Cytokines and miRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Z ◽  
◽  
Hu Y ◽  
Liu H ◽  
Fan J ◽  
...  

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory synovial hyperplasia. The pathogenesis of RA may be related to heredity, infection and sex hormones. The initial stage of RA involves the activation of T cells. Immature CD4+ T cells differentiate into T helper (Th) cells and T regulatory (Treg) cells under antigen stimulation and cytokine signal transduction. Cytokines secreted by Th cells and Treg cells play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of RA. The cytokines can be roughly divided into proinflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and both pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines. The imbalance between pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines would lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases. The disease severity was significantly indicated by serum or plasma cytokine levels with RA patients. Many clinical trials have shown that anticytokine drugs are effective in treating RA. This article reviews the differentiation process of different Th cells and Treg cells, the roles of cytokines secreted by them in the pathogenesis of RA and how miRNAs mediate immune regulation in RA. By understanding the roles of cytokines and miRNAs in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, it is necessary to develop potential anti-cytokine drugs and biomarkers/therapeutic targeted drugs through various ways in the treatment of RA.

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 393-399
Author(s):  
A. A. Novikov ◽  
Е. N. Aleksandrova ◽  
G. V. Lukina

Background: An important characteristic of immune pathology in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a B-cell tolerance defect, associated with autoantibodies production, and antigen-specific activation of Th-1 CD4+ T lymphocytes with an excess production of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to anti-inflammatory ones. Pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the development of local inflammatory effects, induce bone destruction and pannus formation, and contribute to the development of autoimmune abnormalities and systemic manifestations. Anti-inflammatory cytokines are able to reduce the rate of joint destruction. There is evidence of the involvement of Th2 cytokines in the development of early RA. These facts suggest the need for a thorough investigation into the balance between the Th1 and Th2 types of immune response at different stages of the disease.Aim: To assess the importance of сytokine profiling in the evaluation of immune abnormalities in RA.Materials and methods: In this descriptive, controlled, retrospective study, we examined 118 patients with RA and 33 healthy donors as a control group. Serum IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured by immunonephelometry; anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibodies (anti-MCV) were determined by an enzyme immunoassay, cytokines levels with "xMAP" technique.Results: Serum cytokine levels vary depending on RA duration. The cytokine profile in early RA, unlike that in established RA with a duration of more than 6 months, is characterized by higher levels of pro-inflammatory (MIP-1α), Th1 (IFN-γ), and Th17 (IL-17) cytokines, colony-stimulating factors (IL-7, G-CSF), and chemokines (IL-8, IP-10) (p < 0.05 for all parameters). In established RA, the levels of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, -6, -15, TNF-α), anti-inflammatory (IL-1ra, IL-10, IL-13, IL-5), Th1 (IL-2, IL-12), Th2 (IL-9) cytokines and colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF) correlate with the concentrations of IgM RF and antibodies to citrullinated proteins (antiCCP, anti-MCV) (all p < 0.05). There was also а correlation between CRP and pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), Th1 (IL-12), Th2 (IL-5, IL-9) cytokine levels and between DAS28 and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) and colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: In RA, cytokines, chemokines and colony-stimulating factors mirror the inflammatory activity of the disease. Changes in blood concentrations of cytokines enable to get an insight into the complex interplay of numerous mediators of innate and acquired immunity


2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 4922-4935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maíra Felonato ◽  
Adriana Pina ◽  
Simone Bernardino ◽  
Flávio V. Loures ◽  
Eliseu Frank de Araujo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT T-cell immunity has been claimed as the main immunoprotective mechanism against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection, the most important fungal infection in Latin America. As the initial events that control T-cell activation in paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) are not well established, we decided to investigate the role of CD28, an important costimulatory molecule for the activation of effector and regulatory T cells, in the immunity against this pulmonary pathogen. Using CD28-deficient (CD28− / −) and normal wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice, we were able to demonstrate that CD28 costimulation determines in pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis an early immunoprotection but a late deleterious effect associated with impaired immunity and uncontrolled fungal growth. Up to week 10 postinfection, CD28− / − mice presented increased pulmonary and hepatic fungal loads allied with diminished production of antibodies and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines besides impaired activation and migration of effector and regulatory T (Treg) cells to the lungs. Unexpectedly, CD28-sufficient mice progressively lost the control of fungal growth, resulting in an increased mortality associated with persistent presence of Treg cells, deactivation of inflammatory macrophages and T cells, prevalent presence of anti-inflammatory cytokines, elevated fungal burdens, and extensive hepatic lesions. As a whole, our findings suggest that CD28 is required for the early protective T-cell responses to P. brasiliensis infection, but it also induces the expansion of regulatory circuits that lately impair adaptive immunity, allowing uncontrolled fungal growth and overwhelming infection, which leads to precocious mortality of mice.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Daniil Shevyrev ◽  
Valeriy Tereshchenko ◽  
Elena Blinova ◽  
Nadezda Knauer ◽  
Ekaterina Pashkina ◽  
...  

