CD8 + T lymphocytes play a key role in host defense, in particular against important persistent viruses, although the critical functional properties of such cells in tissue are not fully defined. We have previously observed that CD8 + T cells specific for tissue-localized viruses such as hepatitis C virus express high levels of the C-type lectin CD161. To explore the significance of this, we examined CD8 + CD161 + T cells in healthy donors and those with hepatitis C virus and defined a population of CD8 + T cells with distinct homing and functional properties. These cells express high levels of CD161 and a pattern of molecules consistent with type 17 differentiation, including cytokines (e.g., IL-17, IL-22), transcription factors (e.g., retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γ-t, P = 6 × 10 −9 ; RUNX2, P = 0.004), cytokine receptors (e.g., IL-23R, P = 2 × 10 −7 ; IL-18 receptor, P = 4 × 10 −6 ), and chemokine receptors (e.g., CCR6, P = 3 × 10 −8 ; CXCR6, P = 3 × 10 −7 ; CCR2, P = 4 × 10 −7 ). CD161 + CD8 + T cells were markedly enriched in tissue samples and coexpressed IL-17 with high levels of IFN-γ and/or IL-22. The levels of polyfunctional cells in tissue was most marked in those with mild disease ( P = 0.0006). These data define a T cell lineage that is present already in cord blood and represents as many as one in six circulating CD8 + T cells in normal humans and a substantial fraction of tissue-infiltrating CD8 + T cells in chronic inflammation. Such cells play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis and arthritis and potentially in other infectious and inflammatory diseases of man.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are an innate-like T-cell population restricted by the non-polymorphic, major histocompatibility complex class I-related protein 1, MR1. MAIT cells are activated by a broad range of bacteria through detection of riboflavin metabolites bound by MR1, but their direct cytolytic capacity upon recognition of cognate target cells remains unclear. We show that resting human MAIT cells are uniquely characterized by a lack of granzyme (Gr) B and low perforin expression, key granule proteins required for efficient cytotoxic activity, but high levels of expression of GrA and GrK. Bacterial activation of MAIT cells rapidly induced GrB and perforin, licensing these cells to kill their cognate target cells. Using a novel flow cytometry-based killing assay, we show that licensed MAIT cells, but not ex vivo MAIT cells from the same donors, can efficiently kill Escherichia coli-exposed B-cell lines in an MR1- and degranulation-dependent manner. Finally, we show that MAIT cells are highly proliferative in response to antigenic and cytokine stimulation, maintaining high expression of GrB, perforin, and GrA, but reduced expression of GrK following antigenic proliferation. The tightly regulated cytolytic capacity of MAIT cells may have an important role in the control of intracellular bacterial infections, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Human mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT)CD8 IntroductionHuman mucosal associated invariant T cells (MAIT) are defined by an invariant usage of the T-cell receptor chain V␣ 7.2, restriction by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related protein MR1, and most recently have been shown to exhibit high expression of the C-type lectin CD161 (CD161 ϩϩ ), and IL18R. 1 Human MAIT cells have been described to be CD8␣␤, CD8␣␣, or doublenegative (DN) although a differential role for these different subsets has not been explored. Independently, we have described a human tissue-homing CD161 ϩϩ CD8 ϩ T-cell subset to be Tc17 cells, enriched at inflammatory sites including liver and joints. 2 Type-17 function has been recently confirmed in the MAIT cell population. 3 CD161 ϩϩ CD8 ϩ and MAIT-cells share key differentiation factors with Th17 cells, including cytokine expression (IL-17A and IL22), transcription factors (ROR␥t and RUNX2), chemokine receptors (CCR6 and CCR2), and cytokine receptors (IL23R and IL18R). There is growing recognition that these data describe the same phenomenon in parallel or overlapping populations, although this has not been fully defined to date, and the relationship between the 2 subsets remains unclear. Given the recent emergence of these cell types in diverse diseases, including multiple sclerosis, 4 this remains a significant unanswered question.CD161 was first identified as a potential lineage identifier for human Th17 cells when it was found to be a highly up-regulated gene on microarray comparison of gene expression between Th1, Th2, and Th17 clones, and circulating Th17 cells were contained within the CCR6 ϩ CD161 ϩ CD4 ϩ population. 5 Cord blood CD161 ϩ CD4 ϩ CD8 Ϫ , CD8 ϩ CD4 Ϫ and CD4 Ϫ CD8 Ϫ TCR␣␤ ϩ , and TCR␥␦ ϩ cells already express IL-23R and ROR␥t mRNA, and produce IL-17, unlike their CD161 counterparts. The transcription factor ROR␥t has been defined as the driver for the hallmark features of these cells, as CD161, IL-23R, and IL-17 expression could be directly induced by RORC2 transduction of CD161-cord cells. 6 In humans, CD161/NKR-P1A encoded by the KLRB1 gene, is expressed by a wide variety of human immune cells; natural killer (NK) cells, NK T cells, CD4 ϩ T cells, CD8 ϩ T cells, and ␥␦ T cells. Lectin-like transcript-1 (LLT1) 7,8 and PILAR 9 have been identified as ligands for CD161, although the role of such ligation on CD161 ϩϩ CD8 ϩ / MAIT-cells remains to be defined.NK T cells and MAIT-cells are the only lymphocyte populations to have a restricted TCR repertoire and restricting MHC molecule that is conserved between species. NK T cells are more abundant in mice, whereas MAIT-cells are more numerous in man, representing up to 15% of human CD8 ϩ T cells. Their developmental pathways are distinct. NK T cells are selected, expand and develop their innate-like phenotype, and function before exit from the thymus. They already express the transcription factor ZBTB16, which is crucial for their ready innate/effector functions. 10-12 MAIT-cells are naive and low in number i...

