Interleukin-21 promotes Type-1 activation and cytotoxicity of CD56dimCD16bright natural killer cells during kidney allograft antibody-mediated rejection showing a new link between adaptive and innate humoral allo-immunity

Copyright © 2023 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

The role of Natural killer (NK) cells during kidney allograft antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is increasingly recognized, but an in-depth characterization of mechanisms that contribute to such immune response is still under investigation. Here, we characterized phenotypic, functional, and transcriptomic profiles of peripheral blood circulating and allograft infiltrating CD56dimCD16bright NK cells during anti-HLA donor-specific antibody (DSA)+ ABMR. Cross-sectional analyses performed in 71 kidney transplant recipients identified a unique phenotypic circulating CD56dimCD16bright NK cell cluster expanded in DSA+ ABMR. This cluster co-expressed high levels of the interleukin-21 Receptor (IL-21R); Type-1 transcription factors T-bet and EOMES, CD160 and natural killer group 2D cytotoxic and activating co-stimulatory receptors. CD160+ IL-21R+ NK cells correlated with elevated plasma IL-21, Ki-67+ ICOS+ (CD278) IL-21-producing circulating T follicular helper cells, enhanced Type-1 pro-inflammatory cytokines, NK cell cytotoxicity, worse microvascular inflammation and graft loss. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of circulating NK cells delineated an expanded cluster in DSA+ ABMR characterized by elevated pro-inflammatory/cytotoxic pathways, IL-21/STAT3 signaling, and leukocyte trans-endothelial migration pathways. Infiltration of CD160+ IL-21R+ NK cells with similar transcriptomic profile was detected in DSA+ ABMR allograft biopsies, potentially contributing to allograft injury. Thus, the IL-21/IL-21R axis, linking adaptive and innate humoral allo-immunity, or NK cells may represent appealing immunotherapy targets in DSA+ ABMR.

Errataetall:

CommentIn: Kidney Int. 2023 Oct;104(4):644-646. - PMID 37739612

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:104

Enthalten in:

Kidney international - 104(2023), 4 vom: 15. Okt., Seite 707-723

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Bailly, Elodie [VerfasserIn]
Macedo, Camila [VerfasserIn]
Ossart, Jason [VerfasserIn]
Louis, Kevin [VerfasserIn]
Gu, Xinyan [VerfasserIn]
Ramaswami, Bala [VerfasserIn]
Bentlejewski, Carol [VerfasserIn]
Zeevi, Adriana [VerfasserIn]
Randhawa, Parmjeet [VerfasserIn]
Lefaucheur, Carmen [VerfasserIn]
Metes, Diana [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Alloantibody
Antibodies
Antibody-mediated rejection
Cytotoxicity
IL-21
Interleukin-21
Journal Article
Kidney transplantation
MKM3CA6LT1
Natural killer cell
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 25.09.2023

Date Revised 03.10.2023

published: Print-Electronic

CommentIn: Kidney Int. 2023 Oct;104(4):644-646. - PMID 37739612

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.kint.2023.04.024

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM35723216X