T細胞免疫,特別是病毒特異性T細胞免疫在控制B肝病毒感染和清除病毒中發揮核心作用,在慢性B肝感染中,高濃度的病毒抗原長期作用是誘導T細胞免疫耐受和特異性T細胞耗竭的直接原因,T細胞免疫功能受損直接導致病毒持續性感染和病毒難以清除。但長期以來,B肝慢性感染中T細胞抗病毒功能缺陷與免疫耐受的調控機制並不清楚,這阻礙了進一步設計有效的針對性免疫治療方案和藥物。
中科院微生物研究所孟頌東課題組研究發現,在慢性B肝患者T細胞中,microRNA-146a水平在病毒抗原和炎症因子的作用下明顯上調,microRNA-146a的上調通過靶向Stat1顯著抑制T細胞的抗病毒功能,這為揭示病毒感染導致T細胞功能受損和免疫耐受提供了闡釋。
有趣的是,課題組還發現B肝病毒核心蛋白在60位胺基酸由亮氨酸突變為纈氨酸時會產生一個新的T細胞表位,同時導致病毒複製水平明顯增加。通過臨床資料分析發現,該位點突變導致B肝患者病毒水平和肝臟免疫損傷均急劇升高,提示T細胞免疫應答、病毒複製和肝臟病理損傷三者存在複雜相互作用。
以上研究為揭示B肝慢性感染中T細胞免疫耐受與T細胞介導的「旁觀」效應引發肝損傷提供了新的機制,為進一步了解B肝感染T細胞免疫應答機制和新型藥物設計提供了依據。
成果分別發表在Journal of Immunology (191:193-301, 2013)和Journal of Virology (doi:10.1128/JVI.00577-13, 2013)。
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
Journal of Virology doi:10.1128/JVI.00577-13, 2013
The L60V variation in HBV core protein elicits new epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and enhances viral replication
Yu Zhang, Yulin Ren, Yan Wu, Bao Zhao, Lipeng Qiu, Xiaodong Li, Dongping Xu, Jun Liu, George F. Gao1 and Songdong Meng
Mutations in the core protein (HBc) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) are associated with aggressive hepatitis and advanced liver diseases in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In this study, we identified the L60V variation in HBc that generates a new HLA-A2-restricted CD8+ T cell epitope by screening an overlapping 9-mer peptide pool covering HBc and its variants. The nonameric epitope V60 were determined by structural and immunogenic analysis. The HBc L60V variation is correlated with hepatic necroinflammation and higher viral levels, and it may be associated with poor prognosis in CHB patients. Immunization with the defined HBV epitope V60 peptide elicited specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-induced liver injury in HLA-A2+/HBV transgenic mice. In addition, in vitro and in vivo experiments both demonstrated that the HBc L60V variation facilitates viral capsid assembly and increases HBV replication. These data suggest that the HBc L60V variation can impact both HBV replication and HBV-specific T cell responses. Therefore, our work provides further dissection of the impact of the HBc L60V variation, which orchestrates HBV replication, viral persistence, and immunopathogenesis during chronic viral infection.