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Rewiring of gene networks underlying mite allergen-induced CD4 + Th-cell responses during immunotherapy

ABSTRACT: Background: Multiple regulatory mechanisms have been identified employing conventional hypothesis-driven approaches as contributing to allergen-specific immunotherapy outcomes, but understanding of how these integrate to maintain immunological homeostasis is incomplete. Objective: To explore the potential for unbiased systems-level gene co-expression network analysis to advance understanding of immunotherapy mechanisms. Methods: We profiled genome-wide allergen-induced Th-cell responses prospectively during 24 months subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in 25 rhinitis, documenting changes in immunoinflammatory pathways and associated co-expression networks and their relationships to symptom scores out to 36 months. Results: Prior to immunotherapy, mite-induced Th-cell response networks involved multiple discrete co-expression modules including those related to Th2-, type1 IFN-, inflammation- and FOXP3/IL2-associated signalling. A signature comprising 109 genes correlated with symptom scores, and these mapped to cytokine signalling/T-cell activation-associated pathways, with upstream drivers including hallmark Th1/Th2- and inflammation-associated genes. Reanalysis after 3.5 months SCIT updosing detected minimal changes to pathway/upstream regulator profiles despite 32.5% symptom reduction; however, network analysis revealed underlying merging of FOXP3/IL2-with inflammation-and Th2-associated modules. By 12 months SCIT, symptoms had reduced by 41% without further significant changes to pathway/upstream regulator or network profiles. Continuing SCIT to 24 months stabilized symptoms at 47% of baseline, accompanied by upregulation of the type1 IFN-associated network module and its merging into the Th2/FOXP3/IL2/inflammation module. Conclusions: Subcutaneous immunotherapy stimulates progressive integration of mite-induced Th cell-associated Th2-, FOXP3/IL2-, inflammation- and finally type1 IFN-signalling subnetworks, forming a single highly integrated co-expression network module, maximizing potential for stable homeostatic control of allergen-induced Th2 responses via cross-regulation. Th2-antagonistic type1 IFN signalling may play a key role in stabilizing clinical effects of SCIT.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE122290 | GEO | 2021/11/02

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Cow milk (CM) allergy is the most prevalent food allergy in young children in the US and Great Britain. Current diagnostic tests are either unreliable (IgE, skin prick test), or resource-intensive with risks (food challenges). Here we set out to determine if allergen-specific T cells in cow milk allergic (CMA) patients have a distinct quality and/or quantity that could potentially be used as a diagnostic marker. Starting from cow milk extract, we mapped T cell responses to a set of reactive epitopes that we compiled in a peptide pool. This pool induced cytokine responses in in vitro cultured cells distinguishing allergic from non-allergic subjects. Using single-cell RNA and paired TCR sequencing we detected significant changes in the transcriptional program and clonality of cow milk antigen-specific (CM+) T cells elicited by the pool in allergic vs. non-allergic subjects ex vivo. CM+ T cells from allergic subjects had increased percentages of FOXP3+ over FOXP3- cells. FOXP3+ cells are often equated with regulatory T cells (Tregs) that have suppressive activity, but CM+ FOXP3+ cells from allergic subjects showed significant expression of interferon-responsive genes and dysregulated chemokine receptor expression compared to non-allergic subjects, suggesting that these are not conventional Tregs. The CM+ FOXP3+ cells were also more clonally expanded than the FOXP3- population. We were further able to utilize surface markers (CD25, CD127, CCR7) in combination with our peptide pool stimulation to quantify these CM+ FOXP3+ cells by a simple flow cytometry assay. We show increased percentages of CM+ CD127-CD25+ cells from CMA subjects in an independent cohort, which could be used for diagnostic purposes. Looking specifically for Th2 cells normally associated with allergic diseases, we found a small population of clonally expanded CM+ cells that were significantly increased in CMA subjects and that had high expression of Th2 cytokines and pathogenic Th2/Tfh markers. Overall, these findings suggest that there are several differences in the phenotype of CM+ T cells with CM allergy and that the increase in CM+ FOXP3+ cells is a potential diagnostic marker of an allergic state. Such markers have promising applications in monitoring natural disease outgrowth and/or the efficacy of immunotherapy that will need to be validated in future studies.

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Rewiring of gene networks underlying mite allergen-induced CD4 + Th-cell responses during immunotherapy

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