Gastrointestinal B-cells license metabolic T-cell activation in NASH microbiota anigen-independently and contribute to fibrosis by IgA-FcRy signalling
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ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal B-cells license metabolic T-cell activation in NASH microbiota anigen-independently and contribute to fibrosis by IgA-FcRy signalling
Project description:Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a T-cell mediated, auto-aggressive condition that can result in progressive liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastrointestinal B-cells are activated and increased in number in mouse and human NASH, licensing metabolic-cell activation to induce NASH antigen- and microbiota-independently. Genetic or therapeutic depletion of B-cells systemically or gastrointestinal B-cells specifically prevented or reverted NASH and fibrosis. Clinical and molecular analyses from NASH patients demonstrated IgA-levels and activated FcRy+ hepatic myeloid cells to correlate with liver fibrosis degree.
Project description:Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is increasing in incidence due to the obesity epidemic, is a T-cell mediated, auto-aggressive condition that can result in progressive liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The gut-liver axis contributes to NASH, yet mechanisms underlying metabolic T-cell activation and NASH-related fibrosis have largely remained elusive. We found that gastrointestinal B-cells are activated and increased in number in mouse/human NASH, allowing metabolic T-cell activation to induce NASH antigen- and microbiota-independently. Genetic/therapeutic depletion of B-cells systemically or of gastrointestinal B-cells specifically, prevented or reverted NASH and fibrosis. Secretion of immunoglobulins was essential for NASH and fibrosis development. IgA secretion was necessary for fibrosis-induction by activating CD11b+CCR2+F4/80+CD11c-FCGR1+ hepatic myeloid cells through an IgA-FcRγ signaling-axis. Furthermore, clinical/molecular analyses from NASH-patients demonstrated IgA and activated FcRγ+ hepatic myeloid cells to correlate with the degree of liver-fibrosis. Thus, gastrointestinal B-cells and the IgA-FcRγ signaling-axis on hepatic myeloid cells represent potential therapeutic targets to treat NASH.
Project description:Gastrointestinal B-cells license metabolic T-cell activation in NASH microbiota/antigen-independently and contribute to fibrosis by IgA-FcRγ signaling
Project description:Purpose: Aim of the study was to identify transcriptional changes in the intestinal B cells of NASH-affected mice versus healthy mice. Results: RNA-Seq analysis in both sorted CD19+/CD20+ and sorted B220+ cells, revealed increased expression levels in genes involved in lipid metabolism, and in antigen presentation, BCR signaling, B cells activation and proliferation. Conclusion: Mice bearing NASH (both WT and μMT choline-deficient high-fat diet (CD-HFD) fed mice) display altered B cells in the gastrointestinal tract towards an activated phenotype and increased proliferation induced by the CD-HFD.
Project description:Intestinal B cells license metabolic T-cell activation in NASH microbiota/antigen-independently and contribute to fibrosis by IgA-FcR signalling
Project description:Background & aimsThe progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is aggravated by auto-aggressive T cells. The gut-liver axis contributes to NASH, but the mechanisms involved and the consequences for NASH-induced fibrosis and liver cancer remain unknown. We investigated the role of gastrointestinal B cells in the development of NASH, fibrosis and NASH-induced HCC.MethodsC57BL/6J wild-type (WT), B cell-deficient and different immunoglobulin-deficient or transgenic mice were fed distinct NASH-inducing diets or standard chow for 6 or 12 months, whereafter NASH, fibrosis, and NASH-induced HCC were assessed and analysed. Specific pathogen-free/germ-free WT and μMT mice (containing B cells only in the gastrointestinal tract) were fed a choline-deficient high-fat diet, and treated with an anti-CD20 antibody, whereafter NASH and fibrosis were assessed. Tissue biopsy samples from patients with simple steatosis, NASH and cirrhosis were analysed to correlate the secretion of immunoglobulins to clinicopathological features. Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis were performed in liver and gastrointestinal tissue to characterise immune cells in mice and humans.ResultsActivated intestinal B cells were increased in mouse and human NASH samples and licensed metabolic T-cell activation to induce NASH independently of antigen specificity and gut microbiota. Genetic or therapeutic depletion of systemic or gastrointestinal B cells prevented or reverted NASH and liver fibrosis. IgA secretion was necessary for fibrosis induction by activating CD11b+CCR2+F4/80+CD11c-FCGR1+ hepatic myeloid cells through an IgA-FcR signalling axis. Similarly, patients with NASH had increased numbers of activated intestinal B cells; additionally, we observed a positive correlation between IgA levels and activated FcRg+ hepatic myeloid cells, as well the extent of liver fibrosis.ConclusionsIntestinal B cells and the IgA-FcR signalling axis represent potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of NASH.Impact and implicationsThere is currently no effective treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with a substantial healthcare burden and is a growing risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have previously shown that NASH is an auto-aggressive condition aggravated, amongst others, by T cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that B cells might have a role in disease induction and progression. Our present work highlights that B cells have a dual role in NASH pathogenesis, being implicated in the activation of auto-aggressive T cells and the development of fibrosis via activation of monocyte-derived macrophages by secreted immunoglobulins (e.g., IgA). Furthermore, we show that the absence of B cells prevented HCC development. B cell-intrinsic signalling pathways, secreted immunoglobulins, and interactions of B cells with other immune cells are potential targets for combinatorial NASH therapies against inflammation and fibrosis.
