Much focus has been on the interaction of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on malignant B cells with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) on effector T cells in inhibiting antilymphoma immunity. We sought to establish the contribution of natural killer (NK) cells and inhibitory CD163 monocytes/macrophages in Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Levels of PD-1 on NK cells were elevated in cHL relative to DLBCL. Notably, CD3CD56CD16 NK cells had substantially higher PD-1 expression relative to CD3CD56CD16 cells and were expanded in blood and tissue, more marked in patients with cHL than patients with DLBCL. There was also a raised population of PD-L1-expressing CD163 monocytes that was more marked in patients with cHL compared with patients with DLBCL. The phenotype of NK cells and monocytes reverted back to normal once therapy (ABVD [doxorubicin 25 mg/m, bleomycin 10 000 IU/m, vinblastine 6 mg/m, dacarbazine 375 mg/m, all given days 1 and 15, repeated every 28 days] or R-CHOP [rituximab 375 mg/m, cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m IV, doxorubicin 50 mg/m IV, vincristine 1.4 mg/m (2 mg maximum) IV, prednisone 100 mg/day by mouth days 1-5, pegfilgrastim 6 mg subcutaneously day 4, on a 14-day cycle]) had commenced. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) expressed high levels of PD-L1/PD-L2 within diseased lymph nodes. Consistent with this, CD163/PD-L1/PD-L2 gene expression was also elevated in cHL relative to DLBCL tissues. An in vitro functional model of TAM-like monocytes suppressed activation of PD-1 NK cells, which was reversed by PD-1 blockade. In line with these findings, depletion of circulating monocytes from the blood of pretherapy patients with cHL and patients with DLBCL enhanced CD3CD56CD16 NK-cell activation. We describe a hitherto unrecognized immune evasion strategy mediated via skewing toward an exhausted PD-1-enriched CD3CD56CD16 NK-cell phenotype. In addition to direct inhibition of NK cells by the malignant B cell, suppression of NK cells can occur indirectly by PD-L1/PD-L2-expressing TAMs. The mechanism is more prominent in cHL than DLBCL, which may contribute to the clinical sensitivity of cHL to PD-1 blockade.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a classical autoimmune liver disease for which effective immunomodulatory therapy is lacking. Here we perform meta-analyses of discovery datasets from genome-wide association studies of European subjects (n=2,764 cases and 10,475 controls) followed by validation genotyping in an independent cohort (n=3,716 cases and 4261 controls). We discover and validate six previously unknown risk loci for PBC (Pcombined<5×10−8) and used pathway analysis to identify JAK-STAT/IL12/IL27 signaling and cytokine-cytokine pathways, for which relevant therapies exist.

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Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic disorder characterised by an immunological, and often granulomatous, attack on bile ducts leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and death. Animal and human studies suggest that oxidant stress plays a key role in progression of other liver diseases, but no comprehensive investigation has been performed previously in PBC. A wide range of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant markers were measured in the blood and urine of 41 patients with histologically confirmed PBC. Lipid peroxidation markers were significantly elevated [plasma and urinary 8-isoprostane, P<0.001; plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), P=0.007] compared to age- and sex-matched controls. The most striking antioxidant depletion occurred with plasma total glutathione where levels were significantly reduced (30% of controls). Total serum antioxidant levels were decreased (P=0.013) and serum selenium and vitamin A were also lower (both P<0.001); vitamins C and E were normal. Most patients had early disease biochemically and were Child-Pugh grade A. Urinary 8-isoprostane correlated positively with Ludwig stage and markers of hepatic injury and cholestasis. This study clearly demonstrates that oxidant stress, as reflected in a comprehensive spectrum of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant markers, is a significant feature of early-stage PBC.

Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland, Kasey-Anne Oklobdzijato Memorial Fund, the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group (Malcolm Broomhead Bequest), the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, and the Cancer Council of Queensland.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the intratumoral T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and the tumor microenvironment (TME) in de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and the impact of TCR on survival.Experimental Design: We performed high-throughput unbiased TCRb sequencing on a population-based cohort of 92 patients with DLBCL treated with conventional (i.e., non-checkpoint blockade) frontline "R-CHOP" therapy. Key immune checkpoint genes within the TME were digitally quantified by nanoString. The primary endpoints were 4-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).Results: The TCR repertoire within DLBCL nodes was abnormally narrow relative to non-diseased nodal tissues (P < 0.0001). In DLBCL, a highly dominant single T-cell clone was associated with inferior 4-year OS rate of 60.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 31.7%-79.6%], compared with 79.8% in patients with a low dominant clone (95% CI, 66.7%-88.5%; P ¼ 0.005). A highly dominant clone also predicted inferior 4-year PFS rate of 46.6% (95% CI, 22.5%-76.6%) versus 72.6% (95% CI, 58.8%-82.4%, P ¼ 0.008) for a low dominant clone. In keeping, clonal expansions were most pronounced in the EBV þ DLBCL subtype that is known to express immunogenic viral antigens and is associated with particularly poor outcome. Increased T-cell diversity was associated with significantly elevated PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 immune checkpoint molecules. Conclusions: Put together, these findings suggest that the TCR repertoire is a key determinant of the TME. Highly dominant T-cell clonal expansions within the TME are associated with poor outcome in DLBCL treated with conventional frontline therapy.

The pathogenesis of chronic urticaria is not well delineated and the treatment is palliative as it is not tied to the pathomechanism. The centrality of mast cells and their inappropriate activation and degranulation as the key pathophysiological event are well established. The triggering stimuli and the complexity of effector mechanisms remain speculative. Autoimmune origin of chronic urticaria, albeit controversial, is well documented. Numerical and behavioral alterations in basophils accompanied by changes in signaling molecule expression and function as well as aberrant activation of extrinsic pathway of coagulation are other alternative hypotheses. It is also probable that mast cells are involved in the pathogenesis through mechanisms that extend beyond high affinity IgE receptor stimulation. An increasing recognition of chronic urticaria as an immune mediated inflammatory disorder related to altered cytokine-chemokine network consequent to immune dysregulation resulting from disturbed innate immunity is emerging as yet another pathogenic explanation. It is likely that these different pathomechanisms are interlinked rather than independent cascades, acting either synergistically or sequentially to produce clinical expression of chronic urticaria. Insights into the complexities of pathogenesis may provide an impetus to develop safer, efficacious, and targeted immunomodulators and biological treatment for severe, refractory chronic urticaria.