ARTICLE ABSTRACT
Immune mechanisms underlying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not well understood. Here, we show that the Toll-like receptor TLR2 inhibits production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL18 and protects mice from DEN-induced liver carcinogenesis. On this protocol, Tlr2−/− mice exhibited more aggressive HCC development associated with impaired CD8+ T-cell function. Furthermore, Ly6ChighIL18Rα+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) were increased in number in the livers of Tlr2−/− mice before tumor onset. MDSC in this setting exhibited higher iNOS levels that could inhibit IFNγ production and CD8+ T-cell proliferation in vitro. Notably, Tlr2−/− hepatocytes produced more mature IL18 after DEN treatment that was sufficient to drive MDSC accumulation there. IL18 adminstration was sufficient to induce accumulation of MDSC, whereas hepatocyte-specific silencing of IL18 in Tlr2−/− mice decreased the proportion of MDSC, increased the proportion of functional CD8+ T cells, and alleviated HCC progression. IL18 production was mediated by caspase-8 insofar as the decrease in its silencing was sufficient to attenuate levels of mature IL18 in Tlr2−/− mice. Furthermore, the TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 inhibited both caspase-8 and IL18 expression, decreasing MDSC, increasing CD8+ T-cell function, and promoting HCC regression. Overall, our findings show how TLR2 deficiency accelerates IL18-mediated immunosuppression during liver carcinogenesis, providing new insights into immune control that may assist the design of effective immunotherapies to treat HCC. Cancer Res; 75(6); 986–95. ©2015 AACR.
