First Author | Roessner PM | Year | 2020 |
Journal | Br J Haematol | Volume | 189 |
Issue | 1 | Pages | 133-145 |
PubMed ID | 31724172 | Mgi Jnum | J:298539 |
Mgi Id | MGI:6480231 | Doi | 10.1111/bjh.16316 |
Citation | Roessner PM, et al. (2020) TBET-expressing Th1 CD4(+) T cells accumulate in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia without affecting disease progression in Emicro-TCL1 mice. Br J Haematol 189(1):133-145 |
abstractText | Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is associated with alterations in T cell number, subset distribution and function. Among these changes, an increase in CD4(+) T cells was reported. CD4(+) T cells are a heterogeneous population and distinct subsets have been described to exert pro- and anti-tumour functions. In CLL, controversial reports describing the dominance of IFNgamma-expressing Th1 T cells or of IL-4-producing Th2 T cells exist. Our study shows that blood of CLL patients is enriched in Th1 T cells producing high amounts of IFNgamma. Moreover, we observed that their frequency remains relatively stable in CLL patients over a time course of five years. Furthermore, we provide evidence for an accumulation of Th1 T cells in the Emicro-TCL1 mouse model of CLL. As TBET (encoded by Tbx21) is a crucial transcription factor for Th1 polarization, we generated Tbx21(-/-) bone marrow chimaeric mice which showed a lower number of IFNgamma-producing Th1 T cells, and used them for adoptive transfer of Emicro-TCL1 leukaemia. Disease development in these mice was, however, comparable to that in wild-type controls, excluding a major role for TBET-expressing Th1 cells in Emicro-TCL1 leukaemia. Collectively, our data highlight that Th1 T cells accumulate in CLL but reducing their number has no impact on disease development. |