type II immune disorders such as allergy or dermatitis. For example, antigen (TCR ligand) desensitization protocol for allergy treatment may not provide full protection against allergic reaction due to IL-13 secretion (since it can be secreted independent of TCR signaling). On the other hand, blockade of IL-13 and IL-33 signaling may represent clinically relevant therapy (alone or in combination with antigen desensitization).  

David Usharauli