Th1 cell immune response in Talaromyces marneffei infection with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody syndrome

Ye Qiu; Zheng-Tu Li; Wen Zeng; Jing-Lu Yang; Meng-Xin Tang; Yan Wang; Hao-Ru Wang; Yuanxiang Li; Yang-Qing Zhan; Shao-Qiang Li; Jian-Quan Zhang; Feng Ye

doi:10.1128/spectrum.03646-23

Microbiology Spectrum (May 2024)

Th1 cell immune response in Talaromyces marneffei infection with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody syndrome

Ye Qiu,
Zheng-Tu Li,
Wen Zeng,
Jing-Lu Yang,
Meng-Xin Tang,
Yan Wang,
Hao-Ru Wang,
Yuanxiang Li,
Yang-Qing Zhan,
Shao-Qiang Li,
Jian-Quan Zhang,
Feng Ye

Affiliations

Ye Qiu: Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Cancer Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Zheng-Tu Li: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Wen Zeng: Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
Jing-Lu Yang: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Meng-Xin Tang: Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Yan Wang: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Hao-Ru Wang: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Yuanxiang Li: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Yang-Qing Zhan: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Shao-Qiang Li: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Jian-Quan Zhang: Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Feng Ye: State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03646-23
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 5

Abstract

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ABSTRACTAnti-interferon-γ autoantibody (AIGA) syndrome may be the basis of disseminated Talaromyces marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults. However, the pathogenesis of Th1 cell immunity in T. marneffei infection with AIGA syndrome is unknown. A multicenter study of HIV-negative individuals with T. marneffei infection was conducted between September 2018 and September 2020 in Guangdong and Guangxi, China. Patients were divided into AIGA-positive (AP) and AIGA-negative (AN) groups according to the AIGA titer and neutralizing activity. The relationship between AIGA syndrome and Th1 immune deficiency was investigated by using AP patient serum and purification of AIGA. Fifty-five HIV-negative adults with disseminated T. marneffei infection who were otherwise healthy were included. The prevalence of AIGA positivity was 83.6%. Based on their AIGA status, 46 and 9 patients were assigned to the AP and AN groups, respectively. The levels of Th1 cells, IFN-γ, and T-bet were higher in T. marneffei-infected patients than in healthy controls. However, the levels of CD4+ T-cell STAT-1 phosphorylation (pSTAT1) and Th1 cells were lower in the AP group than in the AN group. Both the serum of patients with AIGA syndrome and the AIGA purified from the serum of patients with AIGA syndrome could reduce CD4+ T-cell pSTAT1, Th1 cell differentiation and T-bet mRNA, and protein expression. The Th1 cell immune response plays a pivotal role in defense against T. marneffei infection in HIV-negative patients. Inhibition of the Th1 cell immune response may be an important pathological effect of AIGA syndrome.IMPORTANCEThe pathogenesis of Th1 cell immunity in Talaromyces marneffei infection with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody (AIGA) syndrome is unknown. This is an interesting study addressing an important knowledge gap regarding the pathogenesis of T. marneffei in non-HIV positive patients; in particular patients with AIGA. The finding of the Th1 cell immune response plays a pivotal role in defense against T. marneffei infection in HIV-negative patients, and inhibition of the Th1 cell immune response may be an important pathological effect of AIGA syndrome, which presented in this research could help bridge the current knowledge gap.

Published in Microbiology Spectrum

ISSN: 2165-0497 (Online)
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: https://journals.asm.org/journal/spectrum

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