Vallet, H. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2020

Altered basal lipid metabolism underlies the functional impairment of naive CD8+ T cells in elderly humans

BackgroundAging is associated with functional deficits in the naive T cell compartment, which compromise the generation of de novo immune responses against previously unencountered antigens. The mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon have nonetheless remained unclear. MethodsBiochemical and functional properties of naive CD8+ T cells were characterized and compared between middle aged and older individuals. FindingsWe identified an age-related link between altered basal lipid metabolism in naive CD8+ T cells and their impaired responsiveness to stimulation, characterized by low proliferative potential and susceptibility to apoptosis. Reversal of the bioenergetic anomalies with lipid-altering drugs, such as rosiglitazone, improved the functional capabilities of naive CD8+ T cells in elderly subjects. InterpretationInterventions that favor lipid catabolism may find utility as adjunctive therapies in the elderly to promote vaccine-induced immunity against emerging pathogens or tumors. FundingA full list of the funding sources is detailed in the Acknowledgment section of the manuscript. RESEARCH IN CONTEXTO_ST_ABSEvidence before this studyC_ST_ABSOld subjects are highly susceptible to infections and tumors and usually present with low responses to vaccine. This is mainly due to the age-related loss of primary immune resources, i.e. a quantitative decline of naive CD8+ T cells. Nonetheless, few studies have also underlined, within this cell subset, qualitative defects in elderly subjects. Added value of this studyConsidering the well-demonstrated link between nutrient usage and lymphocyte functions, we characterized the bioenergetics features of old naive CD8+ T cells. Our data show an age-dependent altered basal metabolism in this cell subset, mostly at the levels of fatty acids and mitochondrial functions. These alterations were associated with functional defects which were partially reverted through the use of lipid-lowering strategies. Implications of all the available evidenceThis study highlights the potential role of an altered cellular lipid metabolism in immunosenescence, providing clues to understand the epidemiological profile of emerging infections or tumors and to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies based on metabolic manipulation.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

Two new immature and dysfunctional neutrophil cell subsets define a predictive signature of sepsis useable in clinical practice

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in adult intensive care units. At present, sepsis diagnosis relies on non-specific clinical features. It could transform clinical care to have objective immune cell biomarkers that could predict sepsis diagnosis and guide treatment. For decades, neutrophil phenotypes have been studied in sepsis, but a diagnostic cell subset has yet to be identified. Here, high dimensional mass cytometry was used to reveal for the first time a specific neutrophil signature of sepsis severity that does not overlap with other inflammatory biomarkers, and that distinguishes patients with sepsis from those with non-infectious inflammatory syndrome. Unsupervised analysis of 42-dimesional mass cytometry data characterized previously unappreciated heterogeneity within the CD64+ immature neutrophils and revealed two new subsets distinguished by CD123 and PD-L1 expression. These immature neutrophils exhibited diminished activation and phagocytosis functions. The proportion of CD123-expressing neutrophils also correlated with clinical severity. Critically, this study showed that these two new neutrophil subsets were specific to sepsis and detectable by routine flow cytometry using seven markers. The demonstration here that a simple blood test distinguishes sepsis from other inflammatory conditions represents a key biological milestone that can be immediately translated into improvements in patient care. One Sentence SummaryCD123+ and/or PD-L1+ immature and dysfunctional neutrophil subsets identified by mass cytometry, define an early human blood signature of sepsis

immunology↗