Homeostatic proliferation (HP) is a physiological process that reconstitutes the T cell pool after lymphopenia involving Interleukin-7 and 15 (IL-7 and IL-15), which are the key cytokines regulating the process. However, there is no evidence that these cytokines influence the function of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since lymphopenia often accompanies autoimmune diseases, we decided to study the functional activity of Tregs stimulated by HP cytokines from patients with rheumatoid arthritis as compared with that of those from healthy donors. Since T cell receptor (TCR) signal strength determines the intensity of HP, we imitated slow HP using IL-7 or IL-15 and fast HP using a combination of IL-7 or IL-15 with anti-CD3 antibodies, cultivating Treg cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at a 1:1 ratio. We used peripheral blood from 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 18 healthy volunteers. We also used anti-CD3 and anti-CD3 + IL-2 stimulation as controls. The suppressive activity of Treg cells was evaluated in each case by the inhibition of the proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. The phenotype and proliferation of purified CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127lo cells were assessed by flow cytometry. The suppressive activity of the total pool of Tregs did not differ between the rheumatoid arthritis and healthy donors; however, it significantly decreased in conditions close to fast HP when the influence of HP cytokines was accompanied by anti-CD3 stimulation. The Treg proliferation caused by HP cytokines was lower in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than in the healthy individuals. The revealed decrease in Treg suppressive activity could impact the TCR landscape during lymphopenia and lead to the proliferation of potentially self-reactive T cell clones that are able to receive relatively strong TCR signals. This may be another explanation as to why lymphopenia is associated with the development of autoimmune diseases. The revealed decrease in Treg proliferation under IL-7 and IL-15 exposure can lead to a delay in Treg pool reconstitution in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the case of lymphopenia.


Author(s):  
Maciej Kwiatek ◽  
Tomasz Gęca ◽  
Anna Kwaśniewska

The advantage in response of Th2 over Th1 is observed in normal pregnancy in peripheral blood. A disturbance of this balance can lead to symptoms of miscarriage and pregnancy loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in sera of women who were diagnosed with missed miscarriage in the first trimester and to compare this systemic immune response to the response in women with normal pregnancy. The study group consisted of 61 patients diagnosed with missed miscarriage. In total, 19 healthy women with uncomplicated first trimester created the control group. Cytokines were determined in the maternal serum by ELISA. The analysis included INF-γ, TNF-α, Il-1β, Il-4, Il-5, Il-6, Il-9, Il-10, Il-13 and TGF-β1. Th1 cytokine levels in the study group reached slightly higher values for INF-γ, Il-1β and slightly lower for IL-6 and TNF-α. In turn, Th2 cytokine levels in the study group were slightly higher (Il-9, Il-13), significantly higher (Il4, p = 0.015; Il-5, p = 0.0003) or showed no differences with the control group (Il-10). Slightly lower concentration involved only TGF-β1. Analysis of the correlation between levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines resulted in some discrepancies, without showing predominance of a specific immune response. The results did not confirm that women with missed miscarriage had an advantage in any type of immune response in comparison to women with normal pregnancy.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Ye ◽  
Yun Xu

Both resident microglia and infiltrated peripheral T cells have been proved to play important roles in the pathology of stroke. It is well accepted that activated microglia exert dual roles, including pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) functions. However, the mechanism regulating microglial polarization remains elusive. T cells are recruited into the ischemic area within 24 h after stroke, which also exhibit pro-inflammatory (Th1, Th17) and anti-inflammatory (Th2, Treg) functions. The interaction between microglia and T cells after stroke is barely understood, which may be served as modifiers of pathobiology in stroke. Here we described the role of T cells in the microglial polarization in mouse experimental stroke. We isolated T cells from spleens of MCAO mice at 24 h and 72 h, respectively, and then added to cultured microglia for 24 h. Our results indicated that splenic T cells obtained at 24 h after MCAO selectively promoted microglia polarize to a pro-inflammatory (M1) state, while T cells obtained at 72 h, favored microglia polarize to an anti-inflammatory (M2) state. The results of flow cytometry showed that Th1 and Th17 cells increased at 24 h after MCAO while Th2 and Treg cells increased at 72 h after MCAO. This study implicates that distinct subtypes of T cells contribute differentially to microglial polarization after stroke onset. Therefore, treatments aiming at modulating the ratios of T cells to anti-inflammatory cells have the potential to induce microglial polarize to M2 phenotype and improve the outcome of ischemic stroke.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088506662091298
Author(s):  
Suresh Kumar Angurana ◽  
Arun Bansal ◽  
Jayashree Muralidharan ◽  
Ritu Aggarwal ◽  
Sunit Singhi

