1. |
- Alaridah, Nader, et al.
(author)
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Impaired CXCR1-dependent oxidative defence in active tuberculosis patients.
- 2015
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In: Tuberculosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-281X .- 1472-9792. ; 95:6, s. 744-750
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Much of the pronounced host inflammatory response that occurs in tuberculosis (TB) is related to failed immunity against the invading pathogen. The G-protein coupled receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 are implicated in important signal transduction pathways in lung inflammatory responses. We investigated the expression and function of these receptors in a simple whole blood model from 24 patients with pulmonary TB and in subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI). Healthy controls were recruited from close contacts to the pulmonary index patients. We found that pulmonary TB patients had significantly increased CXCR1 expression on blood cells compared to LTBI subjects and controls (p < 0.001). In contrast, LTBI subjects had a significant increase in CXCR2 expression compared to pulmonary TB patients (p < 0.001) and controls (p < 0.01). Leukocyte function, measured as oxidative capacity, was decreased in pulmonary TB patients compared to LTBI and controls (p < 0.001) and correlated with the increased CXCR1 expression. Leukocyte recruitment, measured as the expression of microRNA-223 was increased in pulmonary TB patients compared to LTBI (p < 0.05). We found that variations in receptor expression are linked to disease progression and affect the immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).
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2. |
- Alaridah, Nader, et al.
(author)
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Mycobacteria Manipulate G-Protein-Coupled Receptors to Increase Mucosal Rac1 Expression in the Lungs
- 2017
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In: Journal of Innate Immunity. - : S. Karger AG. - 1662-811X .- 1662-8128. ; 9, s. 318-329
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is currently the only approved vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). BCG mimics M. tuberculosis (Mtb) in its persistence in the body and is used as a benchmark to compare new vaccine candidates. BCG was originally designed for mucosal vaccination, but comprehensive knowledge about its interaction with epithelium is currently lacking. We used primary airway epithelial cells (AECs) and a murine model to investigate the initial events of mucosal BCG interactions. Furthermore, we analysed the impact of the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), CXCR1 and CXCR2, in this process, as these receptors were previously shown to be important during TB infection. BCG infection of AECs induced GPCR-dependent Rac1 up-regulation, resulting in actin redistribution. The altered distribution of the actin cytoskeleton involved the MAPK signalling pathway. Blocking of the CXCR1 or CXCR2 prior to infection decreased Rac1 expression, and increased epithelial transcriptional activity and epithelial cytokine production. BCG infection did not result in epithelial cell death as measured by p53 phosphorylation and annexin. This study demonstrated that BCG infection of AECs manipulated the GPCRs to suppress epithelial signalling pathways. Future vaccine strategies could thus be improved by targeting GPCRs.
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3. |
- Alaridah, Nader, et al.
(author)
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Transmission dynamics study of tuberculosis isolates with whole genome sequencing in southern Sweden
- 2019
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Epidemiological contact tracing complemented with genotyping of clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates is important for understanding disease transmission. In Sweden, tuberculosis (TB) is mostly reported in migrant and homeless where epidemiologic contact tracing could pose a problem. This study compared epidemiologic linking with genotyping in a low burden country. Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (n = 93) collected at Scania University Hospital in Southern Sweden were analysed with the standard genotyping method mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) and the results were compared with whole genome sequencing (WGS). Using a maximum of twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as the upper threshold of genomic relatedness noted among hosts, we identified 18 clusters with WGS comprising 52 patients with overall pairwise genetic maximum distances ranging from zero to nine SNPs. MIRU-VNTR and WGS clustered the same isolates, although the distribution differed depending on MIRU-VNTR limitations. Both genotyping techniques identified clusters where epidemiologic linking was insufficient, although WGS had higher correlation with epidemiologic data. To summarize, WGS provided better resolution of transmission than MIRU-VNTR in a setting with low TB incidence. WGS predicted epidemiologic links better which could consolidate and correct the epidemiologically linked cases, avoiding thus false clustering.
