T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is an incurable aggressive T-cell lymphoma closely correlated with Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) infection. Chronic and consistent viral infection induces T-cell exhaustion. Herein, we describe T-cell dysfunction in NKTCL patients for the first time. Peripheral bloo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaoyan Feng, Miaomiao Meng, Hongwen Li, Yuyang Gao, Wenting Song, Ruiqing Di, Zhaoming Li, Xudong Zhang, Mingzhi Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:OncoImmunology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2162402X.2023.2212532
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846102314830528512
author Xiaoyan Feng
Miaomiao Meng
Hongwen Li
Yuyang Gao
Wenting Song
Ruiqing Di
Zhaoming Li
Xudong Zhang
Mingzhi Zhang
author_facet Xiaoyan Feng
Miaomiao Meng
Hongwen Li
Yuyang Gao
Wenting Song
Ruiqing Di
Zhaoming Li
Xudong Zhang
Mingzhi Zhang
author_sort Xiaoyan Feng
collection DOAJ
description Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is an incurable aggressive T-cell lymphoma closely correlated with Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) infection. Chronic and consistent viral infection induces T-cell exhaustion. Herein, we describe T-cell dysfunction in NKTCL patients for the first time. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from age-matched healthy donors (HDs) and NKTCL patients were collected, and lymphocyte distributions, multiple surface inhibitory receptors (IRs), effector cytokine production and cell proliferation were determined by flow cytometry. PBMCs from HDs were cocultured with NKTCL cell lines to verify the clinical findings. IR expression was further assessed in NKTCL tumor biopsies using multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). NKTCL patients have higher frequencies than HDs of inhibitory T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). T-cell distribution also varies between NKTCL patients and HDs. T cells from NKTCL patients demonstrated higher expression levels of multiple IRs than HDs. Meanwhile, T-cell proliferation and interferon-γ production was significantly reduced in NKTCL patients. More importantly, the number of EBV-specific cytotoxic cells was lower in NTKCL patients, and these cells demonstrated upregulation of multiple IRs and secreted fewer effector cytokines. Interestingly, NKTCL cells caused normal PBMCs to acquire T-cell exhaustion phenotypes and induced generation of Tregs and MDSCs. In line with ex vivo finding, mIHC results showed that CD8+ T cells from NKTCL tumor biopsies expressed much higher level of IRs compared with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia individuals. The immune microenvironment of NKTCL patients exhibited T-cell dysfunction and accumulation of inhibitory cell components, which may contribute to impaired antitumor immunity.
format Article
id doaj-art-e35c6cd512d74a9bb5a9889cdc7fe579
institution Kabale University
issn 2162-402X
language English
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series OncoImmunology
spelling doaj-art-e35c6cd512d74a9bb5a9889cdc7fe5792024-12-27T17:34:38ZengTaylor & Francis GroupOncoImmunology2162-402X2023-12-0112110.1080/2162402X.2023.2212532T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphomaXiaoyan Feng0Miaomiao Meng1Hongwen Li2Yuyang Gao3Wenting Song4Ruiqing Di5Zhaoming Li6Xudong Zhang7Mingzhi Zhang8Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, ChinaNatural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is an incurable aggressive T-cell lymphoma closely correlated with Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) infection. Chronic and consistent viral infection induces T-cell exhaustion. Herein, we describe T-cell dysfunction in NKTCL patients for the first time. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from age-matched healthy donors (HDs) and NKTCL patients were collected, and lymphocyte distributions, multiple surface inhibitory receptors (IRs), effector cytokine production and cell proliferation were determined by flow cytometry. PBMCs from HDs were cocultured with NKTCL cell lines to verify the clinical findings. IR expression was further assessed in NKTCL tumor biopsies using multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). NKTCL patients have higher frequencies than HDs of inhibitory T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). T-cell distribution also varies between NKTCL patients and HDs. T cells from NKTCL patients demonstrated higher expression levels of multiple IRs than HDs. Meanwhile, T-cell proliferation and interferon-γ production was significantly reduced in NKTCL patients. More importantly, the number of EBV-specific cytotoxic cells was lower in NTKCL patients, and these cells demonstrated upregulation of multiple IRs and secreted fewer effector cytokines. Interestingly, NKTCL cells caused normal PBMCs to acquire T-cell exhaustion phenotypes and induced generation of Tregs and MDSCs. In line with ex vivo finding, mIHC results showed that CD8+ T cells from NKTCL tumor biopsies expressed much higher level of IRs compared with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia individuals. The immune microenvironment of NKTCL patients exhibited T-cell dysfunction and accumulation of inhibitory cell components, which may contribute to impaired antitumor immunity.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2162402X.2023.2212532Epstein‒Barr virusinhibitory receptorsNK/T-cell lymphomaT-cell exhaustion
spellingShingle Xiaoyan Feng
Miaomiao Meng
Hongwen Li
Yuyang Gao
Wenting Song
Ruiqing Di
Zhaoming Li
Xudong Zhang
Mingzhi Zhang
T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
OncoImmunology
Epstein‒Barr virus
inhibitory receptors
NK/T-cell lymphoma
T-cell exhaustion
title T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
title_full T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
title_fullStr T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
title_full_unstemmed T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
title_short T-cell dysfunction in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma
title_sort t cell dysfunction in natural killer t cell lymphoma
topic Epstein‒Barr virus
inhibitory receptors
NK/T-cell lymphoma
T-cell exhaustion
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/2162402X.2023.2212532
work_keys_str_mv AT xiaoyanfeng tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT miaomiaomeng tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT hongwenli tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT yuyanggao tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT wentingsong tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT ruiqingdi tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT zhaomingli tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT xudongzhang tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma
AT mingzhizhang tcelldysfunctioninnaturalkillertcelllymphoma