TY - JOUR
T1 - Generation and regulation of human CD4+ IL-17-producing T cells in ovarian cancer
AU - Miyahara, Yoshihiro
AU - Odunsi, Kunle
AU - Chen, Wenhao
AU - Peng, Guangyong
AU - Matsuzaki, Junko
AU - Wang, Rong Fu
PY - 2008/10/7
Y1 - 2008/10/7
N2 - Despite the important role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, their prevalence and the mechanisms by which they are generated and regulated in cancer remain unclear. Here, we report the presence of a high percentage of CD4+ Th17 cells at sites of ovarian cancer, compared with a low percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors and cancer patients. Analysis of cytokine production profiles revealed that ovarian tumor cells, tumor-derived fibroblasts, and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) secreted several key cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β, which formed a cytokine milieu that regulated and expanded human IL-17-producing T-helper (Th17) cells. We further show that IL-1β was critically required for the differentiation and expansion of human Th17 cells, whereas IL-6 and IL-23 may also play a role in the expansion of memory Th17 cells, even though IL-23 levels are low or undetectable in ovarian cancer. Further experiments demonstrated that coculture of naïve or memory CD4+ T cells with tumor cells, APCs, or both could generate high percentages of Th17 cells. Treatment with anti-IL-1 alone or a combination of anti-IL-1 and anti-IL-6 reduced the ability of tumor cells to expand memory Th17 cells. Thus, we have identified a set of key cytokines secreted by ovarian tumor cells and tumor-associated APCs that favor the generation and expansion of human Th17 cells. These findings should accelerate efforts to define the function of this important subset of CD4+ T cells in the human immune response to cancer.
AB - Despite the important role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, their prevalence and the mechanisms by which they are generated and regulated in cancer remain unclear. Here, we report the presence of a high percentage of CD4+ Th17 cells at sites of ovarian cancer, compared with a low percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors and cancer patients. Analysis of cytokine production profiles revealed that ovarian tumor cells, tumor-derived fibroblasts, and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) secreted several key cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β, which formed a cytokine milieu that regulated and expanded human IL-17-producing T-helper (Th17) cells. We further show that IL-1β was critically required for the differentiation and expansion of human Th17 cells, whereas IL-6 and IL-23 may also play a role in the expansion of memory Th17 cells, even though IL-23 levels are low or undetectable in ovarian cancer. Further experiments demonstrated that coculture of naïve or memory CD4+ T cells with tumor cells, APCs, or both could generate high percentages of Th17 cells. Treatment with anti-IL-1 alone or a combination of anti-IL-1 and anti-IL-6 reduced the ability of tumor cells to expand memory Th17 cells. Thus, we have identified a set of key cytokines secreted by ovarian tumor cells and tumor-associated APCs that favor the generation and expansion of human Th17 cells. These findings should accelerate efforts to define the function of this important subset of CD4+ T cells in the human immune response to cancer.
KW - Cancer immunology
KW - Immune regulation
KW - T cell differentiation
KW - Th17 cells
KW - Tumor microenvironment
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0710686105
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0710686105
M3 - Article
C2 - 18832156
AN - SCOPUS:55749098500
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 105
SP - 15505
EP - 15510
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 40
ER -