Intracerebral interleukin 12 induces glioma rejection in the brain predominantly by CD8+ T cells and independently of interferon-gamma.

The prognosis of gliomas is generally poor since these tumors elude established therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy might present an effective therapy in particular because the glioma cells are diffusely dispersed in the infiltration zone of the tumor and show a strong propensity to invade the surrounding brain along white matter tracts. Although various immune therapies for brain tumors are successful in rodents, there is currently no effective therapy in humans. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms by which intracerebral IL-12 mediates rejection of GL261 cells in a syngenic mouse glioma model. Wild type mice revealed smaller tumors as compared to mice lacking functional T and B cells indicating that considerable immune dependent tumor rejection occurs physiologically in this model. However, glioma rejection was significantly enhanced in mice expressing IL-12 in the CNS and was predominantly dependent on the presence of CD8+ T cells while CD4+ T cells had less impact. Interestingly, the rejection of tumors was independent of IFN-gamma. Our findings contrast results obtained after in vitro or systemic stimulation with IL-12 and demonstrate that successful IL-12 induced glioma rejection critically depends on the localization, duration and time of IL-12 expression.

Increased expression of the NK cell receptor KLRG1 by virus-specific CD8 T cells during persistent antigen stimulation.

The killer cell lectin-like receptor G1 (KLRG1) is a natural killer cell receptor expressed by T cells that exhibit impaired proliferative capacity. Here, we determined the KLRG1 expression by virus-specific T cells. We found that repetitive and persistent antigen stimulation leads to an increase in KLRG1 expression of virus-specific CD8+ T cells in mice and that virus-specific CD8+ T cells are mostly KLRG1+ in chronic human viral infections (human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus) but not in resolved infection (influenza virus). Thus, by using KLRG1 as a T-cell marker, our results suggest that the differentiation status and function of virus-specific CD8+ T cells are directly influenced by persistent antigen stimulation.

IFN-gamma promotes Fas ligand- and perforin-mediated liver cell destruction by cytotoxic CD8 T cells.

To study liver cell damage by CTL, CD8 T cells from P14 TCR transgenic (tg) mice specific for the gp33 epitope of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus with either deficiency in IFN-gamma (P14.IFN-gamma(null)), functional Fas ligand (P14.gld), or perforin (P14.PKO) were transferred into H8 tg mice ubiquitously expressing gp33 Ag. Treatment of H8 recipient mice with agonistic anti-CD40 Abs induced vigorous expansion of the transferred P14 T cells and led to liver cell destruction determined by increase of glutamate dehydrogenase serum levels and induction of caspase-3 in hepatocytes. Liver injury was mediated by the Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) pathway and by perforin, because P14.gld and P14.PKO T cells failed to induce increased glutamate dehydrogenase levels despite strong in vivo proliferation. In addition, H8 tg mice lacking Fas were resistant to the pathogenic effect of P14 T cells. Besides FasL and perforin, IFN-gamma was also required for liver cell damage, because P14.IFN-gamma(null) T cells adoptively transferred into H8 mice failed to induce disease. Moreover, Fas expression on hepatocytes from H8 recipient mice was increased after transfer of wild-type compared with P14.IFN-gamma(null) T cells, and wild-type P14 T cells expressed higher levels of FasL than P14 T cells lacking IFN-gamma. Thus, our data suggest that IFN-gamma released by activated CD8 T cells upon Ag contact facilitates liver cell destruction.

Lack of effector cell function and altered tetramer binding of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Tumor-specific CD8 T cell responses to MCA102 fibrosarcoma cells expressing the cytotoxic T cell epitope gp33 from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus were studied. MCA102(gp33) tumors grew progressively in C57BL/6 mice, despite induction of peripheral gp33-tetramer(+) T cells that were capable of mediating antiviral protection, specific cell rejection, and concomitant tumor immunity. MCA102(gp33) tumors were infiltrated with a high number ( approximately 20%) of CD11b(+)CD11c(-) macrophage-phenotype cells that were able to cross-present the gp33 epitope to T cells. Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells exhibited a highly activated phenotype but lacked effector cell function. Strikingly, a significant portion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expressed TCRs specific for gp33 but bound MHC tetramers only after cell purification and a 24-h resting period in vitro. The phenomenon of "tetramer-negative T cells" was not restricted to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from MCA102(gp33) tumors, but was also observed when Ag-specific T cells derived from an environment with high Ag load were analyzed ex vivo. Thus, using a novel tumor model, allowing us to trace tumor-specific T cells at the single cell level in vivo, we demonstrate that the tumor microenvironment is able to alter the functional activity of T cells infiltrating the tumor mass.

CD40 ligation in the presence of self-reactive CD8 T cells leads to severe immunopathology.

Previous work has shown that stimulation of APCs via CD40 strongly influences the outcome of a CD8 T cell response. In this study, we examined the effect of CD40 ligation on peripheral tolerance induction of self-reactive CD8 T cells in an adoptive transfer model. Naive CD8 T cells from TCR-transgenic (tg) mice specific for the gp33 epitope of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus were tolerized when transferred into H8-tg mice expressing the gp33 epitope under the control of a MHC class I promoter. However, if the H8 recipient mice were treated with agonistic anti-CD40 Abs, TCR-tg cells vigorously proliferated, and induced destruction of lymphoid organs and hepatitis. Break of peripheral tolerance induction was B cell independent and did not require CD28/B7 interactions. These findings provide further in vivo evidence for the crucial role of the activation state of the APC in peripheral tolerance induction and suggest the need for caution in systemically activating APC via CD40 ligation in the presence of self-reactive T cells.