Objective: To study the baseline cytokine levels and their relation with the severity of illness and mortality in critically ill children with severe sepsis. Design: Subgroup analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary level teaching hospital in India. Patients: Fifty children with severe sepsis aged 3 months to 12 years. Material and Methods: Blood was collected at admission for estimation of pro-inflammatory (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-12p70, IL-17, and tumor necrotic factor α [TNF-α]) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and transforming growth factor β1 [TGF-β1]) cytokines. Primary Outcome: To find out correlation between cytokine levels and severity of illness scores (Pediatric Risk of Mortality [PRISM] III score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA], and Vasoactive-Inotropic Score [VIS]). Secondary Outcomes: To compare cytokine levels among survivors and nonsurvivors. Results: Baseline pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (median [interquartile range]) were IL-6: 189 (35-285) pg/mL, IL-12p: 48 (28-98) pg/mL, IL-17: 240 (133-345) pg/mL, and TNF-α: 296 (198-430) pg/mL; anti-inflammatory cytokine levels were IL-10: 185 (62-395) pg/mL and TGF-β1: 204 (92-290) ng/mL. Pro-inflammatory cytokines showed positive correlation with PRISM III score: IL-6 (Spearman correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.273, P = .06), IL-12 (ρ = 0.367, P = .01), IL-17 (ρ = 0.197, P = .17), and TNF-α (ρ = 0.284, P = .05), and anti-inflammatory cytokines showed negative correlation: IL-10 (ρ = −0.257, P = .09) and TGF-β (ρ = −0.238, P = .11). Both SOFA and VIS also showed weak positive correlation with IL-12 (ρ = 0.32, P = .03 and ρ = 0.31, P = .03, respectively). Among nonsurvivors (n = 5), the levels of all the measured pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly higher as compared to survivors, IL-6: 359 (251-499) pg/mL versus 157 (97-223) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-12p70: 167 (133-196) pg/mL versus 66 (30-100) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-17: 400 (333-563) pg/mL versus 237 (122-318) pg/mL, P = .009, and TNF-α: 409 (355-503) pg/mL versus 330 (198-415) pg/mL, P = .002, respectively. Conclusion: In critically ill children with severe sepsis, pro-inflammatory cytokines (especially IL-12p70) showed a weak positive correlation with severity of illness and were significantly higher among nonsurvivors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 508-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Julia Ulmschneider ◽  
Ulrike Billmeier ◽  
Michael Vieth ◽  
Patrizio Scarozza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims The topically applied Toll-like receptor 9 [TLR9] agonist cobitolimod is a first-in-class DNA-based oligonucleotide with demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials with ulcerative colitis [UC] patients. We here characterized its anti-inflammatory mechanism in UC. Methods Luminal cobitolimod administration was evaluated in an experimental dextran sodium sulfate [DSS]-induced colitis model. Cultured blood and mucosal cells from UC patients were treated with cobitolimod and analysed via microarray, quantitative real-time PCR, ELISA and flow cytometry. Intestinal slides of cobitolimod-treated UC patients were analysed by immunohistochemistry. Results Cobitolimod administration markedly suppressed experimental colitis activity, and microarray analyses demonstrated mucosal IL10 upregulation and suppression of IL17 signalling pathways. Cobitolimod treatment was associated with significant induction of mucosal IL10+Tr1 and Treg cells and suppression of Th17 cells. TLR9 knockout mice indicated that cobitolimod requires TLR9 signalling for IL10 induction. In UC patients, mucosal TLR9 levels correlated with severity of inflammation. Cobitolimod inhibited IL17A and IL17F, but increased IL10 and FoxP3 expression in cultured intestinal UC T cells. Cobitolimod-mediated suppression of intestinal IL17+T cells was abrogated by IL10 blockade. Furthermore, cobitolimod led to heightened IL10 production by wound healing macrophages. Immunohistochemistry in intestinal biopsies of cobitolimod-treated UC patients indicated increased presence of IL10+mononuclear and regulatory T cells, as well as reduction of IL17+cells. Conclusion Activation of TLR9 via cobitolimod might represent a novel therapeutic approach in UC, as it suppresses Th17 cells and induces anti-inflammatory IL10+macrophages and regulatory T cells, thereby modifying the dysregulated intestinal cytokine balance. Podcast This article has an associated podcast which can be accessed at https://academic.oup.com/ecco-jcc/pages/podcast


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