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Morphologic and molecular analysis of liver injury after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reveals distinct characteristics [TCR-seq, BCR-seq]

ABSTRACT: Background and Aims: Liver injury after COVID-19 vaccination is very rare and shows clinical and histomorphological similarities with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Little is known about the pathophysiology of COVID-19 vaccine-induced liver injury (VILI) and its relationship to AIH. Therefore, we compared VILI with AIH. Methods: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy samples from patients with VILI (n=6) and from patients with an initial diagnosis of AIH (n=9) were included. Both cohorts were compared by histomorphological evaluation, whole-transcriptome and spatial transcriptome sequencing, multiplex immunofluorescence and immune repertoire sequencing. Results: Histomorphology was similar in both cohorts but showed more pronounced centrilobular necrosis in VILI. Gene expression profiling showed that mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress-related pathways were more and interferon response pathways less enriched in VILI. Multiplex analysis revealed that inflammation in VILI was dominated by CD8+ effector T cells, similar to drug-induced autoimmune like hepatitis (DI-AILH). In contrast, AIH showed a dominance of CD4+ effector T cells and CD79a+ B and plasma cells. T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) sequencing showed that T- and B-cell clones were more dominant in VILI than in AIH. In addition, many T-cell clones detected in the liver were also found in the blood. Interestingly, analysis of TCR beta chain and Ig heavy chain variable-joining gene usage further showed that TRBV6-1, TRBV5-1, TRBV7-6 and IgHV1-24 genes are used differently in VILI than in AIH. Conclusions: Our analyses support that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-induced liver injury is related to AIH but also shows distinct differences from AIH in histomorphology, pathway activation, cellular immune infiltrates, and TCR usage. VILI may be a separate entity, which is distinct from AIH and more closely related to DI-AILH.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE229424 | GEO | 2023/06/12

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Rationale: Using an ortholog candidate gene approach, we previously identified GADD45a (growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45a) as a potential novel candidate involved in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Objectives: We investigated whether genetically engineered mice with GADD45a deletion were more susceptible to ventilator- or endotoxin (LPS)-induced lung injury. We employed genomic strategies to explore the mechanistic involvement of GADD45a in inflammatory lung injury. Methods: Wild-type C57Bl/6 and GADD45a-/- mice were phenotyped for lung injury following exposure to high tidal volume ventilation (VILI) or intratracheal LPS. Whole lung homogenates were utilized for gene expression studies of ventilated animals and spontaneously breathing controls. To explore the consequences of GADD45a depletion on lung vascular permeability, electrical resistance was measured using human endothelial cells (EC) transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for GADD45a or control sequence, or with active Akt1/PKBï¡ cDNA. Results: Mice harboring deletion of GADD45a were modestly susceptible to LPS-induced injury and profoundly susceptible to VILI, demonstrating increased inflammation and increased microvascular permeability. VILI-exposed GADD45a-/- mice manifested striking neutrophilic alveolitis and increased levels of BAL protein, IgG, and inflammatory cytokines. Expression profiling revealed strong dysregulation in the B cell receptor signaling pathway in GADD45a-/- mice, with involvement of several PI3K/Akt signaling components. Akt protein and phospho-Akt were reduced in GADD45a-/- lungs. Further, human EC with reduced GADD45a (siRNA) exhibited potentiated LPS-induced barrier dysfunction, which was attenuated by overexpressing active Akt1. Conclusions: GADD45a, which modulates Akt availability, is a significant participant in modulating vascular permeability and susceptibility to VILI. Experiment Overall Design: 4 experimental groups, each with 3 mouses. Wild type control group, VILI group, GADD-/- group, GADD-/- and VILI group.

Project description:Background & Aims: In most autoimmune disorders, crosstalk of B cells and CD4 T cells results in the accumulation of autoantibodies targeting specific self-antigen like the Soluble Liver Antigen (SLA or SepSecs) in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). But the associated autoreactive CD4 T cells have not been characterized yet. Here we isolated and deeply characterized SLA-specific CD4 T cells in AIH patients. Methods: We used brief ex vivo re-stimulation with overlapping SLA-derived peptides to isolate and phenotype circulating SLA-specific CD4 T cells, and integrative single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to characterize their transcriptome and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. Identified auto-reactive TCRs were reconstituted cloned and expressed in T cell hybridoma to identify dominant SLA-derived CD4 T cell epitopes. SLA-specific CD4 T cells were tracked in peripheral blood through TCR sequencing, to identify their phenotypic niche. We further characterized disease-associated peripheral blood T cells by high content flow cytometry in an additional cohort of n=42 AIH patients and n=17 non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) controls. Results: Frequency of autoreactive SLA-specific CD4 T cells was associated with anti-SLA autoantibodies and had a memory CD45RA-CD27+PD-1+CXCR5-CCR6- phenotype. ScRNA-seq revealed their pro-inflammatory/B-Helper profile (IL21, IFNG, TIGIT, CTLA4, NR3C1, CD109, KLRB1 and CLEC2D). SLA81-100 and SLA177-204 contain dominant T cell epitopes. Autoreactive TCR clonotypes were restricted to the memory PD-1+CXCR5- CD4 T cells which was significantly increased in the blood of AIH patients and supported B cell differentiation through IL-21. Finally, we identified a specific phenotype (CD45RA-PD-1+CD38+CXCR5-CD127-CD27+) of T cells linked to disease activity and IgG response during AIH. Conclusions: This work provides for the first time a deep characterization of rare circulating autoreactive CD4 T cells and the identification of their peripheral reservoir in AIH. We also propose a generic phenotype of pathogenic T cells related to AIH disease activity which will be essential to track, delineate and potentially target those pathogenic cells.

