The structure of N-glycans on specific proteins can regulate innate and adaptive immunity via sensing environmental signals. Meanwhile, the structural diversity of N-glycans poses analytical challenges that limit the exploration of specific glycosylation functions. In this work, we used THP-1-derived macrophages as examples to show the vast potential of a N-glycan structural interpretation tool StrucGP in N-glycoproteomic analysis. The intact glycopeptides of macrophages were enriched and analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS)-based glycoproteomic approaches, followed by the large-scale mapping of site-specific glycan structures via StrucGP. Results revealed that bisected GlcNAc, core fucosylated, and sialylated glycans (e.g., HexNAc₄Hex₅Fuc₁Neu5Ac₁, N₄H₅F₁S₁) were increased in M1 and M2 macrophages, especially in the latter. The findings indicated that these structures may be closely related to macrophage polarization. In addition, a high level of glycosylated PD-L1 was observed in M1 macrophages, and the LacNAc moiety was detected at Asn-192 and Asn-200 of PD-L1, and Asn-200 contained Lewis epitopes. The precision structural interpretation of site-specific glycans and subsequent intervention of target glycoproteins and related glycosyltransferases are of great value for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for different diseases.
Humans ; B7-H1 Antigen ; Glycosylation ; Polysaccharides/metabolism*

Objective: To investigate the expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to explore its relationship with clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Methods: Ninety TNBC patients who underwent surgical resections between 2016 to 2018 in Jiangsu Province Hospital were selected. The expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in both tumor cells and immune cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis was analyzed. Results: VISTA was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the tumors. The expression of VISTA in tumor cells was related to a higher Ki-67 proliferation index (P=0.02) and higher number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL, P<0.01). VISTA was expressed in 71.1% (64/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with smaller tumor size (P=0.02), lower T stage (P=0.04), higher number of TIL (P<0.01), higher number of CD8⁺T cells (P=0.03) and higher Ki-67 proliferation index (P=0.02). PD-L1 was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with higher histologic grade (P=0.04), higher Ki-67 proliferation index (P=0.02) and higher number of TIL (P<0.01). VISTA expression was higher in immune cells within TNBC patients than PD-L1 (P<0.01). Among 90 TNBC patients, complete follow-up was obtained in 85 patients, 8 of whom had recurrences or metastasis after surgery, and two patients cases died of recurrences or metastasis. Conclusions: The expression rate of VISTA is higher than that of PD-L1 in TNBC. The expression of VISTA in immune cells predicts a lower T stage. VISTA may act as an effective immunotherapy target.
B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/surgery*

Cross-priming is an important mechanism to activate immune response, which includes two classical signal pathways. Co-stimulatory signals are essential in the effective activation and B7-family is considered to be one of the most important factor in immunotherapy. PD-L1 is a new member of B7 family, whose ligand is PD-1. PD-1/PD-L1 can down-regulate the activation of immune response, which has become a focus of research. This article reviewed the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in normal tissue and tumor, focusing on the status of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway study in leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia and so on, in order to provide a new way for treatment of hematologic diseases.
B7-H1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Hematologic Diseases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