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4. |
- Alaridah, Nader
(author)
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Tuberculosis - Clinical Value of Initial Host Molecular Signalling and Molecular Fingerprinting
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is principally a pulmonary pathogen infecting one-third of the world's population and causing two million deaths annually. The only approved tuberculosis vaccine today is the Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG). BCG vaccine is used as a benchmark to compare the immunogenicity of new vaccines, but not much is known about its mechanisms to induce protection. We investigated the initial events of mycobacterial activation of airway epithelial cells (AECs) through the signalling pathways of toll like receptors (TLRs) and the G- protein coupled receptors (GPCR; CXCR1, CXCR2). Our data indicate that mycobacteria attenuate epithelial pro-inflammatory production by supressing NF-B activation, thereby supporting the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-22 and IL-10. BCG infection of AECs also resulted in epithelial actin redistribution that involved the MAPK signalling pathway. This study demonstrated that BCG infection of AECs manipulated the GPCRs to suppress epithelial signalling pathways. Future vaccine strategies could thus be improved by targeting GPCRs.In a second part of the thesis, we investigated the expression and function of GPCRs in a simple whole blood model from patients with pulmonary TB and in subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI). We found variations in GPCRs as pulmonary TB patients had significantly increased CXCR1 expression on blood cells compared to LTBI subjects and controls. These variations in receptor expression were linked to disease progression and affected the immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). As an airborne infection, tuberculosis (TB) has no boundaries and easily spreads by migration from one region to another. In this study, 93 patient Mtb-isolates, previously genotypically analysed by standard techniques, were re-analysed by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Compared to the standard genotyping, WGS had an overall high match in identifying cluster transmissions in this patient population. When comparing the different techniques individually, WGS and epidemiological data had the highest cluster similarity, while MIRU-VNTR had less cluster resolution. We can conclude that WGS is well suited for identifying transmission clusters in settings with low TB incidence.
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5. |
- Lutay, Nataliya, et al.
(author)
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Mycobacteria Bypass Mucosal NF-kB Signalling to Induce an Epithelial Anti-Inflammatory IL-22 and IL-10 Response.
- 2014
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mechanisms by which mycobacteria subvert the inflammatory defence to establish chronic infection remain an unresolved question in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Using primary epithelial cells, we have analysed mycobacteria induced epithelial signalling pathways from activation of TLRs to cytokine secretion. Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Guerin induced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)3 by PI3K-Akt in the signalling pathway downstream of TLR2 and TLR4. Mycobacteria did not supress NF-κB by activating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. Instead the pro-inflammatory NF-κB was bypassed by mycobacteria induced GSK3 inhibition that promoted the anti-inflammatory transcription factor CREB. Mycobacterial infection did not thus induce mucosal pro-inflammatory response as measured by TNFα and IFNγ secretion, but led to an anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-22 production. Apart from CREB, MAP3Ks p38 and ERK1/2 activated the transcription factor AP-1 leading to IL-6 production. Interestingly, blocking of TLR4 before infection decreased epithelial IL-6 secretion, but increased the CREB-activated IL-10 production. Our data indicate that mycobacteria supress epithelial pro-inflammatory production by supressing NF-κB activation thereby shifting the infection towards an anti-inflammatory state. This balance between the host immune response and the pathogen could determine the outcome of infection.
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6. |
- Mohanty, Soumitra, et al.
(author)
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A mycobacterial phosphoribosyltransferase promotes bacillary survival by inhibiting oxidative stress and autophagy pathways in macrophages and zebrafish.