Project description:Acute lung injury (ALI), a major cause of acute respiratory failure with high morbidity and mortality, isare characterized by significant pulmonary inflammation and both alveolar and vascular barriers dysfunction. In Pprior studies have highlighted the role of nonmuscle myosin light chain kinase (nmMLCK) as an essential element of inflammatory response with MYLK polymorphisms associated withwhich alters ALI susceptibility. In the present study we sought to further define nmMLCK in acute inflammatory syndromes and examined We examined nmMLCK as a molecular target involved in increase of lung epithelial and endothelial barrier permeability. We utilized in two muirine models of inflammatory lung injury: intratracheal administration of endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2.5 mg/kg) and VILI (ventilator-induced lung injury, tidal volume 40ml/kg). Two complementary strategies were used to reduce nmMLCK activity or expression. We found that membrane permeant oligopeptide, PIK, inhibited MLC kinase activity in vitro in aand displayed dose-dependent mannerinhibition of MLC kinase activity.. Intravenous delivery of PIK significantly attenuated LPS-induced lung inflammation reflected by decreasing accumulation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) albumin (~ 50% reduction) as well as reduction in BAL cells, tissue MPO activity and tissue albumin in lung homogenates. A second regulatory approach explored targeting murine nmMLCK by administration of siRNA (5mg/kg) 3 days prior to LPS challenge. siRNA decreased of nmMLCK expression in lungs (~ 70% reduction) and resulted in significant attenuation LPS-induced lung inflammation (~ 40% reduction) as reflected by decreased BAL protein level and BAL cells. For targeting pulmonary vessels nmMLCK we used ACE antibody-conjugated liposomes with nmMLCK siRNA in murine ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) model. Protein silencing of nmMLCK was evident by immunohistochemical analysis with a decrease in relative intensity of fluorescence in lung vessels compared with control animals. Furthermore, the inhibition of nmMLCK expression by siRNA in vessels significantly attenuated VILI lung injury as reflected by decreased BAL protein level (40% reduction). Finally, MLCK knockout mice were significantly protected (reduced BAL protein and albumin) when exposed to a model of severe VILI (4h, 40ml/kg tidal volume). Conclusion: the MLCK gene KO and chemical biology results indicate that the targeting of nmMLCK in vivo attenuate the severity of LPS-induced or VILI acute lung injury. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression induced by VILI in Wild type and nmMLCK-/- mouse. Experiment Overall Design: four group (n=3) of animals were treated by SB (Spontaneouse breathing) or VILI (4 hours, 30 ml/kg tidal volume) in Wild type or nmMLCK-/- animals;

Project description:RATIONALE: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is an indispensable therapy for critically ill patients with acute lung injury and the adult respiratory distress syndrome. However, the mechanisms by which conventional MV induces lung injury remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that disruption of the gene encoding Nrf2, a transcription factor which regulates the induction of several antioxidant enzymes, enhances susceptibility to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), while antioxidant supplementation attenuates such effect. METHODS: To test our hypothesis and to examine the relevance of oxidative stress in VILI, here we have assessed lung injury and inflammatory responses in Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2(-/-)) mice and wildtype (Nrf2(+/+)) animals following acute (2 h) injurious model of MV with or without administration of antioxidant. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Nrf2(-/-) mice displayed greater levels of lung alveolar and vascular permeability and inflammatory responses to MV as compared to Nrf2(+/+) mice. Nrf2-deficieny enhances the levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines implicated in the pathogenesis of VILI. We found diminished levels of critical antioxidant enzymes and redox imbalance by MV in the lungs of Nrf2(-/-) mice; however antioxidant supplementation to Nrf2(-/-) mice remarkably attenuated VILI. When subjected to clinically relevant prolong period of MV, Nrf2(-/-) mice displayed greater levels of VILI than Nrf2(+/+) mice. Expression profiling revealed lack of induction of several VILI genes, stress response and solute carrier proteins and phosphatases in Nrf2(-/-) mice. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data demonstrate for the first time a critical role for Nrf2 in VILI, which confers protection against cellular responses induced by MV by modulating oxidative stress. Experiment Overall Design: The Nrf2 wildtype (Nrf2+/+) and Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2â/â) CD-1/ICR strains of mice were subjected to mechanical ventilation with high (HVT) amounts of tidal volumes (VT) at 30 ml/kg for 2 hours. The animals subjected to spontaneous ventilation (SpV) for 2 hours were used as controls. Lungs were immediately removed and processed for total RNA isolation using TRIzol reagent (LifeTechnologies, Grand Island, NY). The isolated RNA was applied to Murine Genome 430A GeneChip arrays (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA), which contain probes for detecting ~14,500 well-characterized genes and 4371 expressed sequence tags according to standard microarray protocol. Scanned output files were analyzed by using Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software and were independently normalized to an average intensity of 500.

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Morphologic and molecular analysis of liver injury after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reveals distinct characteristics [TCR-seq, BCR-seq]

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