The immune checkpoint programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)-mediated immunosuppression is among the important features of tumor. PD-L1, an immunosuppressant, can induce T cell failure by binding to programmed cell death-1(PD-1). Thus, the key to restoring the function of T cells is inhibiting the expression of PD-L1. The Chinese medicinal Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(AMR) has the anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic activities, and the polysaccharide in AMR(PAMR) plays a crucial role in immunoregulation, but the influence on the immune checkpoints which are closely related to immunosuppression has not been reported. MicroRNA-34 a(miR-34 a) expression in esophageal carcinoma tissue is significantly lower than that in normal tissue. This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect of PAMR on esophageal carcinoma cells, and the relationship between its inhibitory effect on PD-L1 expression and miR-34 a, which is expected to clarify the anti-tumor mechanism of PAMR. Firstly, different human esophageal carcinoma cell lines(EC9706, EC-1, TE-1, EC109 cells) were screend out, and expression of PD-L1 was determined. Then, EC109 cells, with high expression of PD-L1, were selected for further experiment. The result showed that PAMR suppressed EC109 cell growth. According to the real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR) and Western blot, it significantly suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of PD-L1, while promoting the expression of tumor suppressor miR-34 a. The confocal microscopy and luci-ferase assay proved that PAMR alleviated the inhibitory effect of PD-L1 while blocked miR-34 a. Additionally, the expression of PD-L1 was controlled by miR-34 a, and the combination of miR-34 a inhibitor with high-dose PAMR reversed the inhibitory effect of PAMR on PD-L1 protein expression. Thus, the PAMR may inhibit PD-L1 by increasing the expression of miR-34 a and regulating its downstream target genes. In conclusion, PAMR inhibits the expression of PD-L1 mainly by inducing miR-34 a.
B7-H1 Antigen/pharmacology* ; Carcinoma ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of autophagy on the expression of neutrophil programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in mice with sepsis. METHODS: (1) In vivo experiment: male C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided into sham operation group (Sham group), cecum ligation and perforation (CLP) group, and rapamycin (RAP)+CLP group by random number table with 10 mice in each group. The sepsis model was reproduced by CLP, and the cecum and perforation were not ligated in Sham group, and other operations were the same as CLP group. The mice in RAP+CLP group were intraperitoneally injected with autophagy agonist RAP 4 mg×kg^-1×d^-1 7 days before modeling, while the mice in Sham group and CLP group were not treated. Lung, liver, spleen and pancreas tissues were harvested for immunohistochemical staining 4 days after the operation, and the infiltration of neutrophils in various organs was observed under light microscope. Meanwhile, the expressions of immunosuppressive molecule PD-L1 and autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) in lung neutrophils were determined by immunofluorescence staining. (2) In vitro experiment: mouse bone marrow neutrophils were extracted and re-suspended to 1×10¹⁰/L, and they were divided into blank control group (without any treatment), RAP control group (RAP 100 μmol/L), autophagy inhibitor Bafilomycin A1 (Baf) control group (Baf 10 μmol/L), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation group (LPS 1 mg /L), RAP+LPS group, and Baf+LPS group. The latter two groups were pretreated with 100 μmol/L RAP or 10 μmol/L Baf 30 minutes before LPS stimulation, respectively. The expression of PD-L1 mRNA of neutrophils was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at 0, 4, 12 hours after LPS stimulation. At the same time, the expressions of PD-L1, LC3 and p62 at the protein level were determined by Western Blot. RESULTS: (1) In vivo experiment: according to immunohistochemical experiments, a large amount of infiltration of neutrophils in lung, liver, spleen and pancreas was found at 4 hours after CLP. In the immunofluorescence, with the time extension after CLP, the positive expression of LC3 in the lung tissue showed a decreased tendency, and PD-L1 expression was significantly increased. RAP pretreatment could promote the expression of LC3 and reduce the expression of PD-L1 in CLP mice. (2) In vitro experiment: in terms of mRNA levels, with the extension of LPS stimulation time, the expression of PD-L1 mRNA in mouse neutrophils was increased continuously, and peaked at 12 hours, it was significantly higher than that in the blank control group (2^-ΔΔCT: 72.2±10.0 vs. 13.0±0.8, P < 0.01). Compared with LPS stimulation group, the expression of PD-L1 mRNA in RAP+LPS group was significantly down-regulated [12-hour PD-L1 mRNA (2^-ΔΔCT): 47.4±7.3 vs. 72.2±10.0, P < 0.01]. In Baf+LPS group, PD-L1 mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated as compared with that in LPS stimulation group [12-hour PD-L1 mRNA (2^-ΔΔCT): 109.1±7.4 vs. 72.2±10.0, P < 0.01]. At the protein levels, at 4 hours after LPS stimulation, the positive expressions of PD-L1, LC3 and p62 were increased significantly as compared with those in the blank control group, and PD-L1 and p62 were increased continuously with time. Compared with the LPS stimulation group, the expressions of PD-L1 and p62 in the RAP+LPS group were significantly down-regulated, while the expression of LC3 was continually increased, indicating that the level of autophagy was increased, and autophagy was circulated smoothly. On the contrary, the expressions of PD-L1, LC3 and p62 in the Baf+LPS group were significantly up-regulated, indicating that the binding of autophagy and lysosome was blocked, and autophagy was not smooth. CONCLUSIONS In sepsis, the infiltration of neutrophils in all organs increased, and the expression of PD-L1 of neutrophils in lungs was increased significantly, while the expression level of autophagy was decreased. The expression of PD-L1 stimulated by LPS can be inhibited by autophagy agonists, and promoted by autophagy inhibitors. PD-L1 has a negative regulatory effect on sepsis. It can reduce the expression of PD-L1 molecule in sepsis by targeting autophagy, so as to improve sepsis.
Animals ; Autophagy ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Models, Animal ; Neutrophils ; Sepsis

OBJECTIVESepsis remains a leading cause of death in many Intensive Care Units worldwide. Immunosuppression has been a primary focus of sepsis research as a key pathophysiological mechanism. Given the important role of the negative costimulatory molecules programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the occurrence of immunosuppression during sepsis, we reviewed literatures related to the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway to examine its potential as a new target for sepsis treatment.

DATA SOURCESStudies of the association between PD-1/PD-L1 and sepsis published up to January 31, 2017, were obtained by searching the PubMed database.