The liver is an important immunological organ that remains sterile and tolerogenic in homeostasis, despite continual exposure to non-self food and microbial-derived products from the gut. However, where intestinal mucosal defenses are breached or in the presence of a systemic infection, the liver acts as a second 'firewall', because of its enrichment with innate effector cells able to rapidly respond to infections or tissue dysregulation. One of the largest populations of T cells within the human liver are mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a novel innate-like T-cell population that can recognize a highly conserved antigen derived from the microbial riboflavin synthesis pathway. MAIT cells are emerging as significant players in the human immune system, associated with an increasing number of clinical diseases of bacterial, viral, autoimmune and cancerous origin. As reviewed here, we are only beginning to investigate the potential role of this dominant T-cell subset in the liver, but the reactivity of MAIT cells to both inflammatory cytokines and riboflavin derivatives suggests that MAIT cells may have an important role in first line of defense as part of the liver firewall. As such, MAIT cells are promising targets for modulating the host defense and inflammation in both acute and chronic liver diseases.

Human mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are an important T cell subset that are enriched in tissues and possess potent effector functions. Typically such cells are marked by their expression of Vα7.2-Jα33/Jα20/Jα12 T cell receptors, and functionally they are major histocompatibility complex class I-related protein 1 (MR1)-restricted, responding to bacterially derived riboflavin synthesis intermediates. MAIT cells are contained within the CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cell population, the majority of which express the CD8 receptor (CD8+), while a smaller fraction expresses neither CD8 or CD4 coreceptor (double negative; DN) and a further minority are CD4+. Whether these cells have distinct homing patterns, phenotype and functions have not been examined in detail. We used a combination of phenotypic staining and functional assays to address the similarities and differences between these CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cell subsets. We find that most features are shared between CD8+ and DN CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cells, with a small but detectable role evident for CD8 binding in tuning functional responsiveness. By contrast, the CD4+ CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cell population, although showing MR1-dependent responsiveness to bacterial stimuli, display reduced T helper 1 effector functions, including cytolytic machinery, while retaining the capacity to secrete interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13. This was consistent with underlying changes in transcription factor (TF) expression. Although we found that only a proportion of CD4+ CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cells stained for the MR1-tetramer, explaining some of the heterogeneity of CD4+ CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cells, these differences in TF expression were shared with CD4+ CD161++ MR1-tetramer+ cells. These data reveal the functional diversity of human CD161++ Vα7.2+ T cells and indicate potentially distinct roles for the different subsets in vivo.

The C-type lectin-like receptor CD161 is expressed on lymphocytes found in human gut and liver, as well as blood, especially Natural Killer cells, T helper 17 cells and a population of unconventional T cells known as Mucosal Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells. The association of high CD161 expression with innate T cell populations including MAIT cells is established. Here we show that CD161 is also expressed, at intermediate levels, on a prominent subset of polyclonal CD8+ T cells, including anti-viral populations, which display a memory phenotype. These memory CD161int CD8+ T cells are enriched within the colon and express both CD103 and CD69, markers associated with tissue residence. Furthermore, this population was characterised by enhanced polyfunctionality, increased levels of cytotoxic mediators and high expression of the transcription factors T-bet and Eomesodermin. Such populations were induced by novel vaccine strategies based on adenoviral vectors, currently in trial against Hepatitis C virus. Thus, intermediate CD161 expression marks potent polyclonal, polyfunctional tissue-homing CD8+ T cell populations in humans. Since induction of such responses represents a major aim of T cell prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines in viral disease and cancer, analysis of these populations could be of value in the future.

CD161 is a C-type lectin-like receptor expressed on the majority of natural killer (NK) cells; however, the significance of CD161 expression on NK cells has not been comprehensively investigated. Recently, we found that CD161 expression identifies a transcriptional and innate functional phenotype that is shared across various T cell populations. Using mass cytometry and microarray experiments, we demonstrate that this functional phenotype extends to NK cells. CD161 marks NK cells that have retained the ability to respond to innate cytokines during their differentiation, and is lost upon cytomegalovirus-induced maturation in both healthy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. These pro-inflammatory NK cells are present in the inflamed lamina propria where they are enriched for integrin CD103 expression. Thus, CD161 expression identifies NK cells that may contribute to inflammatory disease pathogenesis and correlates with an innate responsiveness to cytokines in both T and NK cells.

SUMMARYAnti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) have been proposed as serological markers, which may differentiate Crohn's disease (CD) from ulcerative colitis (UC) and predict disease phenotype. Their importance in pathogenesis is unproven. We investigated the relationship between ASCAs, disease phenotype and NOD2/CARD15 genotype in CD and whether ASCAs were related to antibodies to other fungal proteins. Serum from 228 patients [143 CD, 75 UC, 10 with indeterminate colitis (IC)] and 78 healthy controls (HC) were assayed for ASCA. Antibodies (IgA, IgG) to other fungal proteins ( Fusarium species ATC20334, Mycoprotein) were measured in the same samples using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay. ASCAs were present in 57% of CD, 19% of UC, 30% of IC and 8% of HCs. ASCA-positive status was a predictor for CD with sensitivity of 57%, specificity of 87%, positive predictive value of 78% and negative predictive value of 68%. ASCA was associated with proximal (gastroduodenal and small bowel involvement) rather than purely colonic disease ( P < 0·001) and with a more severe disease phenotype and requirement for surgery over a median follow-up time of 9 years ( P < 0·0001). No associations with NOD2/CARD15 mutations were seen. There was no association between ASCA and antibodies to MP (IgA or IgG). These data implicate ASCA as a specific marker of disease location and progression in CD, emphasizing the heterogeneity within IBD.