Project description:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by a series of pathological changes that can progress from simple fatty liver disease to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The objective of this study is to describe changes in global gene expression associated with the progression of NAFLD. This study is focused on the expression levels of genes responsible for the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of drugs. Differential gene expression between three clinically defined pathological groups; normal, steatosis and NASH was analyzed. The samples were diagnosed as normal, steatotic, NASH with fatty liver (NASH fatty) and NASH without fatty liver (NASH NF). Genome-wide mRNA levels in samples of human liver tissue were assayed with Affymetrix GeneChipM-. Human 1.0ST arrays
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third most common cancer, originates from differentiated hepatocytes undergoing compensatory proliferation in livers damaged primarily by viruses or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)1,2. While increasing HCC risk3, NASH also induces TP53-dependent hepatocyte senescence4. How this tumor-suppressive response is activated but eventually bypassed to license HCC progression is unknown. We identified the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) as a TP53 target, induced in senescent NASH hepatocytes but downregulated in most human HCCs. Initial FBP1 downregulation in disease-associated hepatocytes, whose accumulation precedes HCC development5, activates AKT to inhibits GSK3 substrate binding, thereby augmenting activation of NRF2 which accelerates FBP1 and TP53 degradation. Intrinsic NRF2 activation and FBP1 loss trigger overlapping transcriptomic responses that suppress senescence, enhance hepatocyte proliferation and metabolism, and enable NRAS- or NASH-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. This AKT-dependent metabolic switch, operative in mice and humans, controls NASH to HCC progression. Our results further suggest that NASH-related hepatocyte senescence is triggered by hypernutrition-induced single strand DNA breaks. Senescence reversal enables HCC progenitor expansion and somatic mutagenesis.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originates from differentiated hepatocytes undergoing compensatory proliferation in livers damaged by viruses or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). While increasing HCC risk, NASH triggers TP53-dependent hepatocyte senescence, which we found to parallel hypernutrition-induced DNA breaks. How this tumor-suppressive response is bypassed to license accumulation of oncogenic mutations and enable HCC progression was previously unknown. We identified the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) as a TP53 target that is elevated in senescent-like NASH hepatocytes but suppressed through promoter hypermethylation and proteasomal degradation in most human HCCs. FBP1 first declines in metabolically-stressed premalignant disease-associated hepatocytes and HCC progenitor cells, paralleling the protumorigenic activation of AKT and NRF2. By accelerating FBP1 and TP53 degradation AKT and NRF2 enhance the proliferation and metabolic activity of previously senescent HCC progenitors. The senescence-reversing NRF2-FBP1-AKT-TP53 metabolic switch, operative in mice and humans, also enhances proliferation-enabled accumulation of DNA damage-induced somatic mutations that drive NASH to HCC progression.
Project description:To compare gene expression between CD11b+ IgA and CD11b- IgA cells in the small intestine, each cell population was isolated from the murine small intestine. Similar experiment with different sample was performed as described in Gene expression on CD11b+ IgA and CD11b- IgA cells in the small intestine #02