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γδ T cells have been shown to stimulate the recruitment and activation of neutrophils through the release of a range of cytokines and chemokines. Here, we investigated the reverse relationship, showing that human neutrophils suppress the function of human blood γδ T cells. We show that the upregulation of CD25 and CD69 expression, the production of IFN-γ, and the proliferation of γδ T cells induced by (E)-1-hydroxy-2-methylbut-2-enyl 4-diphosphate are inhibited by neutrophils. Spontaneous activation of γδ T cells in culture is also suppressed by neutrophils. We show that inhibitors of prostaglandin E2 and arginase I do not exert any effect, although, in contrast, catalase prevents the suppression of γδ T cells induced by neutrophils, suggesting the participation of neutrophil-derived ROS. We also show that the ROS-generating system xanthine/xanthine oxidase suppresses γδ T cells in a similar fashion to neutrophils, while neutrophils from chronic granulomatous disease patients only weakly inhibit γδ T cells. Our results reveal a bi-directional cross-talk between γδ T cells and neutrophils: while γδ T cells promote the recruitment and the activation of neutrophils to fight invading pathogens, neutrophils in turn suppress the activation of γδ T cells to contribute to the resolution of inflammation.

Neutrophils are essential players in acute inflammatory responses. Upon stimulation, neutrophils activate NADPH oxidase, generating an array of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a major proinflammatory cytokine synthesized as a precursor that has to be proteolytically processed to become biologically active. The role of ROS in IL-1β processing is still controversial and has not been previously studied in neutrophils. We report here that IL-1β processing in human neutrophils is dependent on caspase-1 and on the serine proteases elastase and/or proteinase 3. NADPH oxidase deficient neutrophils activated caspase-1 and did not exhibit differences in NALP3 expression, indicating that ROS are neither required for inflammasome activation nor for its priming, as has been reported for macrophages. Strikingly, ROS exerted opposite effects on the processing and secretion of IL-1β; whereas ROS negatively controlled caspase-1 activity, as reported in mononuclear phagocytes, ROS were found to be necessary for the exportation of mature IL-1β out of the cell, a role never previously described. The complex ROS-mediated regulation of neutrophil IL-1β secretion might constitute a physiological mechanism to control IL-1β-dependent inflammatory processes where neutrophils play a crucial role.

Mutations in the transmembrane activator and calcium-modulating cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI) were previously found to be associated with hypogammaglobulinemia in humans. It has been shown that proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) elicits class switch recombination (CSR) by inducing recruitment of MyD88 to a TACI highly conserved cytoplasmic domain (THC). We have identified a patient with hypogammaglobulinemia carrying a missense mutation (S231R) predicted to affect the THC. Aiming to evaluate the relevance of this novel mutation of TACI in CSR induction, we tested the ability of TACI, TLR9, or/and CD40 ligands to trigger CSR in naive B cells and B-cell lines carrying S231R. IgG secretion was impaired when triggered by TACI or/and TLR9 ligands on S231R-naive B cells. Likewise, these stimuli induced less expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, I(γ)1-C(μ), and I(γ)1-C(μ), while induction by optimal CD40 stimulation was indistinguishable from controls. These cells also showed an impaired cooperation between TACI and TLR9 pathways, as well as a lack of APRIL-mediated enhancement of CD40 activation in suboptimal conditions. Finally, after APRIL ligation, S231R-mutated TACI failed to colocalize with MyD88. Collectively, these results highlight the requirement of an intact MyD88-binding site in TACI to trigger CSR.

γδ T cells have been shown to stimulate the recruitment and activation of neutrophils through the release of a range of cytokines and chemokines. Here, we investigated the reverse relationship, showing that human neutrophils suppress the function of human blood γδ T cells. We show that the upregulation of CD25 and CD69 expression, the production of IFN-γ, and the proliferation of γδ T cells induced by (E)-1-hydroxy-2-methylbut-2-enyl 4-diphosphate are inhibited by neutrophils. Spontaneous activation of γδ T cells in culture is also suppressed by neutrophils. We show that inhibitors of prostaglandin E2 and arginase I do not exert any effect, although, in contrast, catalase prevents the suppression of γδ T cells induced by neutrophils, suggesting the participation of neutrophil-derived ROS. We also show that the ROS-generating system xanthine/xanthine oxidase suppresses γδ T cells in a similar fashion to neutrophils, while neutrophils from chronic granulomatous disease patients only weakly inhibit γδ T cells. Our results reveal a bi-directional cross-talk between γδ T cells and neutrophils: while γδ T cells promote the recruitment and the activation of neutrophils to fight invading pathogens, neutrophils in turn suppress the activation of γδ T cells to contribute to the resolution of inflammation.

Neutrophils are essential players in acute inflammatory responses. Upon stimulation, neutrophils activate NADPH oxidase, generating an array of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a major proinflammatory cytokine synthesized as a precursor that has to be proteolytically processed to become biologically active. The role of ROS in IL-1β processing is still controversial and has not been previously studied in neutrophils. We report here that IL-1β processing in human neutrophils is dependent on caspase-1 and on the serine proteases elastase and/or proteinase 3. NADPH oxidase deficient neutrophils activated caspase-1 and did not exhibit differences in NALP3 expression, indicating that ROS are neither required for inflammasome activation nor for its priming, as has been reported for macrophages. Strikingly, ROS exerted opposite effects on the processing and secretion of IL-1β; whereas ROS negatively controlled caspase-1 activity, as reported in mononuclear phagocytes, ROS were found to be necessary for the exportation of mature IL-1β out of the cell, a role never previously described. The complex ROS-mediated regulation of neutrophil IL-1β secretion might constitute a physiological mechanism to control IL-1β-dependent inflammatory processes where neutrophils play a crucial role.