Monocytes are the main source of STING-mediated IFN-α production
Authors: Congy-Jolivet Nicolas , Cenac Claire , Dellacasagrande Jérôme , Puissant-Lubrano Bénédicte , Apoil Pol André , Guedj Kevin , Abbas Flora , Laffont Sophie , Sourdet Sandrine , Guyonnet Sophie , Nourhashemi Fati , Guéry Jean-Charles , Blancher Antoine 
Published: March 2022

Background

Type I interferon (IFN-I) production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) occurs during viral infection, in response to Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) stimulation and is more vigorous in females than in males. Whether this sex bias persists in ageing people is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of sex and aging on IFN-α production induced by PRR agonist ligands.

Methods

In a large cohort of individuals from 19 to 97 years old, we measured the production of IFN-α and inflammatory cytokines in whole-blood upon stimulation with either R-848, ODN M362 CpG-C, or cGAMP, which activate the TLR7/8, TLR9 or STING pathways, respectively. We further characterized the cellular sources of IFN-α.

Findings

We observed a female predominance in IFN-α production by pDCs in response to TLR7 or TLR9 ligands. The higher TLR7-driven IFN-α production in females was robustly maintained across ages, including the elderly. The sex-bias in TLR9-driven interferon production was lost after age 60, which correlated with the decline in circulating pDCs. By contrast, STING-driven IFN-α production was similar in both sexes, preserved with aging, and correlated with circulating monocyte numbers. Indeed, monocytes were the primary cellular source of IFN-α in response to cGAMP.

Interpretation

We show that the sex bias in the TLR7-induced IFN-I production is strongly maintained through ages, and identify monocytes as the main source of IFN-I production via STING pathway.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from Région Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée (#12052910, Inspire Program #1901175), University Paul Sabatier, and the European Regional Development Fund (MP0022856).

Research in context

Evidence before this study

Type I interferon (IFN-I) production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) occurs during infection with viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in response to Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) stimulation. Early type I IFN production by pDCs in the respiratory tract through TLR7 activation is protective in severe COVID-19. The capacity of female pDCs to produce higher levels of interferon α (IFN-α) in response to TLR7 ligands, compared to those of males, is one immune characteristic that robustly distinguishes the two sexes in middle-aged adults. It is currently unknown whether the superior ability of female pDCs to produce IFN-I upon TLR7 stimulation is maintained with age. In this study, we investigated the impact of sex and aging on the release of innate cytokines (IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, MCP1) in a whole-blood assay from 310 healthy volunteers (145 males and 165 females) from 19 to 97 years old, upon stimulation with either TLR7-, TLR9-ligands or with cGAMP, the natural product of cGAS which activates STING (Stimulator of IFN Gene) and has been reported to exhibit potent anti-tumor and adjuvant effects through induction of IFN-I by ill-defined cellular sources.

Added value of this study

We observed that IFN-α responses to TLR7 and TLR9 ligands were the only whole blood assay variables exhibiting sex differences among all 21 variables investigated (seven analytes analyzed after stimulation by three different ligands). Our results show that the accrued female response in the TLR7-induced IFN-α production was robustly maintained over ages, including elderly subjects >80. In contrast, STING-induced IFN-I production was similar in both sexes and was maintained with aging possibly as a consequence of the age-related increase in circulating monocyte numbers. Indeed, we demonstrate for the first time that monocytes represent the main cellular source of IFN-I upon cGAMP stimulation of PBMCs.

Implications of all the available evidence

This study demonstrates that the heightened TLR7 ligand-induced IFN-α secretion by blood pDCs from females, compared to those from males, is maintained in elderly women, supporting the hypothesis that this pathway could contribute to enhanced protection against virus infections such as SARS-CoV-2 in females. This work also shows that cGAMP can promote IFN-I production by targeting monocytes, which numbers increase with aging, suggesting that STING ligands may be useful for vaccine design in the elderly in both sexes.