- 2015
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In: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 1083-351X. ; 290:21, s. 13321-13343
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) employs various strategies to modulate host immune responses to facilitate its persistence in macrophages. The Mtb cell wall contains numerous glycoproteins with unknown role in pathogenesis. Here, by using concavalinA and LC-MS analysis we identified a novel mannosylated glycoprotein phosphoribosyl- transferase, encoded by the Rv3242c, from Mtb cell walls. Homology modeling, bioinformatic analyses and assay of phosphoribosyltransferase activity measurement in Mycobacterium smegmatis expressing recombinant Rv3242c (MsmRv3242c) confirmed the mass spectrometry data. Using Mycobacterium marinum-zebrafish and the surrogate MsmRv3242c infection models, we proved that phosphoribosyltransferase is involved in mycobacterial virulence. Histological and infection assays showed that M. marinum mimG mutant, an Rv3242c orthologue in a pathogenic M. marinum strain, was strongly attenuated in adult zebrafish and also survived less in macrophages. In contrast, infection with wild-type and the complemented ∆mimG:Rv3242c M. marinum strains showed prominent pathological features such as severe emaciation, skin lesions, hemorrhaging, and more zebrafish death. Similarly, recombinant MsmRv3242c bacteria showed increased invasion in non-phagocytic epithelial cells and longer intracellular survival in macrophages as compared to wild-type and vector control M. smegmatis strains. Further mechanistic studies revealed that the Rv3242c and mimG mediated enhancement of intramacrophagic survival was due to inhibition of autophagy, reactive oxygen species and reduced activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes. Infection with MsmRv3242c also activated the MAPK pathway, NF-κB and inflammatory cytokines. In summary, we show that a novel mycobacterial mannosylated phosphoribosyltransferase acts as a virulence and immunomodulatory factors, suggesting that it may constitute a novel target for antimycobacterial drugs.
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7. |
- Tenland, Erik, et al.
(author)
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A novel derivative of the fungal antimicrobial peptide plectasin is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- 2018
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In: Tuberculosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1472-9792 .- 1873-281X. ; 113, s. 231-238
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tuberculosis has been reaffirmed as the infectious disease causing most deaths in the world. Co-infection with HIV and the increase in multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains complicate treatment and increases mortality rates, making the development of new drugs an urgent priority. In this study we have identified a promising candidate by screening antimicrobial peptides for their capacity to inhibit mycobacterial growth. This non-toxic peptide, NZX, is capable of inhibiting both clinical strains of M. tuberculosis and an MDR strain at therapeutic concentrations. The therapeutic potential of NZX is further supported in vivo where NZX significantly lowered the bacterial load with only five days of treatment, comparable to rifampicin treatment over the same period. NZX possesses intracellular inhibitory capacity and co-localizes with intracellular bacteria in infected murine lungs. In conclusion, the data presented strongly supports the therapeutic potential of NZX in future anti-TB treatment.
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8. |
- Tenland, Erik, et al.
(author)
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Innate immune responses after airway epithelial stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis Bacille-Calmette Guérin
- 2016
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mycobacterium bovis bacilli Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is used as a benchmark to compare the immunogenicity of new vaccines against tuberculosis. This live vaccine is administered intradermal, but several new studies show that changing the route to mucosal immunisation represents an improved strategy. We analysed the immunomodulatory functions of BCG on human neutrophils and primary airway epithelial cells (AECs), as the early events of mucosal immune activation are unclear. Neutrophils and the primary epithelial cells were found to express the IL-17A receptor subunit IL-17RA, while the expression of IL-17RE was only observed on epithelial cells. BCG stimulation specifically reduced neutrophil IL-17RA and epithelial IL-17RE expression. BCG induced neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), but did not have an effect on apoptosis as measured by transcription factor forkhead box O3 (FOXO3). BCG stimulation of AECs induced CXCL8 secretion and neutrophil endothelial passage towards infected epithelia. Infected epithelial cells and neutrophils were not found to be a source of IL-17 cytokines or the interstitial collagenase MMP-1. However, the addition of IFNγ or IL-17A to BCG stimulated primary epithelial cells increased epithelial IL-6 secretion, while the presence of IFNγ reduced neutrophil recruitment. Using our model of mucosal infection we revealed that BCG induces selective mucosal innate immune responses that could lead to induction of vaccine-mediated protection of the lung.
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