Innate-like hepatic CD1d-reative NKT cells:Liver Disease

描述（由申请人提供）：全世界近2亿人感染HCV。近2%的美国人口感染了HCV，某些人口群体的水平要高得多。在大多数情况下，暴露于HCV导致持续的慢性感染，并且大多数病例在出现症状之前仍未被发现。免疫抑制，无论是由于与几种病原体中的任何一种的共感染还是由于治疗，都会显著增强HCV介导的疾病进展。因此，HCV感染仍将是一个主要的长期公共卫生负担。尽管最近的证据表明，失败的免疫反应在丙型肝炎病毒感染的早期结果的持久性，很少有人知道的第一道防线，先天免疫。关于HCV感染中的外周血T细胞有相当多的信息，但对大约25%的肝内淋巴细胞（IHL）是“NKT”（T和NK细胞标志物）也知之甚少。一个主要的功能定义的NKT亚群，CD 1d反应性NKT和目标，CD 1d，是高度保守的，并在启动和控制抗病毒反应的作用，但也可以引起模型肝炎。我们已经确定了人肝CD 1d反应性NKT。该提议将确定HCV感染中人肝CD 1d反应性NKT是否具有促炎的功能潜力。我们将测试的假设，虽然CD 1d反应性NKT自然响应感染的CD 1d+肝细胞在急性抗病毒反应中的一种新的MHC I类路径，我们已经定义，他们的慢性刺激有助于肝脏病理。反过来，我们也提出肝细胞可以损伤CD 1d反应性NKT。最后，我们还将确定独特的肝脏形式的CD 1d在HCV感染的肝脏中表达的位置。 目标1。检验肝脏CD 1d反应性NKT可能在慢性HCV介导的肝炎中作为促炎和促纤维化细胞并可能导致肝损伤的假设。 目标2.确定HCV感染是否在体内增加CD 1d表达，并在体外增强肝脏CD 1d反应性NKT对肝脏形式CD 1d的识别。 这项研究将提供关于肝脏CD 1d-NKT细胞“轴”是否是HCV感染新型治疗干预的合适靶点的信息，并与其他合作者和P.I.在黑猩猩的急性HCV感染，以及肝脏免疫学和一般的“NKT”细胞上。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Worldwide nearly 200 million people are infected with HCV. Close to 2% of the U.S. population are infected with HCV, and levels in some demographic groups are much higher. In most cases, exposure to HCV results in persistent chronic infection and the majority of cases remain undetected until symptomatic. Immunosuppression, whether due to co-infection with any of several pathogens or due to treatment, enhances HCV-mediated disease progression substantially. Hence HCV infection will remain a major long-term public health burden. Despite recent evidence that failure of the immune response early in HCV infection results in persistence, little is known of the first line defense, innate immunity. There is considerable information about peripheral blood T cells in HCV infection, but little is also known of the approximately 25% intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHL) that are 'NKT' (both T & NK cell markers). A major functionally-defined NKT subset, CD1d-reactive NKT and target, CD1d, are highly conserved and have roles in initiation and control of antiviral responses, but can also cause model hepatitis. We have identified human hepatic CD 1d-reactive NKT. This proposal will determine whether human hepatic CD1d-reactive NKT in HCV infection have the functional potential to be pro-inflammatory. We will test the hypothesis that while CD1d-reactive NKT naturally respond to infected CD 1d+ liver cells during acute anti-viral responses in a novel MHC class-I like path we have defined, their chronic stimulation contributes to liver pathology. Reciprocally, we also propose that hepatocytes can damage CD1d-reactive NKT. Finally, we will also determine where the unique hepatic form of CD1d is expressed in HCV infected liver. Aim 1. Test the hypothesis that hepatic CD1d-reactive NKT may serve as pro-inflammatory and profibrotic cells in chronic HCV-mediated hepatitis and potentially contribute to liver injury. Aim 2. Determine whether HCV infection increases CD1d expression in vivo and enhances recognition of the hepatic form of CD1d by hepatic CD1d-reactive NKT in vitro. This study will provide information on whether the hepatic CD1d-NKT cell 'axis' is a suitable target for novel therapeutic interventions in HCV infection and are complementary to others of the collaborators and P.I. on acute HCV infection in chimpanzees, as well as on liver immunology and on 'NKT' cells in general.