Monocytic MDSCs homing to thymus contribute to age-related CD8+ T cell tolerance of HBV

  • Zhong Fang
  • , Yi Zhang
  • , Zhaoqin Zhu
  • , Cong Wang
  • , Yao Hu
  • , Xiuhua Peng
  • , Dandan Zhang
  • , Jun Zhao
  • , Bisheng Shi
  • , Zhongliang Shen
  • , Min Wu
  • , Chunhua Xu
  • , Jieliang Chen
  • , Xiaohui Zhou
  • , Youhua Xie
  • , Hui Yu
  • , Xiaonan Zhang
  • , Jianhua Li
  • , Yunwen Hu
  • , Maya Kozlowski
  • Antonio Bertoletti, Zhenghong Yuan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Hepatitis B virus exposure in children usually develops into chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Although hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-specific CD8+ T cells contribute to resolve HBV infection, they are preferentially undetected in CHB patients. Moreover, the mechanism for this rarely detected HBsAg-specific CD8+ T cells remains unexplored. We herein found that the frequency of HBsAg-specific CD8+ T cells was inversely correlated with expansion of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (mMDSCs) in young rather than in adult CHB patients, and CCR9 was upregulated by HBsAg on mMDSCs via activation of ERK1/2 and IL-6. Sequentially, the interaction between CCL25 and CCR9 mediated thymic homing of mMDSCs, which caused the cross-presentation, transferring of peripheral HBsAg into the thymic medulla, and then promoted death of HBsAg-specific CD8+ thymocytes. In mice, adoptive transfer of mMDSCs selectively obliterated HBsAg-specific CD8+ T cells and facilitated persistence of HBV in a CCR9-dependent manner. Taken together, our results uncovered a novel mechanism for establishing specific CD8+ tolerance to HBsAg in chronic HBV infection.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere20211838
Pages (from-to)1-18
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume219
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Apr 2022
Externally publishedYes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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