Immune checkpoint markers and anti-CD20-mediated NK cell activation

Anti-CD20 mAb is an effective therapy for most B-cell malignancies. Checkpoint blockade has been used to enhance T-cell-mediated antitumor response. Little is known about the biologic significance of immune checkpoints expressed by NK cells in anti-CD20-based therapy. To investigate the role of checkpoints in anti-CD20-mediated NK cell biology, Raji B-cell lymphoma cells, and PBMCs from normal donors were cocultured with rituximab (RTX), obinutuzumab (OBZ), or trastuzumab as a control mAb for between 20 h and 9 d. RTX and OBZ induced a dose-dependent NK cell up-regulation of T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domain (TIGIT) and T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (TIM3), but not PD1, CTLA4, or LAG3. Resting CD56^dim NK had higher TIGIT and TIM3 expression than resting CD56^bright NK although TIGIT and TIM3 were up-regulated on both subsets. NK cells with the CD16 158VV single nucleotide polymorphism had greater TIM3 up-regulation than did NK from VF or FF donors. TIGIT⁺ and TIM3⁺ NK cells degranulated, produced cytokines, and expressed activation markers to a greater degree than did TIGIT^- or TIM3^- NK cells. Blockade of TIGIT, TIM3, or both had little impact on RTX-induced NK cell proliferation, degranulation, cytokine production, or activation. Taken together, TIGIT and TIM3 can serve as markers for anti-CD20-mediated NK cell activation, but may not serve well as targets for enhancing the anti-tumor activity of such therapy.