STUDY SELECTIONEnglish language studies, including those based on animal models, clinical research, and reviews, with data related to PD-1/PD-L1 and sepsis, were evaluated.

RESULTSImmunomodulatory therapeutics could reverse the deactivation of immune cells caused by sepsis and restore immune cell activation and function. Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway could reduce the exhaustion of T-cells and enhance the proliferation and activation of T-cells.

CONCLUSIONSThe anti-PD-1/PD-L1 pathway shows promise as a new target for sepsis treatment. This review provides a basis for clinical trials and future studies aimed at revaluating the efficacy and safety of this targeted approach.

Animals ; B7-H1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; metabolism ; Sepsis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression levels of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in the peripheral blood of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to discuss their biological and clinical significance.

METHODSPD-1/PD-L1 expression on the surface of T-lymphocytes and the counts of T-lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood in 82 patients with OSCC (OSCC group) and 25 healthy controls (control group) were examined via flow cytometry. The expression levels of soluble PD-1 (sPD-1) and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in the serum were observed through enzyme-link immunology method. The data were tested and analyzed with SPSS 17.0 software.

RESULTSThe percentage of CD8+ T cells in the OSCC group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), whereas the percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells as well as CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The positive rates of PD-1 and PD-L1 in CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in OSCC peripheral blood were remarkably higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). Difference was not observed between the expression levels of sPD-1 in the serum of OSCC group and those in the control group (P>0.05), but the average of sPD-L1 was remarkably higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). sPD-L1 expression was related to clinical stage, tumor cell differentiation, and lymph node status (P<0.05) but not related to sex, age, tumor location, and tumor size.

CONCLUSIONT-lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of patients with OSCC developed immunosuppression with different degrees. PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels on the surface of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells significantly increased. Abnormal increase in sPD-L1 expression may be associated with OSCC development.

B7-H1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets

The programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) deliver inhibitory signals to regulate immunological tolerance during immune-mediated diseases. However, the role of PD-1 signaling and its blockade effect on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) differentiation into the osteo-/odontogenic lineage remain unknown. We show here that PD-L1 expression, but not PD-1, is downregulated during osteo-/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. Importantly, PD-L1/PD-1 signaling has been shown to negatively regulate the osteo-/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. Mechanistically, depletion of either PD-L1 or PD-1 expression increased ERK and AKT phosphorylation levels through the upregulation of Ras enzyme activity, which plays a pivotal role during hDPSCs osteo-/odontogenic differentiation. Treatment with nivolumab (a human anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody), which targets PD-1 to prevent PD-L1 binding, successfully enhanced osteo-/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs through enhanced Ras activity-mediated phosphorylation of ERK and AKT. Our findings underscore that downregulation of PD-L1 expression accompanies during osteo-/odontogenic differentiation, and hDPSCs-intrinsic PD-1 signaling inhibits osteo-/odontogenic differentiation. These findings provide a significant basis that PD-1 blockade could be effective immunotherapeutic strategies in hDPSCs-mediated dental pulp regeneration.
B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Dental Pulp/metabolism* ; Humans ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism* ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells

Antibodies, Monoclonal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; therapeutic use ; B7-H1 Antigen ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Models, Molecular ; Protein Binding

OBJECTIVE: To observe the levels of soluble programmed cell death protein 1 (sPD-1) and soluble programmed cell death ligand 1 (sPD-L1) in peripheral blood of lymphoma patients, and reveal their clinical significances. METHODS: The peripheral blood specimens and clinical data of 64 newly diagnosed lymphoma patients and 30 healthy volunteers were collected. The levels of sPD-1 and sPD-L1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and their correlations with clinical characteristics of the patients including pathological type, stage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, T cell subsets were analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of both sPD-1 and sPD-L1 in peripheral blood of lymphoma patients were higher than those of normal controls (P <0.05). There were no significant differences in sPD-1 and sPD-L1 levels in peripheral blood between Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Different pathological subtypes of lymphoma had different levels of sPD-1. The level of sPD-1 in patients with T-cell lymphoma was higher than that in patients with B-cell lymphoma (P =0.001). The levels of both sPD-1 and sPD-L1 in patients with Ann Arbor stage III and IV were higher than those in patients with stage I and II (P <0.05). The level of sPD-L1 in patients with abnormally increased LDH was higher than that in patients with normal LDH (P =0.001), but there was no significant difference in sPD-1 level. T cell subset analysis showed that the level of sPD-L1 was negatively correlated to CD4⁺ T cell content (r =-0.265). CONCLUSION The levels of sPD-1 and sPD-L1 in peripheral blood of lymphoma patients are related to the pathological type, Ann Arbor stage, LDH content and T cell subsets, and will be potential biomarkers in predicting the prognosis of lymphoma.
Humans ; Clinical Relevance ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism* ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism*